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3 weeks after donation

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littleone60540:
I donated a kidney to my sister 3 weeks ago today. My sister is doing amazingly well! We are both relatively young, i am 33 and she is 37. She has IGA Nephropathy which is what caused her kidneys to fail. I was a perfect match and donating was the easiest decision i have ever made. Helping my sister get back to living a mostly normal life and be a mother and business woman again is more rewarding than anything i have ever done and will ever do!

I have some questions about recovery for those that have been through it. I have 4 incisions. 3 small (one on my belly button, one just above my belly button, and one on my left side near the site of my kideny) then a larger about 5 inch incision on my bikini line where the surgeon removed the kidney. It is much like a c-section scar. I feel great but i am still sore, like my insides feel bruised. That is the best way i can describe it. The most painful part is where my kidney used to be. It feels like the staples are pulling almost. It is quite a sharp pain that takes my breath away. I know it has only been 3 weeks, but i have read so many blogs where people say after 10 days they feel as good as new! Just wondering if any other living donors out there experienced any similar feelings during recovery and how long it lasted. Thanks!!

Sara, Las Vegas

sherri:
Congratulations! My story is similar. I donated to my brother who also suffers from Iga nephropathy. This was a big surprise to all of us as his renal failure came on very acutely. I was 44 when I donated and he was 36. We are 3 1/2 years out from surgery and both doing ok.
I had hand assisted laprascopic surgery. I also have two small scars where the trocars went in for the lap part and one larger incision above my belly about 3- 4 inches long. Only one of the lap scars is noticeable now and my incision line is very faint, looks like a stretch mark almost. The other "scars" I have are left over from 4 pregnancies and births so lots of stretch marks.

It will take your body time to heal. Sounds like usual discomfort after abdominal surgery. Some donors do say they feel great after but I think alot gets masked by the euphoria you feel after finally being on the other side of surgery. I do remember my incision site feeling the most painful but got better after time. using a heating pad helped make my abdominal area feel much better and soothed the achiness. Your body has been manipulated and held in certain positions for a long time so bruising does sound normal. If at any time you feel worse and not better contact your transplant team so that they can address the issue. I think for most donors a full recovery is at least 6- 8 weeks like any other abdominal surgery. The muscles inside need to repair themselves as they have also been cut so it takes many months for that tissue to repair. After one year, I remember closing the back of my mini van and reaching up and not feeling that pull in my abdomen. Take good care of your self and allow your body to heal.

Good luck,

Sherri

littleone60540:
Sherri,

Thank you so much for writing me!! That makes me feel much better about recovery. I am young and in shape and was wondering why after 3 weeks i was not feeling back to normal when i had read that others felt great! I am off work for another 4 weeks so i have plenty of time to rest and recover. Any pain i am feeling of course is well worth it as my sister can resume a mostly normal life.

Thanks again for sharing!

Sara

Scott337:
Sara,

I donated October 22, 2010 (Hand-Lap) to a young man I didn't know and had only met the day before the surgery.  I agree with Sherri, most who say they felt better within a week or two, I believe, are not so much saying they felt back to normal, but felt better than they thought they would and might have been returning to some normal activities sooner than they had anticipated, as-well-as are feeling the euphoria of post-op recovery.

I also experienced the same type of pain you describe.  I donated my left kidney and the sharp pain I experienced was on the left side, just below my ribs.  I would describe the pain as a sharp, stabbing pain that at on-set, would hurt even more as I tried to catch my breath.  The frequency and duration of incidences began to diminish over time.  Now I'm more than six months out and have even experienced this a couple of times in the past month or so.  Again, less frequent and less severe now.  I think it's normal for some of us, as we each heal a bit differently, but again I agree with Sherri - take it easy, listen to your body, call you medical team/surgeon if you have questions or concerns and remember, this was a major surgery and it takes time to heal.  

I was able to get back into a rigorous workout routine by week six and am consistent about working out, running, weights and nutrition, but full recovery really didn't seem to hit until about six months out - all-in-all though, I wouldn't hesitate to do this all over if I could, I will always cherish the experience and I have so much love and respect for all of you for your donating a gift of life.

Your sister is lucky to have you and your caring, loving, gift.   You'll be fine my friend.


Scott ;D

littleone60540:
Scott,

Thank you so much for the feedback. You guys are making me feel so much better, i felt like i was being a baby about the pain!! They also took my left kidney and the pain you describe is exactly what i feel. I am so grateful for you guys sharing your experiences with me. I really thought there would be more on the internet about recovery experiences from donating a kidney but i have not found much. This forum seems to be the best place to share information.

Thanks again, i think it is so amazing that you donated to someone you don't even know! It was a very easy decision to me because my sister means the world to me. I don't regret one moment, even if i have to get through some pain in recovery. It is so worth it to help restore someone's health.

Take care,
Sara

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