Journal of a Kidney Donor

More about my donation

Surgery scar pics: 2 weeks out, 1 month out

What you need to know about living kidney donation

Why would anyone donate a kidney?

What are some reasons NOT to donate a kidney?

If you can't donate a kidney, are there other ways you can help? (Answer: Yes!!)

What are the requirements to become a kidney donor? What is the recovery process like?

Meet other kidney donors and get support through your nearest One Kidney Club, or get a mentor through Donor Connect.

Where can you learn more about donating a kidney?

It's a little over eight months since I donated my kidney, and I'm happy to report that my health is completely unaffected. Went in for my six month follow-up appointment a while back, and the medical team didn't find any difference in function from before I donated. That remaining kidney is doing its job just fine!

I'm glad I did it. The donation only affected my life for a few days. I don't talk about it much anymore, since it gets repetitive. However, I have realized an unexpected benefit: I can out-annoy door to door missionaries. Uno reverse card, baby!

Yes! The info packets above feature information on living donation, postmortem donation, and (of course) kidney donation. I've also added links to kidneyregistry.com, the website that made it easy for me to get started. Check out the links if you would like to make your own packets to hand out, or if you're curious about organ donation yourself.

I don't recommend being rude. Irritated people are less likely to listen to what you're saying, and thus actually donate. It's more effective to be friendly, polite, and relentlessly steer the conversation back to your own topic instead of whatever they wanted to talk about. After all, they are imposing on your time. Or, if you're shy, just smile, hand them the packet, and close the door on them.

Over 80,000 people in the USA alone need kidney transplants.

The average wait time for a kidney transplant is five years on dialysis.

Kidney donors actually have a lower risk of kidney disease, and a higher life expectancy, than the general population.

Donating a kidney can extend the recipient's life by 20-40 years!

Kidney donation is actually one of the "easier" surgeries, with most people only spending one night at the hospital.

In most countries it costs no money to donate a kidney, and in the USA you can get compensation for lost wages while recovering from surgery.

You don't need to know someone who needs a kidney before you donate one. In fact, these "non-directed donors" often enable the transplant waitlist to create donation chains, in which multiple people receive kidneys!

Registering as an organ donor means you could even donate an organ after you die, without needing to do anything while you're alive.

Officially diagnosed with Cold Hands (harmless, but great for alarming nurses with).

"There's an extra vein on your left side. Does it bother you? No? Huh, neat."

Kidney doctor says this is "way more rewarding than prescribing Viagra."

Tormenting my mother by threatening to tattoo "1 kidney, 2 adultknees" and other bad puns on my body.

Phlebotomist squad calling themselves vampires.

"I've flown in a private plane. Or at least, my kidney has."

Hospital permitting me to have chocolate ice cream 12 hours before I was allowed to have a salad.

Calling the nurse who snuck me a bagel after 11pm "an angel in human form" and declaring I'd name my imaginary children after him.

Mother says she knew I was recovering when I said my kidney had gone on the "Organ Trail."

"Don't lift anything over ten pounds for the first week." "So I can't let the Pomeranian get fat, got it."

First thing my mother does when we get home from the hospital is tell me "Now will you finally stop stealing my groceries and trying to carry them inside in one trip?" (I do.) (For two weeks.)

This does not stop me from menacing people with my kidney-shaped souvenir pillow.

I've joined the National Kidney Donation Organization, and am planning to become a living donor mentor next time they host a training for it. That way, I could provide information and support to other people who are thinking of donating a kidney. Maybe I could even use this blog as a resource for them!

Cons of having an eight-pound (3.6kg) dog: there is now dog hair all over my laptop

I really like this article from the National Kidney Foundation. It has a lot of great info for prospective kidney donors, and for anyone helping a kidney donor recover.

A few things I would add: get an abdominal support brace! The stretchy, adjustable kind with Velcro. This has been really helpful for reducing my pain and helping my abdominal muscles recover from surgery.

I'm putting it under a read more link in case anyone doesn't want to see it. There's no blood or pain, but the skin still looks a little pinched.

Yes there are! You can still help more people get kidneys, even if living donation isn't right for you. Here are some possibilities:

Donate blood or plasma. Hospitals need it for many purposes - including to help kidney donors and recipients recover from surgery, if the patients lose a lot of blood.

Become a postmortem organ donor. Your body won't be affected at all while you're alive, and your organs could potentially save up to eight people!

Donate time. A prospective kidney donor might need someone to drive them to the hospital, babysit their kids, or help out around the house while they're recovering from surgery. A person waiting for a kidney may need similar support for dialysis. A kidney-related charity in your area may need volunteers, too.

Donate money to the National Kidney Foundation, American Kidney Fund or other kidney-related charities.

Offer moral support. Kidney donors and recipients often need people to talk to as they navigate the medical system, deal with dialysis and prepare for surgery. I know I wouldn't have been able to donate one without people who believed in me.

