@cleverusername Thank you for joining us in our donor journeys. @mauraacro is a directed donor who has just made the 6 mnth post donation checkup. I'm an altruistic donor who would dearly love to meet my recipient. I'm nearing a month into the actual process & have advanced to 5 days of testing. Next week I will have 20 tests in 4 days. It is very exciting to know that 50+ lives may be positively impacted because of one altruistic kidney donation and directed kidney donations that become part of a paired chain due to directed recipient incompatibility.
Even though each transplant experience is unique to the parties involved there are tips, trials & experiences that we share to help smooth the journey. It is an enormous decision to give up part of your body as a living donor. For lack of a more accurate word congrats to you on your life giving decision.

@cleverusername, I want to welcome you to Mayo Clinic Connect. I am happy that you have found this discussion group. You are speaking to our members who are donor "experts".
I am a liver/kidney recipient (2009) and speaking as a recipient, I thank you for the decision that you have made about testing to be a potential donor. I assure you that organ donation works! I am behind on my replies right now because I have been unplugged, and enjoying some great hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains in NC and TN - Thanks to my wonderful organ donor. My donor was a deceased anonymous donor, but I give thanks and honor him daily.

Take your time reading thru the many discussions on Connect. I would like to suggest that you might read thru any of the discussions in Transplant, and there are some in the Kidney and Bladder groups. Let me know if I can help you find anything.

Here is the link to the Connect Pages where there are materials for transplant recipients as well as living donors. No matter where you are in your transplant journey, I believe you will find some useful information - https://connect.mayoclinic.org/page/transplant/

I look forward to learning about the living donor process right along with you.
Rosemary

Thanks so much! Surgery Tuesday!

@triciaodonnell That's great! How are you feeling?

I’m feeling great! Husband (recipient) very tired and sometimes swollen ankles. We are ready to go!

It’s early Thursday morning and unfortunately I have not had an easy go of it. I was very nauseous from the anesthesia , and have only had ice chips and little broth, and some ginger ale since surgery on Tuesday. But every hour things get a little better. My husband is doing very well and my kidney is working terrific! His creatinine was cut in half less than 24 hours. I may stay in the hospital one more day instead of going home this afternoon. But everyone at the mayo clinic has been terrific as you would expect.

@triciaodonnell, I hope that today will be a good day of rest for you. And that you will continue to feel better and better throughout the day.

Am I correct that you are a living kidney donor for your husband? It must be a wonderful feeling to see how he is improving already.
My organs are from a deceased donor, and my husband was constantly at my bedside as my caregiver. Are you able to see or be with your husband this hospital stay?

When you feel better, I would enjoy hearing about your experience.
Rosemary

Yes Rosemary, I donated to my husband. He is doing very well! His creatinine level was cut in half on the very first day and the doctors are very happy. He’s a long way down the hall, but we have to walk anyway so we take a couple trips a day to see each other. I am still quite weak and tired, but I’ve had a hard time sleeping. I had a little breakfast this morning and a better nights sleep last night, so I hope today is A much better day. I am very happy for my husband’s great progress and even though it’s not an easy thing to be a living donor, it certainly is rewarding and very worth it.

@triciaodonnell I hope the nausea passes soon, what an awful feeling. I'm glad they're treating you well.
You have such a positive outlook and you gave another person the gift of life, congratulations, you are wonderful!
Happy to hear your husband is doing well, transplants are an amazing thing,aren't they?

The nausea is gone now - w days post up. I had a small amount of breakfast today, got in a short walk and I am practicing on a little breathing machine. I guess your lungs get lazy when you’ve had surgery. So I have to get those a little stronger. I will go home this afternoon or tomorrow morning. Thanks for the support!