From Vox: Why I gave my kidney to a stranger

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Still a lot of good people in this world:

http://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2017/4/11/12716978/kidney-donation-dylan-matthews

[Charlie B53]

Great article.  Rather long but very clearly details his thoughts, reasons, and experience.

I had to share this with Family.

Hopely this will be spread far and wide.  Maybe, just maybe, it will prompt many people to think seriously about transplants donation.

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And from this ~17 years ago living donor, I can only say I might as well have lost a toenail - as I'm fond of saying.  I haven't noticed much of any change in my health.  The only thing I can point to is my creatinine might run a little high.

And it is nice to be worshipped at the dinners University Hospital puts on in Denver.  Also there is the Donor Dash race in Denver.

[plugger]

Hopely this will be spread far and wide.  Maybe, just maybe, it will prompt many people to think seriously about transplants donation.

My hope too!  Maybe I don't talk about my experience as a living donor enough, might help.  It was just never a big deal on my end - bigger deal for my daughter!  I just remember having to spend some time on my back feeling like a turtle that had been flipped over after the operation - but that didn't last long.  Otherwise I have to say one of the biggest thrills of my life was watching my zombie-like daughter (she didn't take well to dialysis) come back to life with the transplant!  And I remember one of the nicest things anybody ever said to me was a nurse who said I "had given her birth for a 2nd time".  My labor pains might have been she was able to talk back more after the transplant (I tell myself it is a sign of health).

Anyway, I should get back to my screaming meanie mode before anybody thinks I'm getting soft in my old age.

[Charlie B53]

Parents often say they would give 'anything' for their Child. Far too often when it comes to giving up a part of their physical body those thoughts change.

In your case you did it!

I can only imagine the satisfaction of knowing that you made the difference.  It has to be huge.

Congratulations!

[LorinnPKD]

I love your story, plugger!  You deserve good karma, green lights at rush hour, and good parking spaces for life.

[plugger]

     You people embarrass me with your kind words - but that doesn't stop me from getting a  from it!

It does make sad when I hear about relatives unwilling to donate - who seem perfectly capable.  But I will admit to a little fear when the transplant staff was putting the anesthesia mask over my face.  I remember thinking "oh crap, this is real!".  But the next thing I remember is waking up with a couple of medical staff at my side asking me how I felt.  I told them I was going to puke, whatever they shot me full of was real good!  So that feeling went away quickly.

Think one way to overcome the fear is to do a lot of research.  Here might be a place to start:
http://dialysisethics2.org/index.php/information

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And I will say the daughter still seems to be going strong today - makes me glad I pushed to get her off the formaldehyde reuse fresenius was doing at the time:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6971198

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anti-N-like antibodies, would assume that should be on a person's labs - but I don't, can't recall!