Oldnslow's report prompted me to report as well.
It is now 5 years & 2 weeks since Edel, recipient of my non-directed donation, received her (then) new-used kidney. We did our semi-annual get together last weekend.
She and her kidney (and her anti-rejection meds) had a somewhat rocky road in the first 2 years, with her serum creatinine slowly increasing to 3.5, and they placed her back on the "needing transplant" list. The docs decided that the problem was that the anti-rejection meds may have been too strong, lowered them -- and she and her kidney got along much better. They took her off the transplant list. Her creatinine came down to the high 2s quickly, and has continued to decrease -- now 2.0. She pays close attention to her health, her diet, her exercise -- and talks to her kidney frequently. (I suspect that I, even though a doc, would also talk to my new-used kidney if I were a transplant recipient!
)
Edel has been working for more than 2 years -- and, more importantly, has been an active Mom for her high school son, not a tired and tied-to-dialysis Mom. He is doing great, will graduate in the spring, go to a state University in the fall! DOUBLE YEAH!
And, as well, she and her husband, and her own Mom and Dad from the Philippines, are all doing well.
Just as I am cheered by her health, she is cheered by my and our (Carolyn, my wife), continued good health. Both of us are oldernslower, but "so what else is new"!
Donating a live non-directed kidney was highly satisfying, even if I would never know who the recipient was or even if the outcome was not as satisfying. But every time Edel and her family and we (Csrolyn & I) get together, it is suoersatisfying. My new hope is that Edel's now "adolescent" kidney (counted in transplanted kidney-years, like "dog years") lasts another five years, so that she will continue as an active Mom for her college son and of course for her family as well.
Topic: Another 5-year report - YEAH! (Read 4660 times)