T plus 5 days

Still sore where they abused my left hip...lol. Appetite has not returned anywhere near the level pre-surgery. All things in small steps, eh. Getting better each day, but sleep comes at only 2 hr intervals so that sucks. I'm sure that I'll look back on these five days months from now and think that it really was fairly minor compared to positive results of the transplant. I hope...LOL.

It's Done! Surgery is completed and I'm Home! T plus 3 days

Well, the surgery is done and, thus far, all is going according to plan. The recipient's new kidney, my former one, is doing very well. It started to work as soon as they transplanted it. Nice job, kidney!
I'm feeling ok....more sore than I thought I would be; but just knowing what has been done for this lady makes the discomfort worth it.
So, they are telling me that it's a 3-4 week recovery. We'll see. It should get better soon, right now it seems like it could take 3-4 months!
Stay tuned.................

It's Here....at Last!!

Found out yesterday that my lastest (and last) medical tests came out just fine. That means that it's a GO for the transplant surgery tomorrow. Getting a bit anxious....for me and for the recipient. I'm sure that she is on pins and needles. Who can blame her! Stay tuned...I'll try to update this Blog after the surgery and beyond...........................

More Tests!

Just returned from NYU where I and the potential recipient had yet another series of tests performed. They want to make sure that nothing has changed since the last blood work was done. The twelve vials of blood that they sucked out of my arm should tell 'em everything they want to know....and then some!Along w/ an EKG, chest X-ray, blood pressure tests,these were, what we hope, the last bit of probing and prodding they'll have to do until T-day.

I'm "Approved" !

Just heard via email that I have been "passed" by the NYU donor team and was approved to donate one of my kidneys. Nice of 'em eh?

Now the recipient and I have some final pre-surgical tests on the 12th and, assuming no snafus there, it's on to the kidney transplant surgery on October 21st.

Altruistic vs Non-directed

Just joined the Living Donors Online group. One of the donors on that site told me that some folks who have donated to a relative or friend object to the term altruistic when it refers solely to someone in my situation. Please don't shoot the messenger. I had always called my pending donation "non-directed"; however, in conversations with both NYP and NYU, they always used the term "altruistic donor". Being new to this...lol...I went along with the experts.
I can fully appreciate that, those who donated to a recipient whom they knew, would be offended by not also being called altruistic. By any definition, they surely are!
I apologize if my terminology insulted anyone. It certainly was not my intention.

More News....

Just found out that a final "team" meeting and decision won't be made until Oct. 1. Assuming no problems there, I would go to NYU on the 12th for pre-surgical tests and final cross match. They sure don't seem to be in a hurry. Feel sorry for the recipient having to wait through all of this.
Transplant date would now not be before the 21st.