On 2/22/22, I received an anonymous live donor kidney transplant. I was totally blown away but so very grateful for this gift. I will be forever thankful and appreciative for this opportunity to give back and support others on their journey.
My only regret is that I will not be able to personally thank the donor, but that person will forever be in my prayers.
Dear MartyVA,
I know exactly how you feel... I too have been Blessed, though, way back, in July 2013.
You are NOT quite 'Out Of The Wood' yet but, assuming the Kidney 'Takes' you should be Fine. Expect a number of Drug Changes/ Adjustments, over the next few months, as your Personal Dosage (of anti-rejection drugs) is determined.
Good Luck Marty, if you do have any Questions then please 'Feel Free' to contact, any of us, again. Sending you our
Very Best Wishes
AndrewT
Hi AndrewT, yes I am not going to rush things. My new kidney took right away and I couldn’t believe how much better I felt when I woke up after the surgery. Although I was doing all I could to delay things, I didn’t realize how sick I really was until I got the new kidney. My numbers improved within a few days and now all is well. Today, I will have my stent removed. I am seeing my transplant team twice a week, walking and starting to workout. I promise not to push things but the exercise and diet are still very important to me. I use my time walking to meditate and to appreciation this gift. Thanks again for your response.
Congratulations! The way I see it, not only has your donor given you a second chance at life, he/she has given the world more of you, and all the good you are going to put out into the world. Gratitude is a powerful force in giving back and paying it forward.After I received my kidney, I was able to write a letter to my anonymous donor through my transplant center. Is there anything like that through yours?
Best wishes. Take good care! Stay healthy!
Hi Kbristow, I see this gift as you said, “A second chance at life”. My challenge is to understand what to do with this second chance. I have a story to tell, I could volunteer and try to be there for others who may be struggling with their journey with CKD. I did ask my transplant team coordinator about writing a letter to the person who changed my life. The letter is forthcoming. Thank you for your response and take care.
I'm sure your local National Kidney Foundation office would love to have you share your story or volunteer. You could offer to share at a support group (many are still virtual so geography might not even matter), be trained to be a basic kidney education presenter, become a peer supporter, ... Where are you located? check out kidney.org to find your closest NKF. They probably have more ideas.
Great suggestion DorisL_NKF. I've reached out to the NKF and they are passing on my contact info to my local NKF rep. It sounds like I may be a candidate for the NKF Peer program. I'll let you know how this works out.
That is wonderful. What a blessing to have someone do that for a stranger. May it give you many good years.
I feel your sentiments as I too recieved 2 organs from a donor (2010) that I cannot personally thank! But I truly believe he is my angel amongst others that look over me. He was my miracle at age 50. At the young age of 23, he was taken much to early. I will forever be grateful and I have reached out to his family several times through Sharing Network. I have never heard back from them but I understand..it must be tremendously painful to lose a child. But regardless of hearing back or not I hope it helped them to know their son is still keeping me well and alive. I believe a letter from your heart is the best gift you can give to someone that you are so grateful to, as there is no gift special enough to show the ģratitude one feels. Stay well and enjoy every day of your new life!!
Congratulations MartyVA! Blessings are truly BLESSINGS!! 😊
Congratulations! 2/22/22 REALLY was a lucky day for you. I wish you great health and great luck in the many years to follow!
Thanks PuggyWuggy, it’s like I have two birthdays. I will celebrate 2/22/22 as my second chance at life and a day of appreciation for the person who made this all possible.
Congratulations to you! Take the time to heal, and then go live your life and do great things. Expect some bumps along the way but follow your doctor’s orders and you are going to do great. We are all here for you so don’t hesitate to reach out. My 4 year kidney-versary is in July! Cheers to you! Living kidney donors ROCK!!!! #shareyourspare
Hi lkhenderson, thanks for the advice, but my care team, family and friends are all watching over me to make sure I am not overdoing things. I am one of those people who cannot sit still. Fortunately, walking is one of my favorite things to do and I am taking advantage of that. Aside from that I follow the instructions of my transplant team to the letter. So far all is well and I am feeling fine. I’ll keep you all up to date.
Huge congratulations …
Living donors are angels among us. Three years ago, the pastor of my church was my donor. I thank him often, and it never seems adequate for the breadth of the gift he gave me. A couple of months after the transplant, the transplant center gave a party to celebrate the donors, and I was invited to come. It was one of the extraordinary nights of my life, being in the presence of so many people who don't were that generous to their fellow man. I try to honor his donation by taking care of myself, living well and trying to be generous myself. We have both been blessed beyond anything we deserve. Congratulations to you and thanks to all the donors.
I totally agree as I wish I could thank my donor as well. God bless him and his Family!
Dear MartyVA,
Congratulations!!!!
I myself was blessed enough to receive a liver transplant, however that caused my kidneys to fail. I have to be on dialysis, but I have finally got on the transplant list - now it's just the waiting game, lol. I have decided to try for a living donor also, and am in the process of finding out how to do that (which is where I ended up on this site, but I'm glad I did). Once again congratulations on your transplant, and I'm hoping to be in that club soon.
Take Care,
Rob
Hi Rob,
Sorry to hear about your situation, but please have faith. There is a kidney out there somewhere for you. My thoughts and prayers are with you. Please keep us posted on your journey, and if there is anything I can do to support you, please let me know.
Marty
Marty, I too received a kidney from a live donor I did not know on July 13, 2021. The day of my surgery, as my wife waited for me to get out of surgery, she noticed a man asking the receptionist about his wife. My wife mentioned that they had both been there a long time and asked what his wife was having surgery for. He turned it around and asked why she was there. She told him, I was getting a kidney transplant. He said, “I think we’re connected.” It turns out that his wife was my donor. Since then, we have texted back and forth a few times, and I wrote her a letter explaining about my journey.
Our plan is to get together over the summer when our schedules free up. She lives about 3 hours away near where I got my transplant. I hope that you also get a chance to meet your donor someday.
Hi ILMA54, I hope we all will have great stories to tell about how one journey ends, and another begins. I too hope to someday meet my donor and have the opportunity to tell him what his gift has meant to me. Thanks for sharing and I hope your meeting is the beginning of a great long lasting relationship.
Feeling Blessed
The whole finding a living donor process is a JOKE!!!
Pkd stage4-5 waiting on transplant introducing myself 
National Living Donor Assistance Center EMAIL I Received??
What is your experience post transplant?
