Staying healthy post-donation: my story

[phellad]

Hi!
I hope you don't mind this plug, but instead will find it relevant.  I donated a kidney to my coworker's son January 3, 2013.  A year and a day later I started blogging about my experiences going from being a fat guy on a couch, to a runner, to a donor, and now I am training for my first marathon.  I wanted to find a way to encourage more donation without it looking like attention-whoring, and blogging was a fun and semi-anonymous way to do it.  Anyway, it's runningwithoutlefty.wordpress.com and if you think it's not horrible, I'd appreciate you telling others.

[Clark]

Looks interesting. Hope you stick with both the running and the blog. Do you want to be added to the calendar? https://livingdonorsonline.org/calendar/calendar.htm

[Fr Pat]

Dear "Phellad",
     Nice blog! Congratulations!
     I donated at age 56, back in 2002. I was not running previously, but started a bit in order to help recovery. Then I got enthused to try to train enough to do the (seemingly impossible) 5k run at the 2004 "Transplant Games" in Minneapolis. I made it! It was an extraordinary experience to be running alongside folks who had received new hearts, kidneys, livers and lungs, plus other donors, families and friends. A celebration of life, and I was hooked. I finally did my first Marathon at age 60 in 2006. It took me a little under 6 hours, but I made it. And here in Okinawa they give a lovely "finisher" medallion to everybody who crawls across the finish line in under 6 I/4 hours, and that was worth more than its weight in gold. I did my last Marathon in 2011 at age 65 but have cut back to a half-marathon once or twice a year now. So keep at it! It's well worth the effort regardless of whether you make the Marathon or not.
     Reminder: the next "Transplant Games" are this summer in Houston, and living donors can compete in some events alongside donors. Info at www.transplantgamesofamerica.org  (or maybe that's .com???)
           Fr. Pat

[phellad]

Fr. Pat, you are my hero!  I had not heard of the Transplant Games.  I don't think I can make it out to TX this year but I will definitely do it in the near future.

[elephant]

Dear phellad,

It's great that two people had their health improved!  Many years of health and happiness for you both.


Love, elephant

[Fr Pat]

Dear "Phellad",
       If you go to www.youtube.com and type "U.S. Transplant Games" or variations on that into the "search" box you can watch a number of short videos from past Games. Most are short personally made ones, but there are a few longer professional ones such as "2008 U.S. Transplant Games in Pittsburgh", etc.
     FR. Pat