Hi everyone,

I donated last September and all was basically fine.

I came to Sri Lanka last December to be back with my wife.  (I'm a UK citizen, my wife just happened to be posted by her NGO to Sri Lanka for a year in August last year, so just before the surgery, i.e. pretty bad timing).

Since the operation, I've had real trouble with what might be a trapped nerve, or might be a strained or torn muscle. I lifted a bag in Sri Lanka and it resulted in a sudden pain. I can't tell you my how people have looked at it, ultrasounds, MRIs, still no diagnosis.

So now I need to pay to come back to the UK to have it seen to by the NHS team I trust. I have the greatest respect for the NHS team who did the operation, and I realise this out outside of their control for capacity reasons, but nonetheless I am really disappointed at how little the NHS is are able to help me now in the way that I am hoping for.

I don't have a home in the UK, I am in pain, I don't want to be away from my wife again. There seems to be no policy, no plan, for someone like me. They intend only to see me when back and take it from there. I accept that I am accountable for the fundamental risk, but I can't accept that in my situation, some form of policy can't be put in place with the intention of trying to minimise the risk of me staying in the UK for months, sitting at the end of a queue for whatever operation might be needed. I can see this is where this is heading. PALS have advised to write to the relevant CEO / Ombudsman and start a conversation about the development of a policy. There can't be many people like me, but I bet there are a dozen or two a year, and it really is disconcerting to be on the wrong side of the world without the reassurance of some kind of exceptional support to make this all work a bit smoother.

I know it sounds awful to ask to be prioritised in some way, but without a home in the UK, and being in too much pain to move between friends' homes, I can't help but feel that some kind of policy should come into place? Even if it's just about expenses?

Anyway, I would love to hear if anyone else has been in this position, or has an opinion?

Many thanks

Richard

Hi I'm really sorry you find yourself in this situation.  Here is a link to an article about a Canadian health worker who had a similar problem.

https://livingdonorsonline.org/ldosmf/index.php?topic=1193.

The article is on the Living Donors in the news page.

Basically a kidney donor from British Columbia had to go public to have surgery to correct a problem after donating in another Provence.

Can you contact a UK Donor organization who will know NHS system for help and support?

 ;D whats sri lanka like? Love the link poodles you are welcome  ;D

Poodles thank you so much for that link, that's really interesting to me. I don't even know what a 'UK Donor Organisation' is! Could you please give me an example? Right now I'm just talking to the NHS and a charity I know in the kidney space who may be able to help me.

Stpfn Sri Lanka is a lovely country. Beautiful place, beautiful people. Just a shame that the government murdered tens of thousands of their own people and won't admit to it!
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-26765503
But it's very safe here now.

Thanks for the BBC link <3

Try contacting Diane in the UK. Here is her blog.

http://livingkidneydonation.co.uk/

@.@!? Princess die anna?  O

Where is the pain? Is it definitely associated with the kidney or could you possibly have back problems? I'm only asking because I have bad back and one of the first thing the doctors always think is kidney stones till I remind them that I have no kidney on that side.