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Any living kidney donors that can share?
Transplants | Last Active: Sep 29 5:25pm | Replies (11)Comment receiving replies
@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?
Replies to "@tknall, Thank you for sharing your family journey with kidney transplant, donation, caregiving. You are certainly..."
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Hello!
Thank you for the positive report on hand tremors. I passed it on to my husband and it gave him hope!
Regarding my experience when considering becoming a donor, I am 68 and based on my health history, felt confident I would not have to deal with CKD in my future so didn't worry about having only one kidney. For a younger person, with fewer years of medical history, I imagine this would be a consideration. I wanted to help my husband and keep him off dialysis, but I took a lot of time researching the risks, speaking with other donors, and making certain the decision was mine alone. I felt zero pressure to be a living donor.
We are now approaching 9 weeks post surgery and the focus has been entirely on healing and regaining stamina. I lead a healthy and active lifestyle and, except for tiring after a busy day, feel great.
As a last piece of advice, if you have children, bring them into the conversation. My husband and I were going to have serious surgeries on the same day and that can be frightening for the family. I feel they appreciated having a voice in the process.
Coincidentally, my very good friend's daughter, who is 38, donated a kidney one week after my surgery. Her young children made it a celebration and were so proud of their mom. She and her husband did a great job of reassuring them and making the entire experience a positive one.