Pleased to meet you all!

[cariad]

Hi there!

I have been reading this site off and on for a year or so, and finally decided it was time to jump in. I am nervously awaiting the results of a crossmatch with a live-donor, and quickly driving those around me (mostly my husband) insane with relentless obssessing over the possible outcomes.

I had my first transplant in 1976, and now here I am in 2009 trying to get listed locally so I can do a time transfer from one of the hospitals in California (where we no longer reside) to the new hospital. They certainly have managed to complicate things beyond recognition in 30 or so years!

I am deeply cynical about transplant, doctors, and hospitals, so I appreciate the opportunity to let some of that out here! I do, however, try to keep a sense of humor about things, and my husband and I are two people that believe everything happens for the best (we are not religious, just good at finding the positive in many of the spectacularly awful events that we have gone through). My husband is convinced that the drama that we have endured in the past few years is all leading up to something wonderful, and I can see how that may very well be true. Still, there is that crossmatch I worry about.... (sorry, I'll stop.)

I am still pre-dialysis, and if all goes well with the crossmatch and the usual ridiculously long string of tests, I will be getting a live-donor transplant in September with only minimal dialysis right before the procedure (via a permcath? Whatever the tube near your heart is called these days). I am extremely confident that if I can make it to then with my sanity, everything will work out fine. Perhaps I am naive, but transplants don't scare me in the least. Dialysis is another story. If the crossmatch is positive - well, I currently have no plan B.

Oh, can't forget - I have two gorgeous kids!

[Rerun]

Cariad welcome to IHD.   

You have come to the right place to vent and find humor.  I sure hope every thing works out for you in September.

                     

[Romona]

  I hope your experience this time around is pleasant!

[Tinah1968]

  Glad you decided to join.. It is definately a great site for Honest Information

[Joe Paul]

Welcome Cariad, good to have you aboard.

[monrein]

   glad you decided to come out of lurking and join us.

[willieandwinnie]

  cariad. We are so glad you joined us. We look forwarded to hearing more of your story. We love to share information and support here and the more the merrier. 

[rookiegirl]

Welcome to IHD.  Look forward to seeing more of your posts.

[willowtreewren]

Hi, Cariad,

Glad you decided to let us hear your voice. I want to hear that you have a smooth transplant journey! 

I get positively teary eyed with joy over every successful transplant, hoping that the next one will be ours!

I love your attitude!

 

Aleta

[cherpep]

Love your outlook!  I look forward to hearing more from you.  Welcome!

[Bajanne]

Welcome to our community!  Where have you been hiding, girl?  You are obviously an IHD person!  This site is not only for dialysis matters, but transplants are also very important to us.  Now you have an entire international caring and sharing family to go the distance with you.  
Definitely looking forward to hearing more from you.  How about showing us some picts of your family (the non-IHD one!)




Bajanne, Moderator

[ODAT]

 

 

My mom just started dialysis in the last month. She is 76. She said it wasn't as bad as she thought and is actually thinking, doing, and living a whole lot better since starting. Prayers for a successful transplant!

[MandaMe1986]

 

[cariad]

Thanks everyone for such a great welcome!

I cannot wait to update everyone with our crossmatch results. My husband (the potential live-donor in question) phoned the hospital this morning and they have promised to get back to him to at least let us know how much longer we can expect to wait (his blood arrived there Tuesday).

My husband and I have already had a negative crossmatch, but that was a year ago, and my PRA has since doubled, thus I am on edge all the same. I have been told that my odds are excellent it will still be negative, but I need to hear it for sure. If it is, and everything else checks out, the surgeon has agreed to try to include me in a really exciting clinical trial. I will be sure to fill everyone in on the details as they happen.

Bajanne, I am honored to be called "an IHD person"! I will try to overcome my computer illiteracy and put up a pic or two.

Aleta, I hope your husband gets his transplant soon, too! I have had 33 years with relatively few problems, and wish the same and more to my fellow recipients.

ODAT, wow! Your mom sounds like quite the fighter.    Very cool!

Thanks again to all, and I hope to get to know everyone much better!

 

[Hanify]

Look forward to getting to know you.

[paris]

   I loved reading you intro and last post!  We (I) need to read more from people who have long, successful transplants.  I am crossing fingers that the crossmatch is negative and the living donor transplant goes smoothly.  We love good stories!      Keep us updated and post often.  We look forward to getting to know you better.  And tell your husband he is a hero for wanting to be a living donor.  We love him       Welcome to the family   



paris, Moderator

[cariad]

Paris, I read your reply to my husband and he was very touched. I believe his response was "Aw, that's *so* nice!" I am grateful for the support that everyone is already so willing to give us here.

[kellyt]

Excellent photo!   And Welcome!    I can't wait to hear the results of your crossmatch! Good Luck!  It is an exciting time for you and your husband!  I wish the best.

Sounds like you had a nice long run ith your last transplant.  How long did it last exactly and was  it a relatively smooth ride?  Thanks.

[serpico]

Welcome and good luck!

[cariad]

Sounds like you had a nice long run ith your last transplant.  How long did it last exactly and was  it a relatively smooth ride?

Kelly, indeed it was a smooth ride, for a transplant that is. I only really had two rejection episodes - one in the first year post-surgery and one about 9 years later, and spent about a week in the hospital each time. If I had other rejections, they were never caught. Most of my life, I have more or less forgotten that I even had a transplant.

I guess one could argue that my transplant lasted 33 years, since I am still predialysis, although function has not been so hot this last year. Before that, my creatinine was only slowly creeping upward, and had been in the 2.6 range for years. 

Thanks for asking!