Donating for my brother

[Melissa2606]

I have just been told i am a match for my brother. I am considering this but i am incredibly nervous about the surgery and the recovery after.

Can anyone tell me their stories please?

[Dcowboysfan]

Hello Melissa, I donated to my sister in Sept 2015. I have led the same life since donation. At that time I was married for 24 years, now it’s 30. We have two children, now 25 and 22. I still cut the grass, shovel snow, etc. I’m running a half marathon in the fall. The recovery from surgery will be a process. Take that slow, follow doctors orders. If I could go back in time I would donate again...good luck to you...if you read through this site you will see others stories...

[Melissa2606 in reply to Dcowboysfan]

Thank you so much for reaching out and replying to me

[Dcowboysfan in reply to Melissa2606]

Your welcome...I’ll also add I find it’s intrinsically rewarding to be a donor

[ronnie5757]

Hello i'm also donating to my brother very soon.i wish us both good health. GREATTTT.

[Melissa2606 in reply to ronnie5757]

Best of luck with it all. Let me know how it all goes.

[MAV86]

Hi Melissa, I donated to my husband 6 months ago . He is doing great and I feel great now. It took a little while to recover for me because I think that I rushed things a little. My advice to you is to really try to listen to the doctors, rest as much as you can after so that you are back to your old self sooner rather than later. I would do it again today. Good luck and if you ever would like to talk please let me know🙂

[Melissa2606 in reply to MAV86]

Oh wow, thank you for sharing. This is amazing. Thank you so much.

[Crawfork4]

Melissa, It is perfectly normal to be nervous. I donated to my father in 2009, and even though I was absolutely sure I wanted to do it, I was still very nervous. The fear of the unknown. I agree with mav86, listen to your body and doctors and rest. I also over did to soon, and also took me a little longer. I also would do it again! Good luck! You will do great.

[Crocheting-Cricket]

Oh my gosh, PLEASE don't be nervous about it! I donated a kidney to my brother June 30 last year. We were both really looking forward to it (after waiting 2 years!) and I did a ton of reading and researching so I knew as much as possible and that reassured me greatly. There was more pain from the gas they inflated me with than the stitches! I took Tylenol after 2 days of stronger meds. Within 2 weeks, I was able to drive 400 miles home. In a month, I felt like I never even had surgery. But the BEST part is seeing how well your brother is going to feel! It truly was a miracle. My brother is like a whole new person! And I would do it again in a heartbeat. My suggestion is to have a heating pad available because I found more comfort with that than anything else, and take the meds offered so you're comfortable.

In a room

[Cheeseanimal]

Hi Melissa,

I am also preparing to donate to my brother. Through the National Kidney Foundation, you can be set up with a peer mentor who has been through it, that can talk with you by phone about their experiences, and it is immensely helpful! kidney.org/patients/peers Go to this site to sign up for it. I would highly recommend it. Here is another website with lots of donor stories: teamshareaspare.org/donor-s....

It is great that you are using this resource to inform yourself. Take advantage of all the resources. Information is the best way to fight nervousness and anxiety! Good luck!

[Kbristow]

Hi Melissa, I am a recipient but I can tell you a little bit about my donor. He was 61 years old at the time he donated. His recovery in the hospital was a little rough the first day or two, but by day 4 he was out and about and walked several miles back to his hotel. Donation has not slowed him down. He bought a Harley about two years after donating, goes on miles long hikes and lives life fully. I recently saw him respond to a Facebook post of a friend who needed a kidney, saying he would do it again if he could and that it was one of the best things he's ever done. Just take it easy and be good to yourself especially after surgery. Remember that you are healthy before surgery and after surgery. I have yet to meet a donor who didn't feel incredibly grateful and rewarded after having donated, both for themselves and especially their recipient. I wish you the best, and congrats to you and your brother.

[HookedStick]

I donated to my son about a year ago. Like you I was very nervous, but having been through it, I would tell anyone to do it. I'm in the UK, so I had lots of talks with the hospitals risks and potential side affects. In the immediate post-op period, it is painful, but within 10 days or so, I was off any pain relief. I took longer than some to get back to full health, but now have no side effects from the op. But I have son back to normal. That alone makes it worthwhile

[FixitJosh]

Hi Melissa, I just donated on May 4 to my partner. All went very well. In terms of pain, never more than a 2 throughout the entire time....was up the second day walking to visit him, and after 2 nights in the hospital was up walking over 10K steps every day. I am almost to my 6 weeks time (when they say I can do back to most anything) and I feel great with no issues...looking forward to getting back to exercising again. The joy in giving back life to someone is incredible and you will never regret it. If they take you as a donor, you are healthy, and will most likely live a full and healthy life, and if you ever did need a kidney for any reason later on, you are bumped to the top of the list!! Cant beat that!! I would suggest getting the book by Ari Sytner, "The Kidney Donor's Journey" Very well written and easy reading and so information....it should answer most questions. Pick a good hospital with a lot of experience in transplants. You will need a care taker for about a week or two after surgery for minor things, but I was up and around cooking, walking, etc. after three days. A little difficult getting in and out of bed, but after a week was not too much of an issue. All in all, it was a wonderful experience that I would do again in an instant. At Emory U Hospital, there is a donor wall, and one of the sayings there is, "You can't live a perfect day without doing something for somebody who will never be able to repay you." My perfect day was on May 4....one I will forever keep in my heart as the day I gave someone a new lease on life....It just doest get any better than that. Good Luck to you.

[DSKdonor NKF Ambassador]

Hello! Congratulations on taking the first step to possibly becoming a living kidney donor! I donated at the age of 43 to my Dad who was 70, in Feb 2007. For me, it was the most selfless thing I have ever done and would do it again with bone marrow or a part of my liver for someone else because it is an AMAZING feeling! Sure, it's major surgery, and you need to give yourself time to heal and recover, but...ever since then, I have lived a "normal" life and am actually probably healthier today than I was before, as I'm MORE aware of my health.

If you go through with it (and hope you do), just remember it is major surgery so you shouldn't lift any more than 10 pounds for 6 weeks. Consider assistance for laundry and carrying groceries.

Other than that, feel free to reach back out and I could provide my personal contact information if you'd like to email or speak on the phone.

[NTMY6]

I noticed that the common thread is to take it slow during recovery process which makes me a bit uneasy. I plan to donate to a relative. However, one of my concerns is the lengthy recovery process. 6 - 8 weeks. I have an office job so i won't be lifting anything heavy. I am wondering if my recovery process could be shortened so that I could return to work in 4-6 weeks. I can work from home two days a week so only physicality would be commuting to work (getting on a bus, going up and down stairs in a subway). In general, is post operative period one where the donor is in a lot of pain, fatigued, etc.? In other words, what puts the donor at risk post surgery and what are reasons for the lengthy recovery period? I am still in screening process so I have not been told exactly why other than I should not be doing anything strenuous physIcally. I will have family to help me with physical chores post surgery. This is why I am wondering if I could at least return to work 2 days a week in person and WFH the remainder of the week after 4 week recovery period.