Yes, I am a crazy pothead. Insert kidney here.

[Romona]

"I want to state for the record that I never inhaled". Does anyone remember who said that? Was it Clinton.





This brings back memories of keg parties in the woods or a field (I hope my Mom's doesn't read this).  

Haven't done anything like that in two decades, why all of a sudden do I have the urge as well?

[vandie]

Marijuana s illegal.  Alcohol and nicotine are legal.  The rule makes perfect sense to me.

But surely alcohol and nicotine have as much, if not more, ability to affect the potential success of the transplant? I figure the rule should be based on this, first and foremost.

I understand your argument, but there isn't a gray area here.  It is black and white, at least at my transplant hospital.  If pot is illegal, it makes no sense to transplant someone smoking marijuana, even occasionally.

[glitter]

well that only holds in the us, there are alot of countries where it is legal to smoke pot- i wonder what the policy of those countries regarding transplants? and as for nicotine- it was my understanding that no smokers would be transplanted- my husband and I quit ciggerettes for that very reason.

[vandie]

well that only holds in the us, there are alot of countries where it is legal to smoke pot- i wonder what the policy of those countries regarding transplants? and as for nicotine- it was my understanding that no smokers would be transplanted- my husband and I quit ciggerettes for that very reason.

Good point, Glitter.  I wonder if it is acceptable in other pot friendly countries.

[angela515]

If someone abuses their transplant and loses it because of it (ie.. not taking meds, taking things that could harm the transplant and so on..) they should not be allowed to get another one.. in my opinion. Which is why I believe if they are doing things that would potentially harm the transplant before they ever get one, they shouldn't go on the list to receive one in the first place. (I don't think anyone said anything about this, so I'm not saying this in response to anyone, I just thought it fit this discussion.)

There was someone I read who abused their transplant, received another one and did it again.. I don't know if they got a 3rd, but they should of never got a 2nd. I don't recall who this was... I just remember reading or hearing about it long ago.

[glitter]

If you want to look at it like that, what about someone who makes life choices that shorten the life of the transplant? do they 'deserve' a second one? Is a transplanted person morally bound to let nothing come before their kidneys health? Or are there some choices that are 'better' then others? Just food for thought.

[angela515]

Depends. What life choices are you speaking of?

I said if someone abuses it by doing something they KNOW will most likely ause their transplant to be lost.

[glitter]

the point is- whos to judge? whats okay to one person may be totally wrong and unacceptable to another.

 Maybe they didn't plan well enough to afford the meds for afterwards, thats my biggest worry, what if my husband gets a transplant, and then loses it because of MONEY. (its my nightmare) I know it happens to people, I can't remember who, but someone here had that happen. And maybe someone will say thats a wasted kidney, maybe it will happen again, maybe not, but who is going to be the judge?



Why would anyone intentionally kill their transplant?- I think people just make choices and HOPE for the best, and sometimes the choices they make are their undoing.
as long as they are alive, I think they deserve the chance to live, whatever personal choices they may make. and that might include three transplants

[angela515]

Your right... each situation would be different... so i'm not sure.. lol.. I think I was just thinking of people who "intentionally" just f*** it up... someone in the situation you just described I would never think did it on purpose, its out of their hands and I am sure they would do everything in their power to try and get those meds...

Your right... we did get off topic... hehe.. my bad. 

[angela515]

Why would anyone intentionally kill their transplant?- I think people just make choices and HOPE for the best, and sometimes the choices they make are their undoing.
as long as they are alive, I think they deserve the chance to live, whatever personal choices they may make. and that might include three transplants

I have no idea why they would intentionally do it.. but people do and have.. so probably will continue too... I guess what I would classify as intention is.. like, choosing not to take the meds anymore, or choosing to put harmful things into your body when you know it would damage your transplant...

Hope that makes sense on what I am trying to say.

