Advice for someone thinking of donating

[KelliC_NKF]

If you could give one piece of advice to someone thinking of donating a kidney, what would it be?

[LivingDonor2003 NKF Ambassador NKF Peer Mentor]

Get a Peer Mentor to talk to. Do plenty of research and ask all of the questions that you can think of. That is more than a single piece of advice but Living Donation is a big decision.

[Hidden]

Remember that every single person is different. Do not base what your recovery time should be on the experience of others. You will read about the average, but we all need our own length of time.

[marcyc NKF Ambassador NKF Peer Mentor]

I am a living donor and a NKF Peer mentor. Call the National Kidney Foundation. They will assign you a peer mentor. Also all transplant centers have informational classes for potential donors.

[Cindy2018]

Do your homework and be prepared for best and worst case scenarios.

I did a survey this spring and have been working hard to write up the results. There are a few more left to write but it's in pretty good shape. There's a page with all the write-in thoughts advice from other donors: livingkidneydonorsurvey.com/

[Kbressler NKF Peer Mentor NKF Ambassador]

Do your homework then do it. Contact kidneysolutions.org they have a wealth of transplant experience and donor experience.

[DSKdonor NKF Ambassador]

Giving the gift of life is just that - a gift. You can't give a kidney with strings attached! What that translates to is that you can not impose your wishes for your recipient on them; you can't MAKE them live a healthy life, you can't MAKE them lose weight/stay fit.... but you can be a supportive person and "encourage" them to live the life that THEY WANT!!

[cathyserene in reply to DSKdonor]

Absolutely right. Aside from the basic risk to me, this was my biggest obstacle: what if my friend doesn't take care of herself? I had to see this as purely a gift, and that I would support her in whatever way possible.

As an aside, my friend died after 3 years and many hospitalizations. You have to be prepared mentally for kidney rejection or other medical catastrophes. I wouldn't take it back. I gave her the chance at health.

[DSKdonor NKF Ambassador in reply to cathyserene]

very sorry for your loss.... you literally lost a part of yourself with your good friend.

[KelliC_NKF]

Great suggestions! Thank you all!

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Hola KelliC_NKF, disculpa mi tardanza en responder!, estoy en reposo, en cama. Hoy ha sido mi primer dia en pie!

Respondiendo a tu publicación, antes de donar su riñón u otro órgano, investigar sobre el tema, los examenes que deben hacerse, conversar con doctores y con otros donantes, a fin de que tenga la total certeza, que se puede vivir en optimas condiciones con un riñón. Ademas, felicitaria a la persona por su gran generosidad, pues esta dando vida a otra persona, que esta enferma.

[Hidden]

Que investigue sobre la donacion de organos, que converse con doctores y con otros donantes y, que tambien podra vivir perfectamente con un riñon! Obviamente lo felicitaria por ser donante pues le estarà dando vida a otra persona, que esta enferma! y... estoy segura que Dios lo premiara por su generosidad.

[Cindy2018]

It’s a big decision and should not be taken lightly. Don’t listen to people who suggest you are born with a spare kidney — it’s a major surgery and while most people do fine with just one remaining kidney, it’s important to really understand it’s function and how removing one can impact your long term health.

Talk to other donors, ask a lot of questions, and consider best and worst case scenarios. Think not just how you will respond to physical challenges, but consider the emotional and financial impacts donation could have on you and your family. For example, if you have to stay out of work longer than expected.

It is an amazing thing to do but hopefully some day it will be unnecessary. In the meantime, do your homework and remember that deciding it’s not the right thing for yuh is just as brave a decision and moving forward. You have to make the right call for your circumstances.

[Cindy2018 in reply to Cindy2018]

Lol. Didn’t realize I had already replied to this.