Any living kidney donors that can share?

@shalanajoy, I haven't been a living kidney donor, but I want to thank and applaud you for your desire and willingness to be one. That is very admirable...and live kidney donors are very much needed. Kudos to you!

@shalanajoy, I want to reach out to welcome you to Connect and to say “thank you” for considering living kidney donation.
My donor 15 years ago was an anonymous deceased donor. I am forever grateful for his decision. I am away from my computer currently, and while we wait for a response from a living donor, I would like to share this link to a discussion by a member who shared what she experienced.
- Kidney Transplant Journey from the Donor Side
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/kidney-transplant-from-the-donor-side/
.
Have you made contact with the living kidney program where you will be evaluated?

Thank you for posting this. I am a 41 year old female currently going through the process to be a live donor for my aunt. My evaluation at the Mayo is scheduled for about a month from now. I am already thoroughly impressed with how smooth the process has been, and how much helpful information there is out there. Good luck to you!

Hello!
I am 7 weeks post surgery, having donated a kidney to my husband. The surgery was at Mayo Phoenix.
The process leading up to the surgery date was extremely thorough and my team made certain my decision was mine alone and that I wasn't being influenced to be a donor, particularly since it was my husband who needed the transplant and I was so emotionally invested in his health. It's easy to get caught up in "being a hero" and, for me, it was important to remove all ego from my decision.
Since you know the recipient, I can share that it is an amazing and life changing experience to see life come back into someone who has been very ill. My donated kidney began to work immediately and my husband looked and felt great, and continues to do so.
I urge you to ask a lot of questions about what to expect after surgery and for your long term health, and to speak with other donors. Everyone's experience is unique and I learned something from each person I spoke with.
My mentor at the National Kidney Donor Organization, http://www.nkdo.org, was a great help and support, particularly after surgery. It made a huge difference for my emotional recovery to have someone to speak with who had gone through the same thing and she continues to help me.
You will go into surgery healthy and strong and come out with one less organ, so you can expect to feel pretty lousy right after surgery and for the first week. From there, my recuperation improved steadily with each week.
I can't overstate the importance of having a good caregiver at the hospital (for moral support and advocacy) and for your first week home. My daytime nurses were not particularly attentive and I was fortunate to have my daughter with me . Luckily, my nighttime nurses were amazing. When home, you'll be able to move around, dress, shower, etc., but the caregiver will help you stay ahead of any pain, make sure you drink a lot of water, and also encourage you to move around.
I still fatigue easily and expect to for the first few months but I am already forgetting that I have only one kidney because I don't feel any differently physically. It is more about recovering from the surgery and regaining stamina.
There is so much more to share and I hope this helps in the early days of your journey.
Please reach out to other donors and ask a lot of questions. I know you'll make the right decision for you.
God bless.

My healthy, wonderful, friend donated a kidney to a woman she first saw in the news. She was touched by the story of a woman who was struggling to find a suitable match. My friend then started the journey to being a kidney donor and by great fortune she was the perfect match for the woman in the news story. She is doing very well and she recommends that you look into 2 Facebook groups to which she belongs: 1) LIVING KIDNEY DONORS SUPPORT GROUP; and 2) KIDNEY SUPPORT: DIALYSIS, TRANSPLANTS, DONORS AND RECIPIENTS. Her and her donee utilized the health care services of University of Alabama at Birmingham, so they are not reachable through Mayo Connect. Nevertheless, both women are thriving. My friend, the living donor, has no regrets. As a lung pre-tranplant patient at Mayo in Jax, I salute your caring soul for even asking questions.

Hello @shalanajoy.
My wife donated her kidney to me (no dialysis), It's been 5 years, Her kidney GFR is 98 and mine is around in the low 90s
She has no issues so far and her BP is normal.
I did get a couple of allele matches in the Class B group.. ( very rare..sometimes you get fortunate.. to me its a miracle.....
Best

To @shalanajoy and anyone else considering kidney donation. Here are some helpful related discussions:
- Kidney transplant - The Journey from the Donor's Side
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/kidney-transplant-from-the-donor-side/
- What is the Living Donor Process Like?
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/living-donor-process/
- Kidney transplant - process for being a living donor
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/kidney-transplant/
- Living Donor Kidney surgery next Tuesday: Any advice?
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/living-donor-kidney-surgery-next-tuesday/
- What ways you can help when you can’t be a living donor?
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/what-ways-you-can-help-when-you-cant-be-a-living-donor/
- From a Living Donor: One year later, what is your life like now?
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/a-post-donation-check-in-one-year-later/

What a great post, @tknall. You answered my questions before I could even ask. You must be so grateful that your daughter could step in to be the caregiver. Was she caregiver to both you and your husband? Did she have support and help in caregiving duties? When were you able to be caregiver to your husband?

How are you both doing now?

Hello!
My husband and I were required to have our own caregiver, and it was needed as I was not able to care for him. As the donor, I was in worse shape than my husband and needed more rest. My daughter and a close friend stepped up for the first week. We didn't intend for them to be "assigned" to one of us but that is how it worked out since my husband needed help with his meds and frequent doctor visits and it was better to have one person handle that with him. We had family the second week, after which we were fine on our own.
From the onset we were able to prepare simple meals but by dinner time we were both very tired and it was wonderful having someone prepare our meals, handle laundry, etc.
At 8 weeks it was our turning point for emotional and physical health. He is doing great and handling the meds well. He has had two side effects to the Tacrolimus; severe leg cramps and hand tremors. Our angel of a neighbor had him try Theraworx Muscle Cramp and Spasm Relief Foam and it did the trick. He considers it a miracle as it immediately eliminated the cramps and he can now get a good night's sleep. The hand tremors are minor compared to others we've spoken to.
Probably more information than you asked for!

@tknall, Thank you for sharing your family journey with kidney transplant, donation, caregiving. You are certainly blessed to have such an amazing support network. I know that this has taken a lot of communication and coordinatiion - you are to be commended for making this happen.
As a recipient who has taken tacrolimus as one of my antrejection medications for 15 years, I want to let your husband know that the hand trembles will diminish over time.

Tknall, as a living donor, is there any advice or 'wisdom' by experience that you would share with someone who is considering living kidney donation?