[Falkenbach]

If someone abuses their transplant and loses it because of it (ie.. not taking meds, taking things that could harm the transplant and so on..) they should not be allowed to get another one..

I understand your sentiment, I really do. But the difficulty is in defining "abuse". I still drink, for example. However, I am careful not to dehydrate and I don't drink anywhere near the amount I did before tx. If I lost my tx, would it be possible for the doctors to say for certain, that I did not lose it due to alcohol usage? Should we also ban people who, say, eat a poor diet because they don't like vegetables, which in turn affects their health, which in turn makes them lose their kidney? There's all sorts of problems that could arise.

But I agree that people openly abusing their tx probably deserve to have their head read.

[angela515]

If someone abuses their transplant and loses it because of it (ie.. not taking meds, taking things that could harm the transplant and so on..) they should not be allowed to get another one..

I understand your sentiment, I really do. But the difficulty is in defining "abuse". I still drink, for example. However, I am careful not to dehydrate and I don't drink anywhere near the amount I did before tx. If I lost my tx, would it be possible for the doctors to say for certain, that I did not lose it due to alcohol usage?

But I agree that people openly abusing their tx probably deserve to have their head read.

It's pretty easy for me to define abuse... someone who INTENTIONALLY does not take their medications... that's not abuse to you? (I'm not speaking of someone who loses coverage and blah blah..)

Someone who becomes a crack head, that's not abuse?

Just examples to show what I mean.

[Falkenbach]

Fair enough, if someone intentionally doesn't take their medications - though it could be hard to prove they did it intentionally. But if you knew someone was doing this, then yeah, for sure it would piss you off. It would piss me off. But I'm not certain how the medical team are able to be put in that position where they need to make that judgement call.

[angela515]

Yes, very true... proving it would be something else. Good point.

I know someone went public with their intentional abuse awhile back (like years back) and that's why i brought it up to begin with b/c he was public about it and still had more than one.

[Falkenbach]

Yeah, I hear what you're saying. Your opinion is certainly valid, I'm not bagging you out or anything.

Whilst I continue to drink, I try to be very good to my transplant. I'm pretty careful with staying hydrated, and trying to ensure my medications are taken on time (sometimes I might be an hour late or whatever!). It's too precious to lose. And after my dad has been through donating it to me, how could I wreck it?

[angela515]

I am an hour or two late sometimes too... circumstances come up, life happens...

[Romona]

I'm going to go a littlle of topic too. I know someone that didn't drink for years after a liver transplant and slowly started drinking. Wonder if they would let him get another if it failed?

[Falkenbach]

What kind of drinking are we talking - in moderation, or to excess? Was he advised that he can drink in moderation? I wonder, too, if they would let him get another? Are multiple liver transplants common?

The literature I was given said that transplant patients (for any organ, I think) were allowed to drink in moderation - e.g. about two standard drinks per day for women, with at least two alcohol free days per week, as a guide.

[Romona]

I think a few, not excessive. I met a 28 year old girl on her third liver yesterday. She was so nice. I didn't ask what happened that she needed to have that many transplants.

[Falkenbach]

Wow. Brave girl.

It just seems that waiting for a liver donor could possibly take longer than waiting for a kidney donor, because some of us are lucky enough to have live kidney donors, which obviously cannot happen with livers.

[Roxy]

Cycobully, I think there are live donors with liver transplants and the donor gives part of their liver.

[livecam]

Cycobully, I think there are live donors with liver transplants and the donor gives part of their liver.

Very true. a living donor can donate a lobe (portion) of liver.  The liver is a large organ that unlike other organs regenerates itself when part of it is taken.  The liver of a living donor grows to its original size a few weeks after part of it is taken.

Being such a large organ both living donation and transplant are long and complicated surgeries.  A living kidney donation is much simpler and safer for the donor than is living donation of a partial liver.

[Falkenbach]

Oh, I see. I wasn't aware of that. I mean, I was aware that the liver regenerates, but wasn't aware of live donation.