Hey Everyone,
I have been seeing this forum come up for pretty much everything questioned I have googled throughout my donor process, I figured it was time to join. I just recently donated (I am only 5 days post surgery) and so far my progress is going quite well. I am up and walking around finally. as opposed to staggering from my bed to the couch, and then back to my bed at the end of the night. My pain is relatively controlled, not much pain unless I clench my abs or cough sneeze etc.
I donated to someone I knew. It was the older brother of one of my good friends. I hod known the family for years, though the brother hadn't lived at home for a while so he was more of an acquaintance. we are both the same age, I'm 27 and he's 28. our process has been 2.5 years in the making. His story is that of misfortune it seams more than anything else. He was diagnosed with Meningitis a few years back and began treatment for it. one day he just suddenly collapsed, they performed a spinal tap and found signs of the infection in his spinal fluid. the resulting medications and treatments left him with non-functioning kidneys. resulting in dialysis 3 times a week. It took a little over 2 years for him to get a clean bill of health from his team to get placed on the transplant list for our surgery to take place.
We went in on a Thursday morning. My surgery started at 7:30am. I was out of the OR and into a room by 12pm. My recipient didn't make it to a room until closer to 5, though we were all told that was because of no rooms available. (or his hadn't been cleaned yet) everything went great, I was discharged Friday afternoon, which looking back i should have stayed the extra day, the 2 hour car ride home left me pretty sore an almost unable to move due to stiffness and pain. though I am eating, bladder function is good, and i'm feeling better and better every day.
Unfortunately it doesn't look like the same can be said for the recipient. Immediately following the surgery both my doctor and the recipients doctor stopped by my room and commented on how strong and how good the kidney looked/was functioning in the recipient. he was outputting upwards of a liter of urine an hour, which we were told is a good sign that it starting working strong, and immediately. Sunday morning the Dr's noticed that the recipients creatinine levels had gone up from 4.5 to 5.5 over night. I found out today, that on Sunday they also did a biopsy of the Kidney (sounds like they saw something they didn't like and had been watching it) they were supposed to get results today, and they might have, but I haven't heard yet and I am trying not to bother the family too much. In talking to the recipient earlier today it sounds like the Kidney is now essentially not functioning at all. It is still getting good blood flow, but its holding liquid and the creatinine levels keep rising (not sure how fast or where they are now)
I knew the risks going into the surgery, all the odds. I've done all kinds of Googling which does nothing other than take you to worst case scenarios. I just feel so..hurt? for him and his family. to go through everything he has. dialysis 3 times a week for 2 years. find out you are getting a kidney, get the surgery and go through the stresses all of that entails and all of it could be for naught.
I'm not sure what I intended to write or ask, I kind of just started typing. But does anyone have any experience either as the donor or the recipient in something like this? can the kidney come on strong, kind of quiet up for a few days and come back and function as is? is that not possible?
Thanks for reading through my jumbled thought train. and I appreciate any stories anyone has to share. this really seems like a supportive community from the few threads I have read.