I am donating next week

[karekare413]

and would love any advice past donors can give. I am donating to a family friend. I am a mother of two, 11 and 13yrs old. My husband is supportive but also says if it was him, he wouldn't do it. I think that would be different if it was one of his own family or his best friend. You just never know, do you? Who would have thought I'd be a match! But I am and I am at peace with this decision.

Thanks for listening!

[lawphi]

Take a good heating pad, prunes and lotion to the hospital.  The worst part of the surgery is the unknown. 

I also recommend pre and post surgery massages.

I received a lot of shocked responses about donating.  I imagine he will have a different tune next week. 

[sherri]

My girls were 19, 18, 14 and 11 when I donated 4 years ago. My husband stayed with me the whole time in the hospital so the girls were on their own for a little bit. The older ones brought the younger ones to the hospital to see me in the evening. I thought the day would be better for them if they were in school. I did make sure to tell their principal about the surgery so they could have a cell phone and be in touch with my husband to know how everything was going. Their classmates prayed for a good outcome for me and my brother. I think it was comforting for them to be able to be in touch. We talked about the surgery a lot. they even watched one on youtube. We're a pretty medically oriented household so they were ok with the surgery. I was much more nervous about it than they were. Best to keep lines of communication open, ask them how they feel about you having elective surgery, offer to have them talk to a guidance counselor at school or the social worker from the hospital. they may have some fears and anxiety but are afraid to bring it up. Or then again, they may be totally fine, but good communication is key. I did make sure to bring my living will to the hospital on file, as anyone having surgery should do. I also wrote a "just in case" letter to my husband. As a Mom having elective surgery, I was (and still am) worried about the welfare of my children, should something go unplanned. Thank God, the surgeries went well and we are both healthy now.

Wishing you an uneventful surgery and recuperation. Keep us posted. Where are you donating?

All the best,

Sherri

[jatopa]

I think the best advice is to go into surgery with a very clean and empty colon!   I've heard that not all transplant centers insist on a bowel prep, so if yours does not, consider just prepping on your own.
 
Get up out of bed as soon as they will let you and start walking.  Depending on the time of day of your surgery, they could have you up out of bed the day of surgery, or, at the very least, the next morning.  Don't over do it, but do as much as seems reasonable.  Walking gets everything working again.

If you can, avoid the narcotics after you leave the hospital and stick with extra strength tylenol.  It doesn't mess with your head or GI tract, but takes the edge off the pain.

Stay well hydrated!   

Our hospital was very busy the day of our surgery and there was a bed shortage, so we were in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit way too long...my brother got out at 9pm and I was there until midnight.  That was the worst part of the experience for me because at that point, I wanted a quiet, dark room to sleep in.  I wished I had a sleep mask and my noise reduction head phones.  When I got out of the hospital, I sent my headphones to my brother, and they made a difference in the ICU experience because he could at least block out a lot of the noise.

Everyone on this site has been more than helpful. 

Giving my brother a new lease on life has been a very meaningful experience.  Best of luck to you!

[Fr Pat]

     Best wishes and prayers for your donation.
     There are a lot of helpful tips that the National Kidney Foundation collected from past donors at:
www.kidney.org/transplantation/livingdonors/infotips.cfm
     One tip that may not have been been mentioned is to bring extra-large clothing, underwear and shoes to wear coming home from the hospital, as post-op bloating may make regular stuff uncomfortably tight for a while.
      Please let us know how things go.
               Fr. Pat

[karekare413]

Thank you guys so much for responding! I really appreciate your help and advice. I printed out the info from the NKF and that will help too. My nerves are starting to set in a little. I know everything will be fine. My friend is pretty sick and all that matters is that he is well again. I'll keep you guys up to date with how it goes. I'll have a lot of time on the computer once I get home. LOL 

[saskie1]

Hi, I just donated my kidney laparoscopically three weeks ago.  I was very nervous about the pain afterwards. My surgery went well I am happy to say and the pain afterwards was not as bad as I had blown it up to be in my mind.  Things I appreciated having in the hospital that others on this board have suggested are: earplugs as roommate or not,hospitals are noisy.  A pillow or blanket to brace your stomach with for if you cough or sneeze.  As someone has already stated large clothes so that your clothes are not rubbing against your insions.  Slippers that you can just put your feet into so you don't have to bend over.  I also put some facial wipes by my bed to wipe my face instead of having to go to the bathroom to do it.

[Aries7]

Congratulations on your upcoming donation!

Lip Balm and lotion! The hospital tends to be dry, and I am somone who does not like her lips or hands to be dry, so this was important to me. I would suggest bring a comfortable pair of slippers and robe, as well as loose fitting shirt and pants. (I brought a pair of very comfortable sweatpants). Books, magazines, crossword puzzles, etc.

I wish you and your recipient all the best. Please let us know how your surgery goes!

Linda