Some of the below links no longer work. I am in the process of sorting this out 🙂
Donor Types
There are different types of Living Kidney Donation.
1) Living Donation
This is where a kidney is removed from a living person. They can survive very well on the remaining kidney. Living Donation generally refers to donating to a relative, close friend or someone you know. You can read more about Living Donation here
Download a .pdf leaflet on:- Can I be a LivingDonor
2) Non-Directed or Altruistic Living Donation
This is where a person volunteers to donate a kidney to an unknown recipient, that is, someone whom they have never met or heard about and is not known to him/her. The benefit of this type of donation is that the recipient of the transplant receives a living donor kidney transplant from a healthy donor, which is a very good option for the patient. A non-directed altruistic donor can either donate into the paired/pooled scheme to create a “chain” of transplants or donate anonymously to a patient on the national transplant list to create a single transplant..
Read more about non-directed altruistic donation here
Download a .pdf leaflet on:- Altruistic Living Kidney Donation
3) Paired or Pooled Donation
Paired
Paired donation is where adonor and recipient are incompatible or mismatched with each other. It could be possible for them to be matched with another pair of donor/recipient in the same situation and for the kidneys to be exchanged or swapped. With this type of donation each recipeint receives a transplant that he/she would otherwise not have had. To give you an example:
Couple 1: A = donor – B = recipient
Couple 2: C = donor – D = recipient
A is not a match for B but is a match for D
C is not a match for D but is a match for B
so:
A = donor – D =recipient
C = donor –B = recipient
Pooled
Kidney exchanges can involve more than two pairs at once. This is known as pooled donation.
Read more about paired/pooled donation here
Download a .pdf leaflet on – Paired/Pooled Donation
4) Directed Donation
Directed altruistic donation is when a person offers to donate a kidney or part of their liver to someone who needs a transplant but whom they have not known previously. This is different from non-directed altruistic donation because the relationship between the donor and recipient only develops because the recipient needs a transplant and the donor becomes aware of it and chooses to donate specifically to that person. This may be between family members who have not been in touch for many years or people may make contact through the internet – for example on facebook- or through stories in the paper or radio or television.
Read more about Directed Donation here
5) Domino Donation
Domino donation is a form of living donation where an organ or part organ is removed for the primary purpose of a person’s medical treatment. The organ/s removed may prove suitable for transplant into another person (e.g. a heart originally removed from the recipient of a heart / lung transplant).
Useful Links
106 Responses to “Donors”
Leave a Reply
Natasha,
Predisposed – yes fully agree
Programmed – nope
Glad you got your words mixed up as I agree with you. I do believe some of us are predisposed to one illness or another. Living a healthy lifestyle will not necessarily ward off an illness/disease. But if we live a un healthy lifestyle and get ill we will never know if we would have got ill or not had we led a healthy lifestyle.
Greg
I thought I posted but cannot see my post.
Natasha
Yes predisposed a big thumbs up.
Programmed a thumbs down.
We are all on the same page now I believe
Greg
Hi,
I might be new to this but I have a question…Why would someone donate their kidney to someone they don’t want to know? Just recently I have came close to help someone but I turned out to be unmatched. I would like to know the person I am donating my kidney too. The thought of me donating to a stranger it doesn’t make sense..unless there something else. Please help me to understand. Thanks
Regards
Sid
Hi Sid,
I had two kidneys. I only need one. I have signed the organ donor register but that is no guarantee any of my organs will be viable for transplant. Donating before my death ensures one person has been helped. Why to a stranger though? Why not. None of my relatives have any illness that could lead to kidney failure. I suppose I could have not donated just in case a family member did get ill with kidney disease, but that would be very unlikely. knowing that people are dying every day simply because they need a kindey transplant. And there was I with a spare kidney. I ask myself the question – did I have a good enough reason not to help someone and give them their life back? And no, I did not have a good enough reason. For me, knowing I could donate and knowing I could perhaps save someone’s life, give them a second chance at life. give them back to their family – how could I stand by and not donate? Just as I could not pass a man drowning in the river and not stop to try and save him even though I am not a good swimmer. We are all brothers and sisters on this earth and I truly believe we need to help eachother where we can.
I perfectly understand though that some people are scared of hospitals, operations etc. They may have dependant children at home. And many other reasons why some people do not wish to donate to a stranger. I respect that totally. But for me, I could not have respected myself had I stood by and not helped someone. I don’t need to know them personally. All I know is that we are all human beings on the same planet and if I can help someone I will. I just wish I had more spare kidneys as i would willingly donate again to a total stranger.
There are no hidden deep motives to donating to a stranger. But I have more reasons to donate than not donate.
Di
Thanks for that Diane
I have just made the decision to start the testing process for becoming a live donor. My reasons are very similar to you, I feel that if I can help and I am happy to help, then I should.
Also, my Dad is unfortunately losing his battle with cancer and seeing what he and my family are going through made me take this step. I thought about doing this a few years ago and have been reading up on it to ensure I had enough information. Seeing my Dad fight and my family struggle with this really made me realise that whilst I can do nothing about his situation, I can do something for others out there.
I am quite happy that I am donating for a stranger, I don’t need to know who they are, what they do, I am happy in the knowledge that I am willing to help someone and that by doing this, they have a chance at a happy and healthy life.
