blood transfusions and transplant?

[lorna]

Just wondering if anyone knows about blood transfusions and transplant? I was told if you recieve blood then you no longer qualify for a transplant...is that true? I was in hospital and had no choce but to recieve blood and one doc saiid it was ok and i would still be eligable for a transplant while others have their doubts... anyone know what the reality is ?

[okarol]

Your antibodies can change due to transfusions, but it will not disqualify you. If you've had many transfusions, pregnancies or previous transplants it can cause high levels of antibodies, which can make it more difficult to find a match, but not impossible.

[Riki]

I've had 2 transplants, and lost count of how many transfusions I've had.  I know 2 of them were before my very first transplant, when I had a temporary shunt in my leg for HD.  I had it for 2 weeks.  At the end of the first week, the damn thing broke, and I lost a lot of blood.  I was transfused then.  A week later, they took the shunt out, and I lost a lot of blood then too, but not as much as the day it broke.  I was transfused that day too.  I seem to remember a transfusion in the days after my first transplant, and I know I had one after I've started dialysis this time, when my hemoglobin was incredibly low.  There may be more, but I don't remember them all.

[Marina]

Yeah, whomever  told  you  such a   thing,  didn't  know  what  they  were talking  about.
Like  the  other  members  mentioned  above, your antibodies  will increase,   and it  might  take  a little  longer  to  find  a match, but  by  no means  does  a  transfusion  disqualifies  you.

[Jie]

The blood should have been filtered before the transfusion to reduce the antibodies.

[lorna]

Thanks so much for all your replys! I had 3 last spring because my hemaglobin was so low and its dropping again so i might need another one, but they tell me im right at the top of the list for transplant and to keep my bad packed so i was worried it would be a problem, then again they told me that over a year ago haha so im staying positive but not expecting the call just yet! It was a nurse on the renal ward of the hospital who told me that one but im slowly finding out alot of what she said was untrue! A little off topic but does anyone know if its true that diabetics  should never test their blood sugar on your fistula hand? Everyone always has such usefull information here i cant tell you how nice it is to have somewhere to go to ask people who understand!

[Riki]

I was told to never stick the fistula arm, so I"m thinking that blood sugar testing qualifies.. especially with the newer meters that test on the arm.

[lorna]

yeah i was told to save my fistula arm for hemo only no other pricks and it makes sence to avoid infection, i was just curious because its such a small prick to test bloodsugar! I still test on my hand, and use the same type of meter i have for years because i was told some give inacurate results on dialysis. Testing only on one hand has worn my fingers down i should try my arm !

[Riki]

the meter that I used years ago, when my dumbass doc thought that I was diabetic, when I'm not, had strips that would suck the blood from the wound like a straw, so I imagine those would work on the arm too.

[lorna]

ya probably would! how long did it take for them to figure out you arnt diabetic?

[Riki]

It wasn't long, a couple of weeks.  My glucose level was taken with my monthly labs, and this one time it was incredibly high, but after 2 weeks of testing it every day, I never again had a high level, so I think my GP was jumping the gun.

[monrein]

They used to insist on giving transfusions prior to transplant back in the old days.  I had a planned series of 3 back in 1985.  That kidney lasted 23 years and my antibodies were still 0% before this current trx.  I like to say that I'm pretty tolerant, even at the cellular level.  lol.