Hello everyone,
I am new to this forum. I have been looking around at some of the posts, but was having some trouble finding specific answers to my questions. So, I figured I should introduce myself and get some direct feedback from others. I've seen a lot of posts about fatigue right after donation, but fewer about long term problems. I'm wondering if others have experienced long-term fatigue.
I donated my kidney to a friend a few years ago. Everything has gone well, and the recipient and I are both in good health (save what I am about to relate.)
I have been experiencing periodic bouts of extreme fatigue. I am in my mid 40s and fairly active. The fatigue is not consistent. By that, I mean that it comes and goes, week to week, month to month, but when it comes on it is fairly debilitating. I end up sleeping for a long time. Last week, for example, after a long drive for Thanksgiving, I went to bed early, slept soundly for over 8 hours, was up for maybe two hours and fell back asleep for over an hour. I napped on and off most of that day and still was extremely tired. A couple of days later I was feeling better, but this week I am tired again.
I play soccer once a week. While I typically feel fine while I am playing, and stay well hydrated, a few hours after playing, I find that I can not keep my eyes open and I am pretty much worthless the remainder of the day.
My blood work shows that everything is functioning fine, and while I have been to the doctor repeatedly about this, they find nothing wrong with me. So, I am interested in your collective experience on this.
I look forward to being part of this community.