How did you find a living donor? What can I expect?

Welcome Josh!
Would you mind if I changed the title of this discussion to "How did you find a living donor? What can I expect?" It will help people know what the discussion is about.

On the Transplant Page, there is a recipient toolkit that talks about ways to find a donor and what you can expect. Click here: http://mayocl.in/2h1ChQ3 However, it sounds like you've done most of the things recommended. You might even have some ideas to add about finding a donor.

I'm tagging other transplant recipients so they can share their ideas. Please meet @rosemarya @2011panc @coastalgirl @ters1993 @bszychow @scottb32 @wmoser2613 @hardaway3
In this discussion "I am an Anon Kidney Donor - wonderful decision" http://mayocl.in/2gGDGsn @gregorytremblay describes his reason for becoming a living donor. He may have some suggestions too.

Go ahead and change the title. I am doing the best I can despite the fact that it is hard.

Have you discussed finding a living donor with your transplant team?
I was too sick and they told me that there was not enough time for me to consider looking for a living donor.
Rosemary

@jtannen1 I remember getting the "CALL" as if it was yesterday. My husband and I were staying at the Gift of Life House in Rochester. We were up and dressed early because it took me forever to dress and eat before my dialysis appointment. I was brushing my teeth (at the time, it was a very difficult task for me because I was so weak.) At 6:42 AM, my cell phone rang. When my husband answered it and handed it to me. Transplant surgeon was the one who told me that organs were available, and asked if I wanted to transplant today. She told me that there is a chance that I might not be able to transplant, that it depended on her inspection of the organs when they arrived. She told me to come immediately to hospital and where to report. So we got on the shuttle and rode to Mayo Methodist Hospital and reported to the transplant unit. I was greeted by the nurses who were expecting me, and then I was checked into transplant unit. There were all the usual health questions several times. And labs and all the usual health checks. I needed a short dialysis session, with visits by who-know-how-many-white coated individuals. For me everything went very quickly. I had the enema thing, But never even had time to use the red soap that they talked about! Next I said bye to husband, and was rolled to surgical room, and was given my blue party hat! ....I woke up in recovery.
This is how it happened for me. Remember everybody has different needs, and different conditions to be monitored. Your transplant team can give you a better rundown of what might be your agenda.
Rosemary

Hopefully you get a kidney soon. It is difficult with many antibodies. I never did get a living kidney donor approved. I am removed from the transplant list at the present time, but when I was on the list I did what you did. I wrote letters to every eligible family member and let all my friends know. I asked everyone to share the news. My husband talked about my need at work and one person in his department volunteered to donate a kidney, but never completed the process before I was taken off the transplant list. If it had come to a crisis I have a friend who is very good about organizing benefit events and I would have asked her to help with putting on a donor request event. I may have also called the local newspaper and done an interview telling my story and encouraging organ donation. I may have also contacted the local television and radio and radio stations for the same type of interview.

I do have a pancreas transplant, which is a death donation. I received the call at home about 7:30 pm after a Mexican dinner out with extended family. There was a severe winter storm moving through the area between where we lived and where we needed to be, The Methodist Hospital in Rochester, MN. A ten hour drive away in good weather with good roads. The roads were already bad with compacted ice and snow so my husband called a pilot that had agreed to fly us if it became necessary. We hurriedly packed and made arrangements and got to the airport by 10 pm. The pilot had to come from 100 miles away and it was frigid and blowing when he arrived. We climbed in the back of his "cargo" plane and sat on the two seats available. About halfway through the 2 hour flight I started having a low blood sugar episode. These episodes required immediate, and sometimes emergency, attention. We had nothing. My husband asked the pilot if he had anything, but he only had diet soda and water. Then he offered a bag of snacks that he had raided from the vending machines before we left. Some of that got me through. We landed in a blizzard and climbed into the cab the pilot had called ahead to order. The airport was closed immediately after we arrived. The hospital was not open and would not admit us through the ER, so we went across the street to the hotel for the 3 hours we had to wait until we could check into the hospital. Most of the hospital is a blur for me. I remember waiting in a room after admission for what seemed an inordinately long time. I don't remember when the surgery started, but it took much longer than my husband expected and he was quite worried. H really was not emotionally prepared for the transplant, but I didn't know that until he asked me if I was really going to do this on the way to Rochester. I also had difficulty with the central line following surgery and that increased my husband's anxiety. I was blissfully unaware and don't even remember the ICU. The next thing I remember is waking up in the same room where I had waited to get the transplant.