3 weeks after donation

[littleone60540]

I donated a kidney to my sister 3 weeks ago today. My sister is doing amazingly well! We are both relatively young, i am 33 and she is 37. She has IGA Nephropathy which is what caused her kidneys to fail. I was a perfect match and donating was the easiest decision i have ever made. Helping my sister get back to living a mostly normal life and be a mother and business woman again is more rewarding than anything i have ever done and will ever do!

I have some questions about recovery for those that have been through it. I have 4 incisions. 3 small (one on my belly button, one just above my belly button, and one on my left side near the site of my kideny) then a larger about 5 inch incision on my bikini line where the surgeon removed the kidney. It is much like a c-section scar. I feel great but i am still sore, like my insides feel bruised. That is the best way i can describe it. The most painful part is where my kidney used to be. It feels like the staples are pulling almost. It is quite a sharp pain that takes my breath away. I know it has only been 3 weeks, but i have read so many blogs where people say after 10 days they feel as good as new! Just wondering if any other living donors out there experienced any similar feelings during recovery and how long it lasted. Thanks!!

Sara, Las Vegas

[sherri]

Congratulations! My story is similar. I donated to my brother who also suffers from Iga nephropathy. This was a big surprise to all of us as his renal failure came on very acutely. I was 44 when I donated and he was 36. We are 3 1/2 years out from surgery and both doing ok.
I had hand assisted laprascopic surgery. I also have two small scars where the trocars went in for the lap part and one larger incision above my belly about 3- 4 inches long. Only one of the lap scars is noticeable now and my incision line is very faint, looks like a stretch mark almost. The other "scars" I have are left over from 4 pregnancies and births so lots of stretch marks.

It will take your body time to heal. Sounds like usual discomfort after abdominal surgery. Some donors do say they feel great after but I think alot gets masked by the euphoria you feel after finally being on the other side of surgery. I do remember my incision site feeling the most painful but got better after time. using a heating pad helped make my abdominal area feel much better and soothed the achiness. Your body has been manipulated and held in certain positions for a long time so bruising does sound normal. If at any time you feel worse and not better contact your transplant team so that they can address the issue. I think for most donors a full recovery is at least 6- 8 weeks like any other abdominal surgery. The muscles inside need to repair themselves as they have also been cut so it takes many months for that tissue to repair. After one year, I remember closing the back of my mini van and reaching up and not feeling that pull in my abdomen. Take good care of your self and allow your body to heal.

Good luck,

Sherri

[littleone60540]

Sherri,

Thank you so much for writing me!! That makes me feel much better about recovery. I am young and in shape and was wondering why after 3 weeks i was not feeling back to normal when i had read that others felt great! I am off work for another 4 weeks so i have plenty of time to rest and recover. Any pain i am feeling of course is well worth it as my sister can resume a mostly normal life.

Thanks again for sharing!

Sara

[Scott337]

Sara,

I donated October 22, 2010 (Hand-Lap) to a young man I didn't know and had only met the day before the surgery.  I agree with Sherri, most who say they felt better within a week or two, I believe, are not so much saying they felt back to normal, but felt better than they thought they would and might have been returning to some normal activities sooner than they had anticipated, as-well-as are feeling the euphoria of post-op recovery.

I also experienced the same type of pain you describe.  I donated my left kidney and the sharp pain I experienced was on the left side, just below my ribs.  I would describe the pain as a sharp, stabbing pain that at on-set, would hurt even more as I tried to catch my breath.  The frequency and duration of incidences began to diminish over time.  Now I'm more than six months out and have even experienced this a couple of times in the past month or so.  Again, less frequent and less severe now.  I think it's normal for some of us, as we each heal a bit differently, but again I agree with Sherri - take it easy, listen to your body, call you medical team/surgeon if you have questions or concerns and remember, this was a major surgery and it takes time to heal.  

I was able to get back into a rigorous workout routine by week six and am consistent about working out, running, weights and nutrition, but full recovery really didn't seem to hit until about six months out - all-in-all though, I wouldn't hesitate to do this all over if I could, I will always cherish the experience and I have so much love and respect for all of you for your donating a gift of life.

Your sister is lucky to have you and your caring, loving, gift.   You'll be fine my friend.


Scott

[littleone60540]

Scott,

Thank you so much for the feedback. You guys are making me feel so much better, i felt like i was being a baby about the pain!! They also took my left kidney and the pain you describe is exactly what i feel. I am so grateful for you guys sharing your experiences with me. I really thought there would be more on the internet about recovery experiences from donating a kidney but i have not found much. This forum seems to be the best place to share information.

Thanks again, i think it is so amazing that you donated to someone you don't even know! It was a very easy decision to me because my sister means the world to me. I don't regret one moment, even if i have to get through some pain in recovery. It is so worth it to help restore someone's health.

