New to forum, donating next week!

[mattd]

My name is Matt, I am 38 years old, and will be donating a kidney to my dad June 4th.  I found the forum a couple weeks ago and it has been very informative and comforting knowing there is a place for donors to communicate.  After a 1 1/2 year process I can't believe the surgery is finally going to happen!  I am starting to get nervous, just hoping there will not be complications for either of us, as I have three arteries to my kidney, which will make it a little more complicated on my dads end.  Any other donors on here with multiple artery transplant experience?  Would appreciate any info. or advice.  Just thought I would post a quick introduction, and will keep posting on progress, wish us luck!

[Clark]

Best wishes to you both, and your families!

[Fr Pat]

     Best wishes and prayers for you both! Please keep us informed. Sorry I have no info to offer regarding the arteries.
   Fr. Pat

[elephant]

Dear Matt, 

Nice to hear from you.  I hope all goes well for you and your beloved Dad.   I had multiple arteries, and understand this is fairly common.  I'm sure your surgeons have experience with this, why don't you ask?  I donated to my father two years ago.  He's doing great.   He said he felt significantly better as soon as he woke up after surgery!  Of course, donors feel significantly worse for a while.  Eat prunes! 

Keep us updated on your progress.

Love, elephant

[mattd]

Thanks for all the well wishes, elephant I have discussed this with my surgeon and transplant team, they were reluctant at first to even do the surgery, stating that it was at greater risk for my dads body to reject it due to the amount of arteries and how they would "rebuild" it to fit my dads plumbing, so to speak, but it seems like they have a good plan in place and I am trusting that if they were not comfortable with it, than they would not do the surgery.

[mattd]

Well, the surgery went pretty well on tuesday, mine lasted 4.5 hours, but my dads took 8 hours due to the multiple arteries, and two ureters that they did not see on the ct scan, even with the technical difficulties the new kidney in my dad is functioning very well, his kidney function is better than mine at the moment.  I am healing, maybe a little slowly, but am feeling better every day.

[sherri]

Matt,

Thank you so much for posting. I always think about the donors who post on here and it is great to hear from each one post op. Most importantly, welcome to the club! Glad to hear things went well. Slow healing sounds very on target. You had major surgery and given you were under anesthesia  a long time it may take a little while for your body functions to return. Be kind and patient. Enjoy the recuperation time and let others help as much as you need. Best wishes to your Dad as he recuperates from his surgery and adjusts to his new life with his immunosuppressants and functioning kidney.

Keep us posted.

All the best,

Sherri