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Kidney transplant - The Journey from the Donor's Side
I'm headed to Rochester on the 10th for surgery on the 12th. I'm excited and nervous! I didn't know the recipient but have gotten to "meet" her and some of her daughters through phone calls and emails.
I've had labs done at my doctor's office and went to Mayo a few weeks ago for a million more tests. My case was presented to the donor board a few days before Christmas and I was approved and notified the same day. It seems like everything took so long and now is going so fast.
I'm interested in hearing from donors but haven't had a lot of luck. It seems like the recipients are the ones who post the most, which gives me some info and reassurance but it would be nice to hear from the other side too.
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@rosemarya Thank you for your thoughts. Everyones thoughts are important regardless of their diversity. Please do not confuse the "Emotion: #" as anything more than thoughts from a donors journey side of the transplant blessing. By no means do I feel anxious or overwhelmed. This is simply put... my uncut realistic day by day intangible process that is not simple to put in literature but like literature it has its own unique value. By all means I expect to have a medically close relationship with the entire transplant team. After all each one of us wants this journey to be successful for everyone. I am an advocate of collaboration before compromise as well as duty of transparency. Personally speaking I appreciate everyone for sharing regardless of our varied differences of perception because I know sharing can be challenging from fear of how others may take or mistake our meaning.
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3 ReactionsHas anybody done any research of donor thoughts by donors such as donor blogs, printed testimony or any other donor thought venue? Though I clearly have my own thoughts & feel there is a priceless value in sharing I am quit curious about other people's thoughts, feelings & emotions. It would be statistically informative to know what the most common, least common & in between the 2 extremes thoughts are. Please do share sources of thoughts along with the thoughts. My basic thoughts are I made an educated/ emotional decision to donate a kidney knowing every decision has a learning curve. But hey I will follow it through to the very end with smiles & tears, laughter & fears.
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3 Reactions@beckyjohnson Yes! sharing and learning are good things!
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2 ReactionsIndeed this is entirely about improving the quality of life for everyone on board as well as from many elements of life - physical, psychological, emotional, medical & scientific to name a few. Thank you for the advice & have a wonderful weekend as well.
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3 Reactions@beckyjohnson in the months leading up to my surgery, I watched every YouTube video and read every blog and website that had to do with kidney donors, kidney disease, transplants, etc.... there's some good stuff out there. As with anything, you'll have to sift through what has value to you and what does not.
I was very prepared mentally and physically because I did a lot of research ahead of time. By the time I got to the three day testing, I hardly had questions because I had learned so much.
Im also a strong woman of faith, really did not have any anxiety or worry because I trusted this was the journey that God had intended for me.
Good luck!
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3 Reactions@onecentwalsh Research is such a great tool that I'm convinced we are able to learn as much as our hearts desire on whatever subject catches our fancy. As a newby to christianity recently babtized Im learning about the power of faith - oh my is it powerful. Thank you for sharing.
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3 Reactions@mauraacro Is this an open offer? Are you the donor or recipient? For some I think you are a recipient but I think it is easier to just ask than figure where that notion came from.
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2 Reactions@onecentwalsh What changes do you appreciate the most since your life changing journey? I was fascinated by the posts on Changes After the Transplant.
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2 Reactions@IWantToBelieve @mauraacro the beauty of threads is when one misses something like this & is an adament follower the missed post will be found. Now I know why I believed you were/ are a donor. How beautiful. Are you fully recovered?
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2 Reactions@IWantToBelieve those are some really good tips that may benefit anyone. Speaking from experience there is always hope for something better even in the face of death. It is literally a mind over matter phenomena like faith. I have been challenged with finding the good in the worst of circumstances & learned perception of what was, is & can be is a powerful motivater that both drives & is driven by emotion. Science has now statistically proven that emotion is every bit as influential on our health as exercise which in theory may explain why 2 people going through seemingly the same thing have totally different outcomes. Selfless givers tend to be happier than selfish takers. That is not to say recievers of gifts are takers because there is clear delination between selfish takers & greatful recievers...greatful recievers either have been, are or will be happy givers.
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