Bigmoody,
As I'm sure you are well aware of, one of the side effects of lithium is renal toxicity. In order to be eligible to donate a kidney, the team evaluating you has to demonstrate that by leaving you with only one kidney, your kidney function will not be compromised to a point where you may develop kidney failure. Given that you need to take lithium to manage your bipolar disease, this may not be compatible with having a solitary kidney. There are many potential donors who go through the evaluation process only to find out that they are not eligible to donate. It is not uncommon. The good news is that there are many ways to help someone who is in kidney failure without actually having to donate a kidney. People in renal failure may be using dialysis as a treatment and can always use emotional support as well as physical support getting to and from dialysis. They may also need someone to put the word out that they are looking for a healthy donor. You can be a contact person or help by spreading the recipient's need to friends, family, religious organizations, social networks and many other groups. Some families and friends also organize fundraisers to help off set some of the costs to the donation like lost wages, travel expenses, and cleaning or cooking help during the surgeries. So lots of ways to help out.
Best of course to discuss your personal situation with your physician and psychiatrist to see if certain medications would preclude you from safely becoming a kidney donor.
Good luck,
Sherri
Topic: Bipolar and wanting to donate (Read 10074 times)