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Kidney transplant - The Journey from the Donor's Side
Transplants | Last Active: Jul 25 2:21pm | Replies (359)Comment receiving replies
Im so excited due to the new donor kidney transplant coordinator & my conversation earlier today. She asked questions that needed more clarification from the initial application. I'm also required to have a current colonoscopy, pelvic exam/ pap smear and mammogram. She is sending a blood pressure cuff to be worn continuously for a designated period of time (24 hrs I think). She also working on scheduling 3 days of appointments to include a lot of bloodwork, stress test, echocardiogram & much more that I cannot recall. I will also be meeting her in person along with counselor, donor advocate, surgery team, financial consultant & dietician to name a few. We are aiming for the last week of this month. Yea! A final thought as an altruistic donor it is very possible I will not get to meet my kidney recipient. For me this is a downside that I had already decided to accept thanks to this Mayo Connect discussion.
Replies to "Im so excited due to the new donor kidney transplant coordinator & my conversation earlier today...."
@beckyjohnson I just thought of a tip for your 24 hour blood pressure cuff.
I had to wear one for 18 hours. It was attached to my arm like a regular cuff and I was provided a small purse that held the monitor that I wore across my body. It wasn't much different than carrying a purse all day but I was worried that it would slip off in my sleep and I'd have to start over. I wore a long sleeved, long length t-shirt to bed and it held the cuff and the "purse" in place. It looked really dumb but I slept better knowing it would stay put.
I also had to do a 24 hour urine collection and luckily was able to do that at home. I'll have to figure out how to MacGyver something to carry around during my follow up appointments. Maybe a stylish cooler bag to carry through the streets of Rochester?
@mauraacro Since I sleep alone I doubt exterior beauty matters. Thank you for the tip. I've been accused of having the patients of a saint. If those same people saw me now? I have not recieved my cuff yet. How long does it take? Shouldn't it have been here by now? Oh wait...was it just 3 days ago my coordinator said she would work on it? It feels like a week. Now I get it. Waiting is sooo hard, even for me lol.
Emotion 19: Excitement because my colonoscopy results are not only normal but also good for 10 years. Whoohoo
Emotion 20: Worry that I may not be able to donate (considered normal) because my LDL is high.
Emotion 21: Relief - Doc recommends healthier diet & more exercise. Nothing to worry about. Yeah
Emotion 22: Joy because I recieved a letter to call about getting my blood pressure cuff so I called & made arrangements for it to be delivered next week.
Emotion 23: Frustration because I recieved an automated call stating I have preliminary testing T. June 26 @ 6:20am & to get my itenerary at http://www.mayoclinic.org, no physical address & no return call phone number. I could not find anything on the web site to help. When I tried to create an account I was asked for a 9 digit mayo code. Ugh. I will call my coordinator tomorrow.
Emotion 23: Excitement Today is day 24. For the 2nd day in a row I received an automated phone call scheduling a 2nd day of tests for W. June 27th @ 8am. And my daughter might go with me. I did not have time to call my coordinator for address & phone number info.
Emotion 24 (mistakenly called 23 for the 2nd time) is cool because it was on the 24th day of the donor process.
Emotion 25: Collective calm & surprise. Today I learned I have 5 days of testing (instead of 3) & my 9 digit member (create your (portal) account) number but Im still having trouble setting up the account. This time I have to fix it through patient registration. Things are moving fast now for sure.
Emotion 26: Amazement. I have 20 appointments in 4 days
@beckyjohnson bring snacks (protein bars or something with protein is great), water bottle, a book and a phone charger. If you get done with an appointment early, you can check in at your next one and see if there's a chance to get in earlier, it doesn't always work but they seem good with estimating. Also, if you're running late because of their schedule, ask them to call the next appointment to let them know.
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Emotion 18: Motivation albeit emotion 17-joy should be in this post as well. Now that I'm on to testing I'm deep in research. Is there a way to group all these emotions? But then they would not be time appropriate... hmmm? Motivation is a positive emotion because it keeps me focused & informed.