I’m just about a week later in my kidney donation than the author.
My husband was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease in late
2022 and it rapidly progressed to end-stage renal failure at the end of 2023. He’s been on dialysis since February.
It took quite a bit of semi-political hurdles to get him on the UNOS transplant list; once that happened, several people had volunteered to go thru the process to be a donor on his behalf.
I was the only one cleared; it turns out I was a match, but a better one could be found, so I went ahead and donated to an anonymous recipient. A few days after my donation, a match was found for him, and he receives his new kidney in a few weeks. That will make all this worth it for me.
My pain was much less than the author’s; it never got 9over a 3. I used one Oxy pill, and the rest of the time, Tylenol controls it. Still sore around the main laparoscopic site (1-2) still uncomfortable and can’t sleep on my left side 2 weeks out.
Definitely feeling the fatigue I was told to expect as my body adjusts to one kidney. I was told to plan for 6 weeks out of work, and I think I’m going to need most of that to rebuild stamina. I’ve been trying to walk as much as I can, weather and fatigue permitting, and I’ve had helpers to deal with the weight restrictions I’m under.
My husband was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease in late 2022 and it rapidly progressed to end-stage renal failure at the end of 2023. He’s been on dialysis since February.
It took quite a bit of semi-political hurdles to get him on the UNOS transplant list; once that happened, several people had volunteered to go thru the process to be a donor on his behalf.
I was the only one cleared; it turns out I was a match, but a better one could be found, so I went ahead and donated to an anonymous recipient. A few days after my donation, a match was found for him, and he receives his new kidney in a few weeks. That will make all this worth it for me.
My pain was much less than the author’s; it never got 9over a 3. I used one Oxy pill, and the rest of the time, Tylenol controls it. Still sore around the main laparoscopic site (1-2) still uncomfortable and can’t sleep on my left side 2 weeks out.
Definitely feeling the fatigue I was told to expect as my body adjusts to one kidney. I was told to plan for 6 weeks out of work, and I think I’m going to need most of that to rebuild stamina. I’ve been trying to walk as much as I can, weather and fatigue permitting, and I’ve had helpers to deal with the weight restrictions I’m under.