How long did your evaluation period take?

[Amberwoo]

I feel like my Evaluation process is going very fast!  I did the initial blood test a week or so before Christmas and received the results in a few days then Monday I did a 24 hour urine and more blood tests and already received the Okay on all of those results and have set up a full day to come in and do most of the other testing, which will be the 23rd (it could have been next week but I wanted to make sure it fit my schedule).  After that it seems like I am mostly finished and could have a date set if everything turns out Good.  Which while is exciting it doesn't give me a lot of time to take it all in.  Plus, I think it took a lot longer for my recipients father to have the whole work up (his was ruled out at the last step).

So I was just wondering how long from the initial testing to kidney donation it took for people?

[Clark]

You don't mention imaging of any kind, so perhaps a cooling off period is built into a delay between the relatively low cost, low risk tests you've described, and the higher cost, higher risk tests yet to come. Discuss your concern about having time to process with your advocate. That person should be able to explain what the whole timetable is expected to be, at least approximately, and where in the process there are built in cooling off periods explicitly to aid prospective donors in making informed consent. Best wishes.

[Amberwoo]

Clark, the imaging test are in 2 weeks.  They have it set up so you go in meet the whole team and do as much of the final testing you can in that one day so  you don't have to make another trip.  I could have picked any Thursday to do it and put in my own time but they seemed so eager to set it up right away.  And although its hard to process it all fast I know this is something I want to do and theoretically the sooner the better for my boyfriend would would be receiving my kidney, just having never had a surgery before its makes me nervous. 

I was just kind of curious how long other places took?

[elephant]

Dear Amber,

I moved through very fast, since I was doing a pre-emptive donation. 
From my first evaluation visit (after preliminary blood work) to the operating room was 2 1/2 weeks.
It would have been even sooner, but the surgeon was at a conference.
In my case, the hospital worked to get all the testing scheduled fast.  I did have to make trips on three separate days to get it all in.

Love, elephant. 

[azkaren1]

My testing went very fast as well.  I my transplant team meetings on 11/20/13, the initial blood draw (7 vials, I think) on 11/21/13, DGFR and physical on 11/25/13, CT scan, chest x-ray, and EKG on 11/26/13, and mammogram on 11/27/13.  It was a whirlwind of testing and didn't give me much of a chance to stop and think about exactly what was in store for me.  I had to make a conscious effort to take a breather and really think about the surgery and whether I could go through with it.  I decided that any pain and inconvenience I went through would be worth it if my brother could live a better, longer life.  My surgery was 12/20/13 -- exactly one month after the first test.

Karen

[Porcelina]

Mine was fairly slow about 3 to 4 months because I was living in Seattle at the time and my recipient was in Chicago, so I had to fly back and forth for the imaging tests, EKG, and all that other stuff. I can't remember if I was able to do any tests from afar other than the initial "are we the same blood type?" test.

[Clark]

  My 19 months from first blood draw to donation date was less a function of my test schedule than it was my recipient's condition. Twelve years ago she was advised to reach out as far as she was willing to seek a living donor for preemptive (before dialysis) surgery. From first blood draw it was eight months until the other candidates responding were all ruled out and I proceeded with further testing, completed in nine months. Her ESRD metrics held relatively strong until five months later. On a Wednesday afternoon I got a call asking how long it would take me to get to the hospital for a final crossmatch test, and, by the way, we've had two OR open up, so what do you think about surgery tomorrow morning? Best wishes that things go well and you don't have any surprises.

[Fr Pat]

     From the experiences that I have read over the years, there seems to be quite a variety of time-frames from one hospital to another for the testing process. Mine (12 years ago) took several months, and I had to contact the hospital to get things moving. It appears that some hospitals are more careful at giving the potential donor plenty of time to think it over and perhaps back out. Other hospitals seem to take the potential donor's initial decision at face value and then march right along with the testing unless the donor slows it down. if you feel you are being rushed, don't be afraid to ask questions and be clear about the whole process. As mentioned above, they might be quickly doing the initial less expensive tests that might eliminate a potential donor right away, and then slow down when it comes to the further tests.
    Please do keep us informed. There are usually a number of folks who are thinking of donation and like to read over all these posts without posting anything themselves, just to get well informed.
      best wishes,
         Fr. Pat

[jstx]

Mine was 9 months. I didn't know my recipient-I found him through the "looking for" message board here on LDO. I think the transplant center built in time for me to be sure. But my bp was super high at my all day evaluation. It had the whole team concerned....everyone that came in checked it. I was stressed and I'd had a 3D CT scan with contrast dye which can increase bp. The all day eval was in Nov & I had to wait until mid-Jan for a 24 hr bp cuff to arrive. So that took up a chunk of the 9 months. After that just more bloodwork. Surgery was in June. Good luck with your process. Donation was the most meaningful thing I've done! I'd do it all over again if I could.

[jgivens]

I am donating to a close friend.  I did the initial blood work on Monday, December 16th.  I got the results (from Mayo Rochester) on Thursday, December 19th.  They scheduled for me to come to Rochester January 13, 14, & 15 for all of the other tests (MRI, fresh mamagram, pap smear, heart monitoring, etc.).  If all goes well, they will schedule our surgeries.  I don't know who you are working with, but I think it goes quickly because the sooner the better for the recipient.  After the blood tests, Mayo suggested that I take  a "cooling off period" to take it all in before scheduling the upcoming tests.  I was certain that I want to give so they let me go ahead and schedule these.  I don't know if this helps answer your questions.