Raise awareness. Many people don’t realize that they can donate a kidney, even without an intended recipient. Or they might believe it’s more dangerous or debilitating than it actually is. By giving people educational resources about kidney donation, you can increase the likelihood of more patients getting kidneys.

Help a specific person find a transplant. Many folks have a hard time asking for a kidney, or getting the word out about their need. With the person's permission, you could ask people you know, boost the person's posts about it on social media, or even help them make a webpage to raise awareness. The more people hear about it, the more likely a donor will be found.

Take care of your own health. If you would only feel comfortable donating a kidney to a loved one, keeping yourself healthy increases the odds they'll be able to receive a transplant from you if it's ever needed. Besides, you deserve a long and healthy life, too!

The need for kidneys is huge. In the USA alone, over 88,000 people are on the waitlist for a kidney, and the average waiting time is six years. Many people die before ever getting a transplant.

A kidney transplant can literally save someone's life. Kidneys from living donors are especially valuable, because the transplant is more likely to succeed, and live kidneys usually last for twice as long (10-20+ years compared to 6-10).

You don't need to know someone in need of a kidney before donating yours. In the USA and many other countries, you can volunteer as a "non-directed donor." Your kidney will be sent to whoever on the waiting list has the highest priority and is a strong match for you.

Donating a kidney probably will not affect your quality of life or long-term health. The screening process for donating a kidney is extensive, and meant to eliminate anyone who would probably have complications or need their second kidney later in life. The only restriction on what you can do afterward is "no unprotected contact sports."

Kidney donors actually have a lower risk of kidney failure than the general population, and a higher likelihood of survival. This is because the screening process weeds out candidates with a high risk of kidney failure, kidney donors tend to take care of their bodies after surgery, and in the event a donor does need a kidney later, they go to the top of the waitlist, thus reducing time on dialysis.

Donating your kidney might actually save the lives of multiple people by starting a kidney chain. If someone in need of a kidney has a willing donor who isn't compatible, that donor often agrees to donate to a stranger once their loved one receives a kidney. Sometimes a non-directed donation starts a whole cascade in which several kidneys are transplanted this way!

In most countries, you will not have to pay any medical costs to donate a kidney. It's normally covered either by government benefits or by the recipient's insurance.

Donating a kidney is major surgery, and you may feel pain and fatigue for a week or two afterward. A small number of donors do get complications from surgery. You will also have to go through intensive medical tests before surgery, and occasional awkwardness or discomfort. Although it's not as risky, painful or costly as most people think, it does take a lot out of you for a while.

The overwhelming majority of kidney donors are glad they did it, and have no regrets about donating.

You can find support groups for kidney donation online and offline, and talk to other donors to determine if donation is right for you.

Your medication requirements aren't compatible

After donating a kidney, you may have to change the medication you take to minimize stress on the remaining kidney. For instance, all kidney donors are supposed to avoid NSAIDs like ibuprofen, Aleve and aspirin, and to take Tylenol (acetaminophen) instead. You may also have other medications (including psychiatric meds) that would need to be changed.

If you aren't able to take Tylenol or find substitutes for other medications, it may be worth thinking long and hard about whether donation is right for you. Your physician and psychiatrist will be able to give you more information if needed.

You're scared of needles or blood

You will get your blood drawn a lot in the process of donating an organ, and may also get an IV drip after surgery.

You're nervous about surgery

That's valid! All surgeries and anesthesia do carry risks. The risk of long-term complications from donating a kidney is very low, but it's your body and your choice, period.

Your family has a history of kidney disease, or you already have just one kidney.

Some people are born with only one! Or if you think there's a good chance you'll need two, it's totally rational not to donate one.

You've had issues with painkiller addiction in the past

After surgery, you may have a morphine or fentanyl drip in the hospital, and you're likely to be prescribed an opioid painkiller. The amount of painkillers is normally not enough to create a physical dependency. But for some people in addiction recovery, this may still be concerning.

If this worries you, I highly recommend discussing this topic with your physician and the surgeon, and following their advice. Medical professionals in the USA cannot report you to law enforcement for using illegal substances.

Any other medical conditions that make you a bad candidate

Your own health is important, and it might also affect whether your kidney would be viable in someone else's body.

You'll get scanned to hell and back during the screening process, so if there's any medical issues that would get in the way, the transplant team will tell you. They will NOT remove your kidney if they believe the surgery or loss of the kidney could harm your health later.

You want to make a connection with someone

Yeah...don't go into this process expecting it to change your life, or win you lots of praise, or hoping to meet the recipient (if you donate to a stranger like I did). What if your recipient turns out to be someone you don't like? What if you stay in touch but the kidney fails after a few years? What if you were hoping to feel better about yourself, but a month after surgery you realize you're still the same old you?

(Personally, I do feel like it changed my life for the better, and some people do form strong relationships with their recipient after the transplant. But people can have a lot of different reactions. Nothing is guaranteed.)

