Hubby got a transplant !!!

[nursey66]

Transplant done 2weeks ago , creatine was at 1.1 yesterday !  He hasn't ever had that low of a lab since I have known him , even with his 1st transplant, living donor , done 13 years ago and lasting 11 years.   Was on the list for 2 years, PRA  of 100%   Type O . This was his 4 th   call since the new changes in the ways the listings have changed in Dec 2014.  He also had 2 siblings on the paired donors listing, but no hits there.  They both matched and wanted to be a donor, but final crossmatch didn't work because of the previous transplant from the other sibling.  Got this call at 5 AM ,  long day !  Longest wait ever. Even though the match was perfect ,the crossmatch has to work out as well.  Donor blood had to be flown in, they would not send it until they had hubbys blood secure first, we live 100 miles away,so took some time. Then after all tests done, and matching, would they fly the deseased donor kidney.   So surgery was done 18 hours after the call. 

[SooMK]

Wonderful news! Congrats to all. I hope his recovery is smooth. Let us know.

[iolaire]

Got this call at 5 AM ,  long day !  Longest wait ever. Even though the match was perfect ,the crossmatch has to work out as well.  Donor blood had to be flown in, they would not send it until they had hubbys blood secure first, we live 100 miles away,so took some time. Then after all tests done, and matching, would they fly the deseased donor kidney.   So surgery was done 18 hours after the call.

Congratulations!  That has to be quite an ordeal especially for the partner that is sitting around waiting/worrying for most of it.  At what point did you go to the hospital and for how long was your hubby out of your site?  Any pointers for someone waiting for the kidney recipient to go through surgery? (I'll tell my wife any details since she will be the one waiting when I get mine.)

[justagirl2325]

Congratulations - sounds like quite an ordeal but very glad it worked out.

[nursey66]

We had to leave for the hospital right away.  So I didn't even stay , went back home after I got him settled in. They said it would be an all day wait so I went back to get things done and stuff he would need. This was the 4th time he was called in , twice he was the backup, one other he was primary, but before we got there, they called my cellphone and said that kidney was no good. He had just been admitted 4 weeks earlier for testing overnight, so we knew what to expect. That time the kidney went to someone else. There was plenty of time for me to get back if surgery was a go, since the kidney was many states away from us. He was better off without me hanging out with him , l just get too nervous. He kept me informed by IPad messages.

[Vt Big Rig]

Best of Luck ..... I hope this time is the right time!!!!

[Michael Murphy]

You know what the best part of this board is, reading announcements like this, and the other life changes like marriages that occur to members.  Its nice to be able to cheer for things like this.
I am beginning to think of the people who leave dialysis after one of the transplants as if they have graduated from dialysis.   Any way Congrats I hope your hubby and his new kidney have a long and happy life together.

[Rerun]

Awesome Deal!  Prayers it lasts him forever!

                         

[cassandra]

Great news, and congrats

     

Love, and luck to both of you, Cas

[iolaire]

This was the 4th time he was called in , twice he was the backup, one other he was primary, but before we got there, they called my cellphone and said that kidney was no good.

Just wondering did you get other calls for which you were not called into the hospital?  I've received about six calls as backups and have not yet been told to go to the hospital. (They start by asking if they can run the cross match on the blood that I send them every quarter.)

[nursey66]

iolaire.   We were called into the hospital 3 of the 4 times. Once he got admitted , blood taken ,etc, went home the next day ,kidney went to the primary person,.once we were called in ,and called again on the way down, it's 100 miles, and had to go home because they decided the kidney was no good. The last call we had to go in right away, they want fresh blood, even 2 weeks was too old, they said. They never mentioned using blood from 3month draw.  I think that is just to keep up on the antibodies.From what l have learned , they call 2 people in to the hospital for the work up , A primary and a backup.  Then if those 2 don't work out ,they call in the next 2 on the list.  In the beginning they call up to 5 people , they want 5 available & ready for each kidney. The 1st time he was called , he was #5 in line and didn't have to go in, they just needed to know if he was ready if it got that far.     Hope that helps some.  I didn't have a clue how it all worked on the 1st call last December    But after 3 calls in 4 weeks time I get how it works now.

[iolaire]

Thanks that sounds rough. Somehow they must do things differently here. 

I'm in Virginia and the blood goes about an hour away to John Hopkins in Baltimore. I think they do the matches up there and have told me that as an alternate the antibodies look ok or bad.  I've had the antibodies tested maybe six times (extended criteria) and have not had to go to the hospital. Last time I was the second in line and I was to stay at home but also to stop eating and drinking after a specific time.

Thank you for the details.