Morning Edition, from National Public Radio (NPR,) did a story July 2, 2012 on the consequences of Living Kidney Donation. I hope that it will encourage research by potential donors, yet I am concerned that it may frighten them from considering Living Kidney donation as a viable choice. Knowledge really is power. Hopefully they won’t stop their research at the headline.
I agree, with those interviewed for the story, that more focus needs to be given to Living Kidney Donors post surgery. Although my experience has been quite good (with multiple blood tests and UAs at prescribed intervals,) I would have appreciated more one-on-one emotional follow-up about 6-9 months after the surgery. That’s when my energy levels returned, but small worries about life ahead with one kidney began. Although it was never enough to make me second guess my decision, it created questions for which I had no answers. Teams dedicated to helping Transplant recipients should also have knowledge about what it is like for Transplant Donors after the surgery. Real people need real answers. Advocating for more Donor care and increased Donor follow-up is essential and laudable.
Back to the risks: Even with a pure and giving heart, a healthy body, and an amazingly competent surgical transplant team, a donor can die when donating a kidney. Speaking as a Living Kidney Donor, I knew that going in and gave it all of the consideration that I felt something of the magnitude merited, ultimately deciding that it was a risk that I was willing to take.
I recently went to a lecture given by Indiana Astronaut, Dr. David Wolf. He spoke at the Economic Club of Indianapolis. At one point during his speech, he answered a question about what he felt minutes before he was ready to launch into space. I cannot give you a direct quote, since I was mesmerized by his entire speech, but I will tell you what I remember most because I feel like I can relate.
Dr. Wolf said, “once he and the other astronauts go through 3-4 hours to get into their suits and another several hours to get strapped in, that’s when his thoughts turn to what might happen.” Within that quiet nothingness before a life changing event, we start to look at the big picture. Here is what he mentioned as three potential outcomes: “he could be sitting at home watching television later that night (because the launch was delayed,) he could be dead (because something catastrophic happened,) or he could successfully launch into space to do his mission and return home at its conclusion—safe and sound.
Although I am not an astronaut, or a soldier, or any brave sole toiling daily in harm’s way, I held my husband’s hand minutes before they wheeled me into the surgical suite feeling many of the same things Dr. Wolf discussed. They could postpone the surgery, I could die…or my Dad could die, or we could both come through the surgeries with flying colors and move into a life filled with health and more time together. So, I made my peace with God knowing that whatever the outcome, I was certain that I was doing the right thing.
But there is one thing that neither Dr. Wolf nor I discussed. That’s the knowledge that we would be fundamentally changed by our experiences. That is true for so many of life’s choices…good and bad. There are health consequences for all astronauts. Bone loss is a real problem for anyone living for prolonged periods in a weightless environment. For me, I will never take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NOT worry about whether my remaining kidney is functioning the way that it should (even though I never gave them a thought when they were both chugging along and doing the quiet business of cleaning my blood.) It’s a small price to pay for so much.
I can’t speak for Dr. Wolf, or any other person for that matter, but I would guess that he would say that it was worth it. Similar to the last line of the Morning Edition news feature I would say, “Even knowing all that I know now, I would do it all over again.”
http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/07/02/155979681/organ-donation-has-consequences-some-donors-arent-prepared-for
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