What to do with a high PRA????

[Des]

After my bad news yesterday about the live donor not happening I phoned the transplant clinic to check up on my position on the list only (for the first time) to find out that I have a PRA of 78%. I believe this is very very bad. Well it caused me to drop on the transplant list from 12.9 down to 7.98 points.
 
 So the saying that when one door closes the next one opens is a load of B#$%@&t !


My question is : What to do with a high PRA??

[willowtreewren]

Women tend to run higher on PRA because each pregnancy raises it. 

You can go through plasmapheresis to lower it. That works sometimes, but not all the time.

Even with a high PRA, transplant DOES happen. Look at Paris. Her PRA was MUCH higher than yours and Petey's Marvin had a PRA of 100!!! And he got a transplant (of course they really considered that somewhat of a long shot!)

Hope is a very powerful component, though. Your overall health will be uplifted if you can keep that shining light of hope alive. 

Aleta

[okarol]

Patients in the US with high PRA's get priority - an extra point because they are hard to match - is it different there?

[carol1987]

Patients in the US with high PRA's get priority - an extra point because they are hard to match - is it different there?

I was wondering that also Karol... I had high PRA and it gave me a point.... I don't know if that is an advantage... perhaps it levels the playing field??

Des I got a living donor transplant from an altruistic donor... do you have any kind of exchanges/chains over there??

[Des]

Okarol, a high PRA reduces your chances - no extra points

No chain donation as far as I know?? 

[Jelena]

Des, please don't give up hope. Good things can still happen, there are so many people who can prove it. Hang in there! 

[Des]

 

I posted this question because I really need some feedback here.

[rsudock]

Des from what I have researched besides plasmaphersis, you can also do IVIG to lower the PRA. Plasmaphersis sounds like a machine like dialysis that separates the antibodies from the rest of the blood.

I hope this helps in some small way....I had a PRA of 65.
Thinking of you...

xo,
R

[*kana*]

My sister had  very high PRA's and got a 6 point match after being on the list 4mths.  She wasnt on D yet AND she is O+!  If she can get one, anyone can.