New to paired kidney transplant: Any advice or support welcome

Mayo will probably administer intravenous IV fluids before and after the procedure to help flush the contrast. They'll give her the lowest dose of dye possible because of her kidneys. I have the utmost faith in Mayo. They're the best hospital on the planet. I'll be praying for your wife. God bless

Thank you Ernest!...if you don't mind me asking...are you a kidney transplant recipient?

Yes, I imagine it does feel like a long journey. You will be tested so that Mayo can be assured your kidney will be effective for someone else. Are you using the Donor Shield program? If you have never heard of it, it is awesome. My son donated a kidney to a young father and saved his life. (This was under the voucher program). They paid all his lost wages, transportation, everything. Then that put me in the "pool" for a kidney that matched me. It took only 5 months after his donation for a kidney to be found for me. Here is a link for Donor Shield: https://www.donorshield.com. Best of all things to you both.

Thank you Benedict

@hutchmike No. Liver transplant recipient. But after my surgery 4+ months ago I need to really watch my kidneys because of the anti rejection drugs I take. Your in good hands with mayo and will have a team of doctors and nurses to guide you through everything. After my transplant I feel like a new man thanks to mayo. P.S. don't be afraid to ask any questions on this forum. Everyone here wants to help everybody going through these trying times.

We are in Hutchinson mn...our doctor referred us to U of M transplant hospital...has anyone on this forum gone there?.maybe we should include Mayo in addition?

Hi Hutchmike, I had a kidney transplant 18 months ago (a liver transplant also at the same time). I'm 71 yrs old now. Earnest is right, they flush the dye with IV fluids & give the least amount of dye possible. I had a heart angiogram (where they use dye) 4 weeks before my surgery to check for heart blockages. (luckily no blockages) One week before the angiogram my Creatinine was 3.48 & GFR was 14. One week after the angiogram my Creatinine was 3.33 & GFR was 14. Really not much change in the numbers. Then one week later, the morning of surgery my Creatinine was 3.94 & my GFR was 12. So the dye they used for my angiogram didn't really make much of a difference. I had to have the angiogram to be cleared for surgery. I had my surgery at Loyola in Chicago. I feel really good now, it was well worth it to have a second chance at life! As my surgeon told me in ICU, you have to be Strong! Good Luck to you & your wife! It is quite the journey but you will get through it! Best Wishes, Sandy

@hutchmike, I recommend that you inquire about listing at Mayo Clinic as well. Here's more information about the Kidney Transplant Program at Mayo as well as contact numbers to ask your questions:
- Kidney Transplant Program https://www.mayoclinic.org/departments-centers/kidney-transplant/home/orc-20203197

How is your wife doing? How are YOU doing?

Welcome to the group @hutchmike. An incredible friend stepped up and offered to donate. She went through two or three days of testing at Mayo to confirm that she was a good, healthy candidate. Since our blood types were not compatible, she agreed to do the paired exchange.

Initially we were going to do it at the same time (donate-receive) but due to schedules we ended up using vouchers. She donated to a wonderful woman in Atlanta (we were both Minnesota-based) on November 8th.

Because of her donation, I received a voucher. It was probably only a couple of weeks later that I received word that they had found a match for me. So on December 13, 2022, I received a kidney from someone in Minneapolis.

It's a bit of a leap of faith to be sitting on that voucher vs having a firm commitment for transplant, but the folks we worked with are true professionals and deeply committed to creating success stories. My donor was invited to an event in New York City the following June/July to recognize donors and took me as her guest. It was very emotional for me as one of the few recipients who attended. Bless you for being willing to do this. You and your wife are in my thoughts and prayers.

If you have any questions, please let me know.

Thank you for your story and support 2gallon!!...we had our first phone consultation (U of M transplant hospital) Minnesota. I'm feeling very positive about this journey we are starting. It really helps to hear stories like yours.