Dear Willis,
I also donated to my father, but at age 47, two years ago in May. Now sometimes I call him Kidney instead of Daddy.
The day after surgery I walked (hobbled? crept?) down to see Daddy. There he was, all smiles, eating an omlette! It's not uncommon for the donor to feel far worse than the recipient. Guess the donor surgery is much harder.
Bring earplugs to the hospital, it is a noisy place. And wear stretchy pants, your abdomen will likely be swollen for a while. I was extremely nauseated from the anesthesia, but they can give you a medication that takes it away.
I was able to go home on the second day after surgery, and stayed home for 3 1/2 weeks. Another week would have been better. I was taking walks the day after I got home, and think that helped a lot. But I slept more than 12 hours a day and was very fatigued.
I hope everything goes great for you and your beloved father, keep us updated.
Love, elephant