[at your cervix]

I need advise from nurses that deal with transplant pt's. I am an OB nurse so I don't know a lot about transplants. I am going to be giving my husband a kidney in the very near future (probably mid May) and I want to know what advice you would give!! I want to know the things that you don't read in the brochures that you get. Any info will be helpful from how I can expect to feel to tips on making the experience go as smoothly as possible. Thanks in advance for your help!!!! Also feel free to e-mail me personally at ntaylorrn@aol.com.

[NurseDennie]

I don't know about transplants, either. But I just wanted to write and tell you you'll both be in my thoughts and prayers. It must have been a huge relief to find out that you would be a match for your husband. I'll bet you weren't at the top of the list of people they checked.

I hope it all goes smoothly for both of you!

Love

Dennie

[kewlnurse]

Wow, I think it's great that you would do it, just make sure that you get it in writing that i you get a divorce you get it back! . Seriously thou, I worked on a transplant floor so here's what i can remember. You will probably be in the hospital a few days LONGER than your husband, and will probably have more pain, sorrry just how it is, normal incision care will need to be done. Once yor phsically healed the rest will be emotional support for one another. Your husbans life will be completly different. Never ever drink public water, bottled only. No motorcycles or tractors or anything else that vibrates excessivly. No swimming in untreated water (ie lakes, streams, ocean) ever. No contacts sports, lots of meds that have to be taken regularly and best of all no more dialysis! Both of your lives will be completly different. Thoses are some of the things that may or may not be int he lterature that you recieved. I know a lot of people i have seen havn't been told this and were kinda ****** when they found out, a few even said if they had known before hand they wouln't have gone through with it. Oh yeah one other thing, at least in our hospital, only the recipient gets a private room, the donor gets the shaft and has to share ina semi! He will need a private room anytime he is hospitilaized, NEVER let them put him in a semi. Thats all i can think of right now if i think of anything else i'll pm you

[bjpeace]

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Here's some good news for you At your Cervix!!
I currently work with Transplant pts, and there are many new techniques for both recipients and donors. First off, you didn't mention how your kidney was going to be removed. At my facility our donor nephrectomies are done laporoscopically, which means an average stay of 3 days in the hospital compared to 7 with an open proceedure. There is some discomfort for the donor, because of your body position on the OR table as well as the work that has to be done just to free that kidney from the tissue surrounding it. My advice to you is get to know your transplant coordinators! They have the hands on experience with everything that you will be going through. The coordinators at my facility have all been ICU nurses, and take alot of time training with each new technique that comes around. The goal of the entire transplant team is to keep you both safe, healthy and educated - that's the best way to keep that kidney working! So go have a talk with your transplant coordinator, they aren't in the business to give false information or steer you in the wrong direction. Good luck! Let us know how the transplant goes!
I hope this helped.
bj

[misti_z]

This is a wonderful thing you can do for your husband. I work on a renal floor where we do transplants. We have our living donor transplants come in the night before surgery and that night you will have to take a hibiclens shower. We try to puts your rooms across the hall or next door to each other. At my facility it is done through an open incision. You will be in and honestly probably more pain than your husband. Your incision will more likely be ~12 inches long and much deeper than your husband's and sometimes (rarely) they have to remove a rib to get to your kidney. You will be in surgery ~3 hours and in recovery ~1 hour. You will come back from surgery with an epidural that will probably be removed the next day and also a foley that will stay in a few days. We draw blood the morning after surgery and qday to make sure you creatine is maintaining. Moving is important....you must get out of bed. You will be hospitalized 4-5 days. If you have any specific questions you can email me...misti_z@hotmail.com

[at your cervix]

I want to thank everyone that posted here and that e-mailed me. It has now been a little over 3 months since the transplant and everything went great!! On June 14th, I gave my husband my left kidney. It was a great experience. I had minimal pain, I recovered very quickly and I am so glad that I did it!! My surgeon did not use a laproscopic technique, but did use a very small incision, this helped a lot!!! Again, I just wanted to thank everyone that gave me advice, encouragement, prayed for my husband and I, etc. Your prayers were felt. My husband is now a new person and it is so good to see him feel so good again!!
THANKS AGAIN!!!!!

[shannonRN]

glad everything went well. healing thoughts are with the two of you!!

[renerian]

I don't know about renal transplant only bone marrow transplants but I wanted to say you are one special person for helping your husband. God bless you both.

renerian