Take care,
Sara

[Fr Pat]

      I donated by the open surgery (9 years ago) so the recovery from that is different. But as noted above "feling pretty good, all things considered" and "feeling back to normal" are two quite different things! Be patient. YYou have had MAJOR surgery.
      I found that doing as much bending and stretching exercsies as possible was very helpful after the donation surgery. Things have been moved around inside you, and a big gap left to be filled up, so it takes a while for everthing to shift around and get re-settled.
             best wishes,
                Fr. Pat

[littleone60540]

Thanks Fr Pat!
I can definitely tell that the insides have been moved around. They feel bruised! Thanks for the advice. I think stretching would help. Much like walking around soon after surgery, it is painful but makes you feel better afterwards. I really appreciate all the feedback. It is so nice to talk to people that have been through it!!

Sara

[Prelude_Sarah]

Hey Sara!  We have a lot in common!  My name is Sarah, and I donated my left kidney to my sister just over three weeks ago as well!  I have also felt the pain you're describing, as well as some other mysterious pains in my chest and abdomen.  My muscles still hurt as well, almost like I did 1,000,000 sit-ups.  I have three scars, two on my left side that are small, and one 4 inch incision that goes through my belly button.  I developed a small infection around my main incision, but it seems to be under control with antibiotics.  I have found that at moments I'm trying to push myself too much too fast, and I have to remind myself that I'm still healing. 

Congratulations on donating to your sister!  I hope that your recovery goes smoothly -- I'm right there with ya

Sarah

[Prelude_Sarah]

Oh, and also, I've found that walking really helps those weird random pains.  I walk really really slow, and focus on being relaxed and breathing deeply.  Don't push yourself too hard, but it seems like those achy pains diminish when I walk more. Works for me anyway!

Sarah

[Aries7]

Hi Sara and Congratulations to you!

I donated to my husband on October of 2009. While I felt great for someone who had just donated a kidney, I most certainly had some aches and pains. In my case, about a day and a half after surgery, the gas pains started for me. That first day of the gas pains, oh my goodness, it hurt. This was from the gas they pump in during the surgery, and it was letting me know it was still there. The best thing to do to help this is to walk. Which I guess was good because I could not find a comfortable position no matter what I tried. The first day of this was the worst. Each day got gradually better and finally after several days, that subsided. I also developled a very stubborn rash that took quite a while to clear up. Then, about 2 weeks after the surgery, my left arm just above my wrist became very sore. Then the next day, I noticed I had a bump there. Turns out I developed thombophlebitis, This is a blood clot in the vein, in my case they said was from the 2 IV's I had in that arm while in the hopsital. This went away on it's own and I am fine. I also want to say that none of this ever made me regret donating even once. I would so do it again in a heartbeat.

Your body has gone through a major surgery, and is adjusting to now having one kidney verses two. It is very normal to have some pain and discomfort. I would definitely suggest keeping in close contact with your medical team, and most certainly ask about anything that seems unusual, but otherwise, pamper yourself. You deserve it!

Linda

[Fr Pat]

Dear Sarah,
     Two more litle recovery tips:
--- I found that a very helpful exercise was simply to lie on the floor flat on my back and stretch out the arms and legs and breathe deeply. Might just be in my mind, but I sort of "felt" the innards shifting around. Then try lieing on one side and lifting the opposite legs, then reverse. If you are like me and some other donors who have tried it, you may hear some rumbling and gurgling inside.
--- Watch your posture. After surgery we may unconsciously sift the way we stand, sit and walk so as to try to avoid pains. The diffferent posture puts different strains on the muscles and back. Make an effort to resume normal posture to help healing.
           best wishes,
               Fr. Pat

[Orchidlady]

Oh my gosh, Sara! Do I remember the "pulling"! And it felt like a deep pulling - like it was waaay down inside. Don't worry about timing on your recovery - I remember the surgeon telling me that they tell people six weeks recovery because that is literally how long it takes your body to heal from major surgery, whether you cooperate or not.  As others have said, a lot of stuff has been jostled around to get to that kidney - the surgeon told me they had to roll various other organs out of the way to get to the kidney in back. And all of that jostling results in bruising and inflammation. I used to laugh and tell people it felt for that first six weeks like I was carrying a football in front of me! Then that football gradually diminished to softball size and then went away. Walking is definitely good because it helps with the inflammation and keeps your muscles moving.
Glad you are doing well. You will be turning the corner and back to normal in no time! 

[littleone60540]

Thanks guys!! The shifting of posture i have for sure done. I have strained muscles in my back and abdomen from the change in the way i am sitting and standing to avoid the pulling sensation. I will try the stretching exercise it sounds like it could help a lot. When i try to lay on my left side i can only do it for a few minutes and then it feels like my other organs are pushing on the site where my kidney used to be!

I am so glad that i found this forum, i swear i felt like i was not healing fast enough and i feel so much better knowing that you guys are all here to help share your experience and help me understand what is to come.

Thanks again you guys!!!

Sara

[PhilHoover]

Remember that:

1) No lifting anything over 5 lbs for at least 8 weeks after the surgery;

2) Drink lots of water;

3) Take as many naps as you may feel you need...

4)  Follow all the surgeon's instructions...to the letter...

5) Use those stool softeners as often as you need them  (no, they are not addictive)...


Phil Hoover
Chicago