We have a date!

[alyfaye]

Last week I was finally approved to donate my kidney. Our surgeries will be on March 27th at Johns Hopkins. Now the reality of the actual surgery and recovery has set in for me, though I am more excited than nervous. I really appreciate all of the advice and feedback that everyone here has given. I come to LDO every day and am happy that soon I'll be able to help future donors through the process as well

Alyssa

[jstx]

Congratulations Alyssa!  How exciting.  I can remember going through the period you're in right now.  I was thrilled and couldn't wait for surgery...I'd done so much research and planning and couldn't believe it was all coming together.  Do you know who your surgeon will be?  Interesting that your surgery will be on a Tuesday.  Mine was a Monday.  You'll really enjoy Marburg if they put you up there (they try to as long as there is room).  The staff is wonderful and the amenities are great!  Good luck with everything.  Let me know if you have any questions.

Jocelyn

[cupid]

Good Luck Alyssa! We all remember that the 'waiting is the hardest part'.  I wish you and your recipient all the best

[sherri]

Alyssa,

Congratulations! Let me know if you want a visitor. I donated at Hopkins 4 years ago and I do look forward to welcoming the recruits into the club! If there is anything I can do to help you on the Baltimore end, let me know.

Sherri

[PaulaHalvo]

Congratulations!  I hope all goes well. 

[jennybebopper]

Congrats!  Best of luck to you and your recipient!

[theburts26]

Congratulations Alyssa!!! My husband is going into surgery on March 28th down in Tampa, Florida. Please keep up posted on your journey and if you are interested we would love for you to become a member on our website: www.mattskidney.com We are trying to connect donors and recipients from all over and have them share their experience.

We will keep checking on your statuses and we wish all the best to you and your recipient!!!

[alyfaye]

Thanks everyone!

Jocelyn, my surgeon is Dr. Segev. He is who I met with at my pre-op appointment so I'm happy that I was actually able to meet him and talk with the surgeon who will be doing my surgery. I was told that I might get another surgeon depending on the date we chose. Our surgery is on a Tuesday because of some pushing on my part. The whole team has been extremely slow and severely lacking in communication, so I just about broke into tears when I was told the earliest they had available was 3 months out (originally I was told 4-6 weeks). All of a sudden, Tuesday was an option. I'm not sure how or why but I'm relieved regardless. I don't think I will end up in Marburg as my recipient and I asked to be close to each other after surgery, but I really don't mind. I would prefer to be near my recipient.

I'm hoping that the hospital staff is more pleasant than my experience with Hopkins so far. I know that they are one of the best and incredibly busy but I have been pushed around, ignored and just treated pretty poorly since starting the testing process in October. I'm only 21 and that may be part of it, but I feel like I should be treated as an adult because that's what I am.

Anyway, sorry for the rant. I really am very happy and have a lot of faith in my surgeon:)

Sherri, I am going to send you a message right now!

[sherri]

Got your message. Hope to meet you in person. Dr. Segev is very nice and I think you will be happy with him. The Hopkins experience for me was pretty similar. Not so great with the TLC. Make sure you have someone with you to help advocate for your needs and listen to what is being said. Hard to keep track of things in a hospital especially when you are on major drugs. You will feel much better (emotionally) once you are on the other side.

Who is your coordinator? the follow up nurse coordinator is Sharon Kretizer and you should meet her once you are recuperating. Just keep asking questions and take a deep breath.

See you soon.

Sherri

[Skillet]

I hope everything goes as well for you as it has for me!  I'm 2 wks out come Friday.  The waite was definatley worse for me than the operation and stay.  Seems hard for me to believe.  It wasn't bad for me at all.  Especially taking into account what it is doing for my brother. 

[jstx]

Alyssa,

Just wanted to let you know I'll be thinking about you and praying for you tomorrow!  I had Dr. Segev also and loved him.  He is wonderful and I also had a lot of faith in him.  You'll do great.  The hospital staff is WAY different than the transplant staff & they'll treat you great.  Everyone there was so nice-not that the transplant staff wasn't but they were odd....to me, Dr. Segev was the only one that I really identified with and seemed to click with.  My coordinator was very professional but almost cold...not personable at all.  She got better once I was approved and showed up to see me and my mom when I went in for my pre-op stuff as well as visiting me in the hospital.  I did like my social worker--she also visited me in the hospital.

Anyhow, God bless tomorrow!  Can't wait to hear how it goes.

Jocelyn

[jennybebopper]

Thinking of you & your recipient tomorrow!  Here's to two safe, smooth surgeries & recoveries!

[SWB]

Best of luck to you both.  You both will be in my thoughts and prayers!

[Skillet]

Sending positive energy and thoughts for you on your day.    Hope all goes well for both of you.  The waiting is a killer!!

[alyfaye]

Hi everyone! I just wanted to give you a little update. Surgery went really well for both me and my recipient yesterday. The kidney started working immediately and her creatinine is already down to 2.9! I had a little trouble coming off the anesthesia and I was still in recovery when my recipient came in, so the nurses put us side by side and let us be together before our families were brought in. It was so great to spend that time just the two of us. That was the point for me in which the magnitude of the situation finally set in. It was very emotional!

I'm feeling pretty good today with just a few little issues not uncommon after surgery. Overall, I'm faring very well so far. My recipient is also doing well and I am going to get wheeled over to see her later this morning (I ended up in Marburg so it's a pretty long distance between us). We plan to do a little walking and sitting up together. I'm very happy with how I am doing, but I'm so impressed with my recipient and how well she is doing. I know she has a long road ahead of her but she is off to a great start. Thank you all so much for your kind words, prayers and thoughts yesterday