How long

[murf]

I am interested to know how long you have been waiting for your first kidney transplant and also what country you are from. Reports indicate that Australia is the lowest donor/population in the western world. So interested in anecdotal evidence. I have been waiting five years and from Australia.

[texasstyle]

I don't know much about this but I believe the UNOS (?) website will tell you exactly loactations, lengths of time etc.... The only think was I 'm not sure if this is only for U.S.

[okarol]

Jenna waited 3 years, but it would have been longer, here in Los Angeles, if she didn't get a living donor kidney.

[Riki]

I waited a year and 8 months for my first transplant, but I think I might have been a higher priority because I was 14.  I waited about 5 weeks for my second transplant.  I think that has to be the biggest fluke ever.  I've been waiting about 6 and a half years for my third transplant.  Both my transplants were cadaveric.

[murf]

Should like to add, I am interested in cadaveric transplants wait list.

[RichardMEL]

Will be 5 years for me in Jan.......

of course you know what they say mate - it's not how long that's important, but the quality that matters!!!!!!

[Tracy]

The first transplant I had was for a Kidney/Pancreas.  3 Days on waiting list.  I had no antibodies.  They both failed 5 days later and were removed.  Now it has been 465 days or so.  I am still waiting on a cadaver p/k, but antibodies are at 99%.  So, we have some work to do on my before I can even begin to think about me getting another phone call.

Good Luck to you!

[Scarlet]

In Canada each province has different lists and in many cases more then one list per area, I think that Ontario has 5 or 6 different lists, these are each run by the province or the Transplant board for the region, and I have been told that in Canada for a cadaver donor you are looking at 5-7 years.

 My best friend, who also stood as my "Man of honour" when I got married last June just called me last week to tell me that he had just found out that he is a compatible blood type ...now the only draw back is that the Neph clinic will not even begin the rest of the tests until I drop below 20% GFR, in Sept I was at 23% and if the amount that I have been  every morning is any indication, I think that I am there 

But with Russ, offering to give me a kidney , I am actually excited to drop below 20%...that is kind of twisted isn't it??

[Jean]

Yes, Scarlet, it is kind of twisted, but I see your point. Wonderful news for you also. I am happy for you.

[lorna]

 I Have been waiting 5 years for a kidney/pan in Bc , Canada. This may be the dumbest question to ask and i must be having a huge blond moment but what does gfr stand for or mean ?! you would think i would know haha

[Scarlet]

Not to worry Lorna, you will get to know all of these after awhile, GFR stands for Glomerular Filtration Rate, this is the rate at which your kidneys process wastes from your body, so the lower the number the worse your kidneys are functuioning.
 It is also a number that is directly convertable to a percentage number.  So if like me your GFR is 22 that means that your kidneys are functionaing at 22% of full capacity.  I know that the US has different units of mesurment but they all work out to the same percentages. 

I discovered very early on that the more that you know the better equiped you are to talk to your health care providers.  This came in very handy when my mom was very ill, I could talk to her doctors and they did not sugar coat anything as it was clear I could tell when they were withholding info.

Hope this helps.

[bette1]

I waited about 2 1/2 years for my first kidney transplant and a little over three years for the second.  I am type o negative and I am near Chicago.  I was lucky because I was able to go to another state that had a shorter list both times.  The wait time in Chicago for my blood type was 6 years.

[lorna]

ohh ok thank you that makes sence! My doctors have always said my kidneys are functioning at less than 2% so i guess they are just leaving it at that! Being informed does help and the more i learn the more confident i am! Some of the nurses seem realy annoyed when i ask a question but others are great! When i was on Pd they supplied a huge binder with everything i could possibly want to know and this site has been so helpfull and i always get such good answers! thank you