I took up running after my kidney donation surgery and eventually got up to Marathon distance. As my 10 year donation anniversary will come around in February, and I'll have my 66th birthday in December, I thought I would make one last try at a Marathon and then cut back to shorter runs from now on. I was not at all sure I could do it again, but on Sunday I joined 25,000 other runners in the big "Naha Marathon" here in Okinawa, Japan, and although the last half was quite a chore I did make it to the finish line in 5 hours, 54 minutes & 34 seconds: just fast enough to get my Ryukyu Glass "Finisher" medallion.
So, while it is very important that donors who have health complications or problems share their experiences to help potential donors it is also helpful, I think, to keep sharing the success stories. As donors we should be very pro-active about maintaining our kidney health and over-all health. To all donor-runners: "Keep on going!"
best wishes,
Fr. Pat (donor, '02)