Just checking in, almost 3 years now

[Oldnslow]

Hi all, its been quite a while since I've been on the forum.  Just wanted to check in, say hello, and offer a word of encouragement and thanks to the future donors.   

I donated to my brother in  Dec 2008, so its been almost 3 years now.  Both of our health seems to be very good and steady.  Generally, he is taking minimum meds and I'm still  not taking any.   We still golf fairly regular.  He's 65 now, I'm 59.  Miracles of medicine.   We've had a couple of scares when he had some virus (I can't remember the name) and they were going to biopsy but then they were able to treat it and things went back to normal.

Personally, I've finally started to drop off some weight - down about 17 lbs this year.  Feel great - sparred for the first time in years tonight & must say it felt awesome.  Didn't get winded, technique not too bad.

Life is pretty normal for us.   I really don't see a negative impact & I still have a great brother.   My wife and kids are my personal heroes for letting me take the chance and share the kidney.   I think  a lot of times we forget how scary it can  be for them too.

Cheers
Oldnslow

'Donated to brother in  Dec 2008'

[Aries7]

Hi Oldnslow!

It is really good to hear from you and hear how you and your brother are doing. I love to hear from past donors and hear how they and their recipients are doing. I am so glad to hear that you and your brother are doing so well - that is such fantastic news!

I donated to my Husband just over 2 years ago, and so far, we are both doing well also. You are very correct about it being scary for our familes as well. We have 2 kids who were both in college when we had the surgery. I know it was scary for them, but they both handled it well thankfully. (They had both my Husband's and my family there for support - for which we were so grateful.)

Thanks again for the update! :)

Linda

[tjhurley]

Dear Oldnslow (still hilarious as you are one of the most active "oldsters" I know:)

Since I used your updates and progress reports- back in the day- to judge my own recovery progress and make plans, I feel you have thrown down another challenge with the weight loss!

Seriously, congratulations on the weight loss and your approaching 3rd donation anniversary.

While my 3rd won't be until late January, I  also don't have any changes at all to my health and still don't take any sort of meds. Now my husband does make me take vitamins and I really do miss taking Aleve for any sort of early stage running injury that shows up :-\

While I went right back to running 6 miles, I was not able to do pilates for a long time. The follow up care person told me to stop doing pilates as long as I was feeling burning in my abdomen. (I should say non-pilates type burning they are quite the abdominal challenge) Strangely it was over a year before that burning stopped  - I do wonder if the advice was correct, I don't recall anyone else ever mentioned being restricted in that manner. Taking so long to get pilates back into my workout routine cost me a lot of muscle loss which was disappointing.

My recipient struggled with his meds for quite a while. He experienced lesser known side effects and really had quite the physical and mental battle to get his life going again. He has to take higher doses of his meds even though we are a 3 point match. While at 5'9" I am not used to being significantly smaller than anyone - in the kidney world I am so with my 6'3" recipient. The kidney grew very nicely and now produces excellent numbers which have made everyone quite happy. Its funny, we had trouble in my donor testing due to my running workouts. My creatinine numbers take a big increase when I run and it doesn't subside for a while. My numbers would be all over the place depending on when I ran. The kidney does the same thing in its new location. When my recipient goes in for routine testing he has to be sure to not workout for 4 days ahead of time or his numbers jump up. Has to do with muscles releasing creatinine, my son and I both tend to have longer workouts. If the kidney thought it was going to get a break from workout recovery, - it was mistaken.

He did eventually get on top of the side effects and is back out on his own working and living in his own place.  His dad and I are crazy proud of him ;) tj

[Orchidlady]

Glad to see your name and good to hear you are both doing well! Congrats on the upcoming anniversary!

[stevewin@windstream.net]

hey,do you or your brother ever blame the transplant for a hook or water ball. just kidding.congrates on 3. steve windle

[Oldnslow]

Wow - its great to see everyone doing so well.   Interesting things after a couple of years.  I wouldn't have thought that the creatin would depend on exercise.   Mine stays around 1.5.

Weight loss:  I'm down about 25 lbs since last Christmas.  I wonder if that will  affect my creatin.   It sure affects everything else.   We started sparring again in karate.  whoo hoo.   I didn't even get winded.  That's awesome.

Golf - can't say it did although I've blamed it for effects.  Its not consistent enough to depend on LOL.