Introduction...hoping to be a donor!

[deytime]

Hi everybody! My name is Kristen and i'm 39 years old. I'm hoping to donate a kidney to my 32 year old cousin who has been on dialysis for almost 3 years! I offered to be tested a couple of years back but she declined, worried that I "may eventually need my kidneys for myself or for one of my two boys" (16 and 10). I told her I could also go my entire life with an "extra" kidney that could have helped someone else (her) and that if something were to happen in the future we would "cross that bridge when we got to it!" She has endured so much these past few years and towards the end of summer, said she was "waving the white flag." She gave me several Living Donor brochures and the contact info for the coordinator at her hospital in Philadelphia. Things were put in place fairly quickly after my initial contact with the coordinator and after having my blood drawn and sent to Philly, I got the word last Monday that we were compatible!  I had the privilege of telling her myself when she came to visit my Grandmother last weekend, and I will never forget the look on her face or her squeals of delight! So, this week I will do my 1st 24hr urine collection and my mother and I will be traveling to Philadelphia (3hrs away) on Wednesday to meet with the coordinator, social worker and do my all day testing. I have never doubted my decision to do this and only pray that all further testing continues to lead to donation. I feel that I have been given a glimpse of my true purpose in life, other than giving life and being a mother to my sons, and even though I do admit to slight fear of the unknown, I know God has this entire situation in the palm of his hands! So happy to have found this board and look forward to sharing our progress with you all!

[Aries7]

Hello Kristen and Welcome!!

Congratulations on finding out you are compatible to donate to your Cousin, that certainly is a great start! Best of luck to you when you go for your tests this Wednesday. Please keep up updated as to how your testing goes. Also please feel free to ask as many questions as you like. I am really glad you found us, as there are so many members on this board who are so willing to give advice and share their experiences. I was 39 years old when I donated, and I did not find this board until afterward.

I will keep you and your Cousin in my prayers. I look forward to hearing how your testing goes!

Best Wishes,
Linda

[Fr Pat]

Dear Kristen,
      Best wishes on your desire to donate to your cousin. be patient, as there are LOTS of tests to make sure that your donated kidney will be sufficient for your cousin and that your remaining kidney will be sufficient for you. I donated almost 10 years ago, at age 56, and am doing fine.
       Fr. Pat

[deytime]

Thank you both very much for the warm reception! My urine collection is currently underway and I will be sure to post the results of my tests being completed tomorrow. Blessings to all!

[bergstromtori]

Best of luck and welcome.

[Linda]

Hi Kristen!

Nothing's more fun than the 24 hr urine test (which I had to repeat 4 times)!  I hope everything goes well with all your tests.  It is a marathon not a sprint, so I second the advice to be patient and don't expect things to move quickly. 

Your story sounds very familiar.  I was hounding my friend for 2 years before she finally got me the number for a coordinator!  I'm glad your cousin is able to accept your generous offer!

I am 3 weeks past surgery and am so very glad I did it!  My recipient is doing well, but having some minor complications.  She has a number of health problems but our kidney (who we named Wilbur) is doing an amazing job! She is feeling better each day and is getting her strength back.

Welcome and I'll be eager to hear how things go for you!

[PhilHoover]

plenty of questions...and do as much research as you possibly can.

I had a marvelous experienced 2 years, 3 weeks ago...when I donated to one of my college professors from more than 25 years ago...

But you need to "inform yourself"....and ask questions...then ask them again.

[Snoopy]

plenty of questions...and do as much research as you possibly can....you need to "inform yourself"....and ask questions...then ask them again.

Hi, Kristen.  Good luck with all your tests! 
   Let me second Phil's very important advice above.  Never assume you're being told everything you need to know.  Not only about long-term risks, etc.  Even about instructions for testing and so forth.  For example, remember to ASK in advance if you're supposed to show up for testing on an empty stomach.  It would be a shame to lose a testing date because it wasn't made clear to you that you're mean to be fasting.  And--coming from someone who's done the 24-hour urine collection six times--double-check if they expect you to keep the urine refrigerated during and after the collection.  You don't want to do it for nothing. 
   On a more general level, this board is indeed an unbelievably good resource for information and support.  People are incredibly kind and helpful.  To get another perspective, you might want to take a look at another site (http://sirencristy.blogspot.com/), run by a kidney donor who had a bad experience.  Although some of her judgments might appear harsh and overly cynical, she has some interesting things to say about the limitations of the organ donor system, including weaknesses in reporting/collecting of data on the long-term health of kidney donors.  Just realize her blog is not set up to guide or encourage you through the donation process. Still, it's not a bad idea to be aware of some of these issues:  it's your body, and your health.  It's also, at least meanwhile, your kidney.
                Be well, Snoopy