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What's a reasonable distance for traveling for a kidney transplant?

Posted by nianyi @nianyi, Sep 5, 2018

First time on this site 🙂 We are on the east coast where the wait for my husband (type O, age 53) is about 6-8 years. We're considering listing at centers with significantly shorter lists, some of which are quite far from us. Our insurance has a sizeable travel stipend, so fortunately we don't think money for travel will be too much of a problem. We're mostly concerned about the amount of time it takes from getting "that call" to laying on the operating table when getting on a plane is involved. What is a safe distance to consider? Would the Mayo clinic in Arizona be too far for traveling from the DC area?

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benedict66066 | @benedict66066 | Feb 18 8:51am

Friends, I think you can rely on the transplant team to advise you on how to prepare for a long distance transplant. But please, hear me out. Living donation is REAL OPTION. Instead of waiting 5 years for a kidney, I waited 5 months. Do not automatically assume that you have no one who will help you by donating a kidney. A family member, a childhood friend, a total stranger, I have heard of all of these. One woman was given a kidney by someone who saw a sign in her car. Investigate the amazing work done by the National Kidney Registry. Good luck to you.

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Ginger, Volunteer Mentor | @gingerw | Feb 18 10:31am
In reply to @mariad1958 "@gingerw she's on the list for possibly deceased donor, we were unable to get a living..." + (show)
Profile picture for mariad1958 @mariad1958

@gingerw she's on the list for possibly deceased donor, we were unable to get a living donor. I attempted to donate and didn't qualify for health reasons of my own.

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@mariad1958 The links that @colleenyoung posted are great! In my husband's case, in 2016, he had been given a couple of phone calls ahead, that he was in line for a donated kidney, but there were 2 people ahead of him. During the day he was kept updated, and then called at 6:30 that night to head in to the transplant center. We were only dating then, and in a long-distance relationship. They wouldn't let him wait for me to drive down to him! His trip was from Covina to San Diego, so definitely a shorter distance.

Wishing all good luck to you, and please keep me up-to-date how things are going!
Ginger

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Rosemary, Volunteer Mentor | @rosemarya | Apr 2 2:08pm

@mariad1958 -
I've been catching up on discussions, and when I came aross yours, I remembered when I was first placed on the liver transplant list at the U of Kentucky. When my husband asked the surgeon how soon we had to arrive at the hospital, the surgeon asked how long it takes us to drive from home to UK. Husband replied that he can make it in 46 minutes. The surgeon aid that we would be expected to arrive in one hour. I've often wondered if that was how he approached all patients - or if he was just that way because we were local.

I know that you and your sister are at a much greater distance, but I am wondering whether you have learned anything about the travel distance/time alloted for your sister. Were they able to give you any suggestions?
How is she getting along?

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