Connect
Donating my kidney: Any tips? What do you wish you'd known?
On Wednesday at 5 am, I report for surgery to donate my left kidney to an unknown person. During this strange time in our world it's time for patience and understanding. Although I have to be dropped off for surgery, I know others will be with me in their hearts. I wonder who will be receiving my kidney? Are they make or female? How old is the recipient? Will it be local or will my kidney travel? I have been so pleased with my team at Mayo handling the donation testing. My nurse, Zach, has been with me since day 1 of testing and keeps me well informed. It's almost surreal that this journey is about to take the biggest step. Any tips or advice are welcome.
Like
Helpful
HugInterested in more discussions like this? Go to the Transplants Support Group.
Connect
Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful gift! Positive thoughts and prayers for you and your recipient as you recover.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
3 ReactionsTammi,
What you have done is amazing, courageous and selfless. Words can not express what your donation will mean to the person receiving this beautiful gift. You are a beacon of hope! I know how transformational a donation like yours can be because I received my kidney from a living donor (my friend Dawn) and I am doing great!
How are you feeling? Do you want to meet your donor someday? What inspired you? I want to know everything...please share as much or little as you feel comfortable with.
Jolinda
P.S.
May God grant you a speedy and pain-free recovery!
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
2 ReactionsHow are you doing today? You did a great thing and I hope you are getting well taken care of and thoroughly spoiled!
I don't know exactly how altruistic donations go. Do you find out anything about the recipient?
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 ReactionThank you for checking in. I'm doing pretty well, no pain meds except Tylenol since I was released last Thursday. I am very tender in my stomach and get so tired by doing absolutely nothing but I know it takes time. I'm hoping to someday find out about my recipient. I go in next Wed. for my post op appointments.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
2 ReactionsJolinda, Sorry for the delay in response. I had a couple of days where I was extremely weak but thankfully I feel much better. How precious to have that shared gift with your friend, Dawn. I do hope to someday meet the person I who now has my kidney. I wonder about and pray for the person everyday. I also hope to meet the person I started this journey for someday. I heard about a person in my Bible study that had a half sister that she had met once that was in need of a second kidney transplant. Her first didn't work. She has young children and I began praying. It quickly began clear that I was supposed to step up. I filled out paperwork and waited quite awhile before I was contacted. Once I was contacted I had a few weeks of testing and appointments. I was not a match for the person I had named but I found out I could start a chain and potentially help more people by giving my kidney in a paired chain. I agreed to give my kidney to someone with the idea of the person I named being moved to the top of a nation wide pool that includes living donors. She has about 1% of finding the right match. I could wait until she found a match or I could give in advance. I decided to give in advance. My information went out on the National list and within a few hours my nurse was calling that a match had been made and a date was set. My team at Mayo was amazing and with each conversation they would always ask if I had any questions and I always ask. Is there any information you can give me about my recipient 😊 Someday if the recipient wants to know about me we will hopefully meet. Until then the paired chain is in effect and someday it will be exciting to hear how many people received kidneys in this chain to reach my first named recipient (whom I also hope to meet). So, that's my story of donation. Yesterday and today have been great days and I'm healing well.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
4 ReactionsYou are remarkable! So very many lives you have touched! And some you may never know, but know this: they are all grateful to have you share your strength.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
3 Reactions@danhoe Tammi, I am so impressed by people like yourself who do this for people they do not know. I am always bewildered though by people who are prepared to donate an organ to a person they know and when they are not a match will not agree to a paired donation. That will help the person they care about too, to me it just does not make sense.
If I knew then what I know how I would like to think I would volunteer to help someone. I suspect my husband would be totally opposed though out of concern of any potential side-effects on me.
JK
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 Reaction@danhoe - Tammi, Thank you. Thank you for your gift of kidney donation and for sharing your story. I also want to thank you for explaining how a paired kidney chain works. I did not know that a chain could remain in effect until your designated recipient receives a transplant when there is a match.
Will you be informed when your own designated recipient gets a transplant?
Will you and or your recipient learn each other's identuties? Is there a protocol for when and how that happens?
I hope that you and your donor will enjoy many happy todays and tomorrows.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 Reaction@tasher3433, Today, I am checking in to assure you of our thoughts and prayers as your loved ones move to almost transplant day. As a caregiver and spouse and mother you are in a unique position. You are going to be pretty busy with learning lots of new things. But remember that we are all here for you - anytime and all the time.
Hugs for all of you.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 ReactionThank you so much. I will post when my Beaners have completed their exchange!
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
3 Reactions