Donating Organs

Lounge By TheCakerator Updated 6 Oct 2007 , 8:57pm by tchrmom

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TheCakerator Posted 19 Sep 2007 , 12:20pm
post #1 of 20

My sister is in the process of having her kidney donated to a fellow co-worker. She has already been determined she is a match and went through the series of tests to see if she is physically, mentally, and emotionally stable to go through the actual procedure. I was just wondering if anyone on here has experience either going through this or know someone who went through this..thanks for any help!

19 replies
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LittleLinda Posted 19 Sep 2007 , 12:27pm
post #2 of 20

God bless your sister .... to do that for a co-worker! She is a wonderful giving person!

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indydebi Posted 19 Sep 2007 , 12:30pm
post #3 of 20

Ditto on what Linda said! The ultimate "giving"!

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KlyKat Posted 19 Sep 2007 , 12:35pm
post #4 of 20

Double ditto!!!! Wow, most people second-guess even donating for a loved-one. Your sister is certainly a special women! K'ly

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TheCakerator Posted 19 Sep 2007 , 3:19pm
post #5 of 20

thank you thumbs_up.gif I will pass it on!

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yh9080 Posted 19 Sep 2007 , 8:46pm
post #6 of 20

I work for a renal transplant surgeon. Please PM me and I will see how I can help.

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mkolmar Posted 20 Sep 2007 , 12:31am
post #7 of 20

My step-cousin donated one to her brother (this was his 3rd kidney transplant surgery) last year. She said it was painful but not as horrid as she thought and was totally worth it. *she also lost 20 pounds since the surgery and no matter what she eats doesn't gain it back--I think this is just an odd occurance though and not typical*

God bless your sister!

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LittleLinda Posted 20 Sep 2007 , 11:00am
post #8 of 20
Quote:
Originally Posted by mkolmar

*she also lost 20 pounds since the surgery and no matter what she eats doesn't gain it back--I think this is just an odd occurance though and not typical*




Imagine if that were a true and typical side effect of donating a kidney! All the people who go through a stomach stapling could donate a kidney instead and do some good for somebody else besides themselves!

Sorry, Cakerator, you haven't gotten much response to your original question
except for yh9080.

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yh9080 Posted 20 Sep 2007 , 12:40pm
post #9 of 20

A few links for anyone who might be interested in learning more about living donation/organ donation:

http://www.transplantliving.org/livingdonation/default.aspx

http://www.donatelife.net/

http://www.kidney.org/

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TheCakerator Posted 20 Sep 2007 , 8:49pm
post #10 of 20

thanks for the responses everyone ... we have been given a lot of information in brochures, but it is nice to hear about "real life" experiences so thanks again for taking the time to respond!

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michellenj Posted 20 Sep 2007 , 10:46pm
post #11 of 20

I don't have any experience with kidney transplants, but my cousin has been alive for 5 years now after his bone marrow transplant. He came down with leukemia the summer before his senior year in high school. Thank God for people who are kid enough to give an organ.

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TheCakerator Posted 21 Sep 2007 , 12:04am
post #12 of 20

that is great news michelle!

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Hippiemama Posted 21 Sep 2007 , 12:50pm
post #13 of 20

Just want to say - way to go to your sister!

I have experience in transplants, but from the recipient side of things. My dad had a kidney transplant.

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cuillere Posted 30 Sep 2007 , 1:32am
post #14 of 20

How noble and selfless of her to give an organ to save someone else. Only a great person will do such a thing. Congratulations to you on having a sister like that. Imagine what she would do for you.

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TheCakerator Posted 30 Sep 2007 , 2:31am
post #15 of 20

actually cuillere, my family and I have talked about it and the one thing we can agree on is, she won't be giving any of us a kidney! icon_lol.gif But we are all happy she is happy doing this for a friend.

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LittleLinda Posted 30 Sep 2007 , 4:16pm
post #16 of 20
Quote:
Originally Posted by TheCakerator

actually cuillere, my family and I have talked about it and the one thing we can agree on is, she won't be giving any of us a kidney! icon_lol.gif But we are all happy she is happy doing this for a friend.




I think I know what you mean ... are you saying you couldn't live with the guilt if something terrible happened to your sister while donating an organ to you?

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Hippiemama Posted 30 Sep 2007 , 4:49pm
post #17 of 20

No she's saying that her sister will only have one kidney remaining. So she wouldn't be able to be a living donor for anyone else. icon_smile.gif

I love to hear stories like this. I know eventually I will reach end stage renal failure. I hope to have a successful transplant like my father did.

My father wasn't lucky enough to find someone who matched him so he had to go on dialysis while waiting for a cadaver donor.

I love to hear about someone finding a living donor.

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HaileysMom Posted 3 Oct 2007 , 6:51am
post #18 of 20

My sister donated her kidney to a woman who she met at a NASCAR race. The woman was in her early 60's and "too old" to be placed on the recipient list. The transplant took place in March 2005 and my sister had a baby in March 2006. So, while being a major surgery and needing some recovery time and all that, she was able to overcome it all fairly quickly. The woman who received the kidney is doing well to this day.
(As a funny side note, my sister wants to be on "Survivor" so that she can promote organ donation...LoL....probably won't ever happen, but it's funny that she's even thought about it)

Stephanie

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TheCakerator Posted 4 Oct 2007 , 12:50pm
post #19 of 20

hippiemama you are right ... we tease her about not being able to give her immediate family a kidney if anyone of us will need one .. but we are not angry with her .. the person she is giving a kidney to is a fellow volunteer emt in her town and is only 25 he has already had one kidney donor but apparently they are only good for about 10-15 years so I guess it's pretty rare to be able to have two matches, there is a tentative surgery date for the end of October ..

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tchrmom Posted 6 Oct 2007 , 8:57pm
post #20 of 20

Wow. I don't really know any donors personally, but I know someone who received one from someone in her church and is now doing great. I ran into her and her donor while out at dinner, and the donor was just fine too. Good luck, and your sister is amazing.

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