I’m here to help and support

[NKFcommunity]

Hi everyone! I’m a live kidney transplant recipient - on Valentine’s Day 2019. Glad to help anyone who would like general information or suggestions on finding a live donor or have questions about my transplant procedure, recovery, etc.

[Hidden]

Valentines are given with Love and you received yours through someone’s love and compassion! Congratulations!!Please share more on how it went for you and your donor. Were you on dialysis? For how long? What did you notice about yourself afterwards?

I too am a Living Donor Transplant recipient. Our time was Easter week my favorite time of year. 🌷✝️ Successful transplant for many many years.

My brother and I celebrate our anniversary by educating others on Kidney Disease awareness We’re both doing fantastic and continue with our regular check ups.

I would like to hear your story.

[NKFcommunity in reply to Hidden]

Hi Cactus!

I was diagnosed with FSGS in my late 30s (nearly 30 years ago). After many years of “nursing them” along, my kidneys finally started to give out in 2018 and I was placed on the transplant list.

Mostly through word of mouth, Facebook, and a couple of newspaper articles, my wife and I shared our story and my need for a kidney. I had about 30 friends, relatives, and acquaintances volunteer to be screened to see if they could donate. Unfortunately, one by one, they were excluded as possible donors due, mostly, to health issues.

When it seemed that dialysis was inevitable, a wonderful stranger read my wife’s Facebook post and contacted her. I then spoke to her on the phone, a couple of weeks later we met for the first time at a theatre where her daughter was performing (we were all involved in theatre), and she decided to be screened to be a donor. Within weeks, she was tentatively approved as a donor and we had only to wait for all her lab work, psych evaluation, etc. to be completed. By then we had spoken a few more times and, since it was a relatively long drive to the hospital where all her final tests would be done, I offered to drive her. She accepted and, during the drive, we talked continuously about anything and everything, as if we had known each other for ages.

I’ve shared with my donor how nervous I was when the drive started because I didn’t want to say anything that would make her change her mind. Of course, five minutes into our drive, that was no longer a concern. We laugh about that now.

As it turned out, she not only was a match, but a “perfect” match. Because of her work schedule she was only available to donate during the week of February 14 and since the hospital only performed scheduled transplants on Thursdays, it appropriately fell on Valentine’s Day (2019). I can’t imagine anyone receiving a better Valentine’s Day gift!

So, here’s the rest of the story.

The transplant was successful, I came home after six days and my donor after four days. I had one rejection episode eight months after the transplant (due to a change in medications) for which I was hospitalized for one week. I did recover from that episode and feel better than ever after two years and 2 months. My donor has had no health issues and is “fit as a fiddle” and the icing on this delicious cake is that our families are now best friends. I call my donor my “Kid(ney) Sister,” our families dine at each other’s houses, go out together, and truly enjoy each other’s company.

No story has ever had a more perfect ending!

[Hidden in reply to NKFcommunity]

Valentine

What a beautiful story to share! It is truly a miracle how all of this fit , bit by bit , into perfect place.

Both families together?! Super Kool.

Have you put yourselves sharing your Transplant Journey with any local newspapers? My brother and I do , every 5-6 years celebrating our success of 34 years. : ) But most of all it’s more of bringing attention to Kidney Disease. Our local small town followed us from start to finish of our transplant. Everyday for one week. There was no Facebook for us then. Or cellphones.

Try to share with the newspapers. Or radio stations. Incorporate with other things like Valentines Day, March Kidney Month , April (Living ) Donor Awareness Month.

I put National Kidney Foundation contact number for any viewers or listeners.

Always guaranteed, someone knows someone with kidney disease or on dialysis.

I get excited talking about educating the public. I’m a quiet person but not when it comes to this disease. So excuse my enthusiasm! I talk to and present kidney information to the public. I coordinate a Support Group also.

Do you feel any side effects from your transplant medications? Do you take prednisone? Have your eating habits changed? Have you had your COVID19 vaccines? I’ve had both Pfizer shots and no problems. I am used to no or very low salt in my foods.