Living Donor

[huskies88]

I will be donating a kidney to a family member in June 2019. Starting to get a little nervous. Mostly I feel very happy and blessed to help!

[Alimesoda234]

It is a gift of life recipient will better immediately. You be out in 2 days

You are wonderful

[EchoMax1012]

Some nervousness seems natural to me. Although everyone is different, the overwhelming majority of donors state they would do it again in a heartbeat--evidence I think that the benefits of donation way exceed the costs. Good luck with your surgery in a few months!

[vegiedonor]

You've got this! Being a donor is the best job in the world just read all the other posts on this website. You'll be demonstrating the best of humanity. What can I say?

[ReedNovember]

There are ANGELS on earth! This is such a good deed that you're doing for your family member. Bless you.

[Sulyn]

Hello - I understand how you feel. I was quite nervous when I was anticipating giving my husband a kidney 8 years ago. You are, as I did, going through a lot of testing beforehand. I realized that I would not be allowed to give the kidney unless I was in very good condition. I appreciated the testing to show that I was healthy enough. At the time I was 64 years old and had never had an operation. The day of the operation I felt unusually calm because in my heart I knew it was what I wanted to do. I spent 2 nights in the hospital and then went home. Because we both were in the hospital at the same time we had a friend stay overnight with us for a few days to help us out. When home I could take my own shower, go up and down stairs and do mostly what I wanted except lifting and bending down to pick up things for a while. When tired I just laid down to rest. Giving a kidney was much easier than I thought it would be and seeing my husband healthy again is the best reward !!! I hope this has helped you some. Best of luck to you.

[joberhand]

It is normal to feel nervous anytime you have surgery. It is an amazing feeling to donate! Most donors I encountered have zero regrets and would donate again if they could! The doctors would not have approved you for donation if they did not think you were in ideal health. It will be an amazing feeling to see your family member be able a better life.

After donating five years ago I feel no different physically now than I did then. Emotionally I feel better, seeing my recipient happy with her new kidney. It was like she was reborn. You will be amazing!

Note: a lot of donors, myself included were very emotional post donation. The Kidney Donor facebook pages are very good for support if you feel like you need support. Many times it is easiest to express your feelings with people who have been through the experience.

Best of Luck!!!

[NeedingAdonor]

You don't even know how wonderful you are. Please continue with prayer and hope. I have only talked to donors that are healthy and had a high success rate. You will come out fine! Thank you for your gift of life!

[Crocheting-Cricket]

Hi! I am, too! But it will probably be August. Tried to donate a kidney a year ago, but wasn't accepted, and 6 months later, my brother called me to say "I need a kidney"! I guess that's fate. Don't worry about it. Read as much as you can about donating and you'll feel a lot more reassured.

[CaliforniaDonor]

Hi! In April, I just donated a kidney to a coworker who had been on dialysis about a year. We’re both recovering well now, but the first 1-2 weeks are somewhat painful. My medical team was very upfront about this; I hope your team is, too. Your abs will be useless helping you get into and out of bed, and coughing, sneezing, and laughing will hurt for potentially a week. You’ll also have some painful gas bubbles in your abdomen plus referenced pain in your shoulders. Sleeping on your side at first could result in some sloshing around in your belly, which is weird. I had a donor friend who told me about all this in advance, luckily. It’s short term pain for long term gain. But you should be aware of it definitely. You’re a star for even considering donation...here’s to a smooth recovery for you!

[Crocheting-Cricket]

Thanks for posting your experience! I find everyone's personal experiences very helpful to me in what to expect! I really appreciate that.