Do any of you who ave donated regret it for any reason?

[green1981]

I'm considering donating my kidney to someone I know. I am a bit anxious and scared to donate but I don't like seeing him suffer. Any advice appreciated

[Dcowboysfan]

No regrets at all.Very proud to be a donor (coming up on 7 years).

My life (health wise) hasn’t been affected at all from donating.

Good luck to you.

[SisterSangre in reply to Dcowboysfan]

Your fear is normal. I donated almost exactly one year ago today. Never have I regretted the decision. I also knew my donor and to know that my donating would end her dialysis and give her quality of life back was amazing and a blessing to both of us. Plus, full recovery was only a couple of weeks for me. Best to you both.

[green1981 in reply to SisterSangre]

Is your recipient doing well? I'm afraid to donate and then the recipient have organ rejection.

[green1981 in reply to Dcowboysfan]

Is your recipient doing well? I'm afraid to donate and then the recipient have organ rejection.

[SisterSangre in reply to green1981]

My recipient is doing very well! We recently had our one-year checkups, and her nephrologist told her that her kidney was functioning great! Organ donation rejections are common in the first days and weeks after. The medication the recipient takes daily is to prevent rejection. There's always a risk of rejection but don't let that stop you from moving forward. 😃

[Dcowboysfan in reply to green1981]

Yes, thank you. The recipient (my sister) was on dialysis before the transplant, so her life is much improved. The anti rejection meds are tough on her, but she gladly tolerates them.

[Happydonor22 in reply to green1981]

my recipient is doing very well… next week will be 6 months

[FixitJosh]

Hello green 1981, I donated my kidney about 18 months ago to my partner. Without the transplant, he would have gone on dialysis, which would have meant going for dialysis three times a week and progressively getting worse as dialysis does not perform as well as a real kidney. We just got back from a three-week trip to Alaska. That would never have happened if he were on dialysis. In terms of my life, the couple of days in the hospital and the 6-week recovery was nothing compared to the life that he now can have. And honestly I can say there was very little pain or just comfort at all for me after surgery. After 2 days I was out walking 5 miles a day. Instead of being scared, think about the joy that you will receive knowing that you have given someone a new life. May 4th 2021 was one of the best days of my life and probably the most fulfilled day I have had. There is a saying on the donor wall at Emory University in Atlanta. It says, "You will never have a perfect day until you give something to someone who will never be able to repay you. " Go ahead and do it if you are able. It's hard to believe anyone could regret doing something that is so giving. In terms of my health now, in 2 weeks time I will be flying to Spain to hike the Camino de Santiago, which is about 500 miles. Good luck with your decision.

[green1981 in reply to FixitJosh]

Is your recipient doing well? I'm afraid to donate and then the recipient have organ rejection.

[FixitJosh in reply to green1981]

Yes . He has had some digestion issues and bowel issues, but I would say minor as compared to dialysis 3x week. we are able to travel. He goes to get an infusion once a month. Remember dialysis is only a method to take toxins out of the blood, but does not do any of the other 50 things that you kidneys do, do it is a slow death. My donation day was a perfect day for me.....I was up the next day and walking 10000 steps on the second day and longer after that. I will be hiking the Camino later this month. No regrets. Let the recipients doctor deal with the recipient. They know what they are doing. ..

[SophieSkye]

Good morning from Scotland. 14 months ago I donated to my 30 year old son. I was 65. A very easy decision for me. Trust me you have nothing to fear. Yes I was in a bit of pain after the op but I was up and about anxious to see my son hours after surgery. Walking is best for recovery. I’m as fit and healthy as I was prior to the op. And of course absolutely no regrets. If you donate you’re giving that person a second chance of life. You don’t want to think of the alternative. It’s the most selfless, greatest decision you’ll ever make. It’s the gift of life. I wish you well in your decision.

[green1981 in reply to SophieSkye]

Is your recipient doing well? I'm afraid to donate and then the recipient have organ rejection.

[SophieSkye in reply to green1981]

Yes my son is doing really well. Thank you. I did think of rejection too but it would never have stopped me from donating. His body did fight against my kidney but they tweaked his anti rejection drugs and everything settled down. This is just the greatest gift you’ll ever give. It’s an amazing feeling.

[cathyserene]

I donated to a friend 10 years ago. If I had an extra kidney I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Yes, I was anxious prior to the surgery but my recovery was relatively easy and I gave my friend a chance at a healthy life. As long as I stay well-hydrated at all times I do well.

[donor1215]

I donated only about 10 days ago. No regrets and I know I won’t regret it. I went into the surgery a little blissfully ignorant about the recovery (abdominal pain / soreness for first week or so but is now gone, but I am still pretty fatigued). Regardless, I know this is temporary and seeing how much the recipient has benefitted makes it so worth it.

[Ailema2026]

No regrets! I wish I had another to give.

[Connorsdad1998]

While there is always risk with any major surgery, I have nothing but positive feelings about my donation. I donated 6+ years ago at 46 years old as part of a chain to help my sister in law. Within days I was walking, working, and getting back to life. In fact, 1 year after donating, I ran my first half-marathon ever. I ran two full marathons the next two years. Like many others here, I would give my other if I could.

I didn't know who was receiving my kidney, but as luck would have it, they were in the same hospital as I was. My first steps (after the bathroom) were down the hall to meet them. I have never felt better about a decision as I did seeing the true joy in their eyes and hearing the relief in their voice knowing that they were given a chance to live a normal life.

Talk to a transplant coordinator, get all the facts about the before and after. They will give you all kinds of examinations to determine if you are healthy enough. I can tell you that many days I completely forget I have one kidney. My life is only better knowing I helped other people live their best lives.

[DSKdonor NKF Ambassador]

ABSOLUTELY NOT 1 REGRET - not for even a second! It was actually one of the best feelings ever! But, that's all for me; everyone is different.

I didn't think twice, but for others, it's not such an easy decision. Again, everyone is different. I wish you all the best in your decision!

[Philly57]

I do have some regrets, a sense of health lost. My 60 yo brother is doing well, although he does not care about his health and has gained a lot of weight. He is taking his anti-rejection medications. His life is improved by no longer having to go to dialysis. My creatinine is now 1.54 and his is 1.3. I have less renal reserve in case of illness and that worries me. At 2 years from the surgery, I still have some left lower quadrant incisional pain when I do sit-ups. This is where they cut three layers of muscle to remove the kidney. My brother would have eventually received a cadaver kidney had I not donated to him (he was on dialysis for 2 years). We were a 100 percent HLA match, so I felt my kidney would last him the rest of his life, saving perhaps two cadaver kidneys for other patients. So, in essence, my donation was a net gain into the system of 3 kidneys, unless I develop renal failure. If I could go back in time, I might not do it again. I apologize in advance to those who feel my response is not politically correct on this website, but it is honest.

[green1981 in reply to Philly57]

Everyone's story is different and I really appreciate your honesty. I wish you the best of health and hope your kidney reserve lasts the rest of your life. It was a selfless act you did for your brother.

[Philly57 in reply to green1981]

Thanks. Good luck with your decision.

[STLtoCLT]

4 months post-donation today and still quite happy with my decision.

[SoniaBrummer]

I donated anonymously 13 years ago and have not felt any sense of regret in the process. None at all, not for a second.

Having a fear of the organ being reject is real. For what it is worth, studies show that there is an incredibly high rate of success with living donors. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/760...

Knowing your recipient can mean complicated feelings about all of it. I recommend doing the soul searching - can you live with a poor result? Whatever your answer is, it is the right answer.