I chose not to contact or receive contact from my recipient, or to hear follow-up reports of how they were doing. I didn't want them to feel indebted to me, or for me to unwittingly place expectations on them. You might choose differently, which is valid - but make sure you'd be okay with not ever hearing from the recipient, too.

You can't afford it

This isn't always a hurdle. If you donate through the National Kidney Registry, for instance, they'll try to compensate you for any lost wages during your surgery and recovery period. You won't bear the cost of surgery or follow-up appointments, either. At least, that's how it is in the USA.

However, I did have to take time off work to go to the pre-surgery appointments. I did have to buy extra groceries for before and after the surgery, an abdominal binder and robe, and a few other costs. If I get medical complications later in life, I will have to pay for those either out of pocket or with health insurance. These may still be serious considerations for you.

You can't take enough time off to recover

My surgery team recommended two weeks off work - even though I work from home. They also wanted me to have someone present to drive me to and from the hospital, and to stay with me for the first few days after surgery. Your own job, childcare needs, or transportation/living assistance needs may impact your ability to do this.

You just plain don't want to

As I said, it's your body, your choice. You never, ever have to undergo surgery and give away part of your body for someone else. Even if you love that person and they're in pain. A donated organ should be a gift given freely, and gladly, not a source of fear or worry for you.

If you aren't able or willing to donate yourself, there are still many ways you can help people in need:

You could donate blood or plasma, which regenerate over time and don't require surgery.

You could help a prospective kidney donor by offering childcare while they're in the hospital, transportation assistance, or helping them recover after surgery.

You could register as an organ donor on death, so that your body isn't affected at all while you're alive. In the USA, only 60% of adults are registered as organ donors even though 90% support postmortem organ donation.

You can make terrible, terrible kidney puns, and no one can stop you from kidney-ing around.

The average lifespan on dialysis is only 5-10 years. You might extend someone's life by 20 years or more!

Dialysis is painful, exhausting, prevents a person from holding a regular work schedule or traveling, and weakens their body over time. Eventually, it fails. You'd be freeing someone to have a normal life.

You aren't just helping the recipient: you're giving something priceless to all the friends and family members who care about that person.

Kidneys from living donors have a higher success rate than kidneys from deceased donors, and last for twice as long!

You might start a kidney chain, in which multiple people receive kidneys! The longest chain on record gave kidneys to over 100 people - and was started by a stranger who didn't know any of them.

Over 80,000 people in the USA alone need a kidney transplant, and several thousand die every year waiting for one. But if even just 1 in 1000 adults donated a kidney, we could wipe out the waiting list overnight.

Kidneys almost always fail in pairs. Your chance of kidney failure isn't much higher with one kidney compared to two.

You get cool donation scars to show people!

Kidney donors actually live longer than the general population, and have a lower rate of kidney failure! Why? Because the screening process for kidney donation screens out potential illnesses early, and kidney donors are more likely to take care of their bodies afterward.

If your remaining kidney does fail, you'll be put at the top of the kidney wait-list, and spend much less time on dialysis. As a result, kidney donors actually have a higher survival rate for kidney failure than non-donors.

The National Kidney Registry also lets kidney donors extend this waitlist benefit to several friends and relatives, in case any of them ever have kidney failure.

The risk of long-term complications from kidney donation is extremely low. Most people can start walking within a day of surgery, go back to work in 1-2 weeks, and are back to 100% within a month.

Doctors and nurses LOVE doing living donor transplants! The success rate is high, complications are low, there's none of the tragedy associated with postmortem transplants, and for once their patients are eager to be there. And, as my nephrologist said, "It's a lot more rewarding than prescribing Viagra!"

It's a way to put a little more kindness into the world, and your example might inspire others, too.

In the USA, all costs for surgery and screenings are covered by the recipient's health insurance or Medicaid/Medicare; you as the donor will not have to pay for it. You can also get reimbursement for lost income through the National Kidney Registry.

Most people will have to get surgery and spend a night in the hospital anyway if they live long enough. Donating an organ lets you have this experience on your terms, while you're healthy, so hospitalization won't be scary or overwhelming if you need it later in life.

You'll learn new things about your body! I discovered that I had an extra vein on the left side of my torso, and that my hemoglobin levels were low. The vein is harmless and cool, but the hemoglobin thing (and taking iron supplements for it) actually helped me avoid developing an iron deficiency later.

It's a chance to be part of something bigger than yourself - a miracle of modern science!

I won't say donating a kidney was "easy," but I will say it was 95% waiting on people, 4% letting doctors and nurses talk at me, and 1% letting them stick me with needles. The hardest part wasn't pain, or fear, but sitting around tired for a couple days.

You probably won't have to make many modifications to your lifestyle after kidney donation. Literally the only activity I was told to avoid was contact sports, and if I'm in pain I take acetaminophen instead of ibuprofen.

You can get a tattoo that says "Some parts may be missing," or "Organ donation - it takes guts!" and a kidney pillow souvenir.