I have met with resistence from my husband and my family, they are concerned that I might become ill and then need my kidney, but I have been able to reassure them on this and say that kidney disease would affect both and not just one. They are concerned that one of them may become ill and need it, and while this is a valid point, it is highly unlikely and I can’t refuse to help someone on the basis of ‘what if’. Added to that, direct relatives still only have about a 25% chance of being a match, so this was not high enough to sway me.
I may not even get to be a donor depending on the test results, but while I am determined to do this, I understand why some people wouldn’t consider it. Hopefully more people will start to do this in future.
Hi Ali,
Fantastic you are wanting to donate, absolutely brilliant!!!
I am so sorry about your Dad. I know what you are going through. I lost my Dad to lung cancer when I was 14 years old. No, we cannot live our lives on “what ifs”. It is understandable your family would be concerned, but hopefully with the facts they will come to accept what you want to do and be very proud of you. You would be more than welcome to take family members along to a meeting with the coordinator so they can have all their concerns answered if you felt that would help.
I would love to know how you get on with the evaluation. So please post back if you feel you would like to. or you can contact me directly via the Contact link top of page.
Which is your local transplant center?
Best of luck and all the very best
Di
x
Hi, I have been interested in organ donation for a long time and I am already on the organ donor register. However, I am interested in living donations also, who do I contact/how do I go about this?
Many thanks
Amy
Hi Amy,
Thanks for making contact. I am so delighted you are considering becoming a donor, it is truly a wonderful experience. Here is a link which lists all the transplant centers http://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/ukt/about_transplants/transplant_units/transplant_units.asp
you should be able to locate your nearest one. You can give them a call and ask to speak with a “Live Donor Co-Ordinator” and you can arrange to have a chat about the whole process with them.
If you haven’t already, I suggest you look to the top left of this page and under the heading “become a donor” read all those links, it will give you an excellent insight into the whole process from the evaluation proceedings, operation/stay in hospital and recovery at home.
If you have any questions please either just post them or you can contact me privately via the “contact” link at the top right of this page and I will do my best to help.
All the very best
Di
x
Hi,
I am in Kenya.Can I donate?
Hi Ken,
You can only donate in Kenya.
Regards
Di
Dear Ali,
I`m so sorry to hear about your dad and i can understand in a way that when my had heard about my condition he had stroke. I see my parents suffer every day with me because they are unable to help me. I pray for your dad`s full recovery , don`t give up. miracles do happen in this world i`m also waiting for a miracle to happen for me 🙂
hi,i would like to donate at a cost.
Hello Zackary,
It is illegal in this country (and most others) to buy or sell an organ. So unfortunately we cannot help you.
Regards
Di
Hi Diane,
Firstly, I am impressed with the patience you show when dealing with some of the people posting here!
I first came across your blog about a year ago, just after seeing a TV programme about altruistic donation. I found your info very helpful. I discussed donation with my wife, and she agreed that I should go ahead. We both knew at that time that she was dying of cancer, so I postponed starting until after her death, which was last March.
I first approached the transplant unit at Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, in late April this year, and I have now gone through all the assessments successfully – the last stage is the Independent Assessor whom I see tomorrow. I hope to go under the knife by the end of this month, or early October, so about six months start to finish. The op will be in Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, where I’m told almost all removals are done by laparoscopic surgery now.
When the surgeon asked me why I was doing this, I asked him how he feels every time he saves someone’s life on the operating table. He told me it made him feel really good, or words to that effect. I said, “I’d like a bit of that feeling!”.
Incidentally, just in case anyone out there feels that this is a religious thing, I’d like to point out that I’m an atheist. I realise from your posts that your religion has helped you, but just want to say that anyone can do this, with or without religion.
Cheers,
Haggis.
Hi and thanks for posting.
I was not aware I showed any patience with people, lol …. I am just being me. So glad you have decided to donate, it is a wonderful thing to be able to do. Not for everyone, but for those that are able to it is a great feeling to be able to help someone in this way. Good luck with the IA, should all go well.
Can I just point out here, which I am sure you have been told and read on this blog, but please do not give out the date of your operation or even the month, once you know when it is. Privacy for the recipient is paramount. Without their approval to say when the donation was, with so few donors, it would be easy for the press or anyone to easily track down the recipient and so invade their privacy. What we tend to say to people, and most hospitals do, is to say just to say something like “recently” if in the past three months say, or “first half of the year” or “second half of the year”. That way the recipient cannot be traced. This can be checked with the coordinator at each individual hospital as to how they prefer the wording, but NHSBT suggest what I have said.
No this is not a religious thing at all. And no way did my religion tell me I had to donate. I used my beliefs to help make me strong etc. Had I felt my religious beliefs were telling me to donate, I would hope the psychiatric (sp?) report would have denied me the ability to donate 🙂 . there is also no age limit to donating, with the oldest UK donor being mid 80’s and the youngest being 19 years old. Even having an illness one self need not preclude one from donating.
I believe most donations in all hospitals are done via keyhole. However .. there is no guarantee this will happen. Only once you are under the knife and the surgeon sees exactly what the vessels are like etc, will he / she know for sure. At the last moment it could revert to open surgery. most hospitals when you sign the surgery consent form get you to consent to both.
I am so sorry about your wife, such a sad time.
Please let us know how you get on with the rest of your evaluation. Hope all goes well.
All the best
Di
x
Hi Di,
Your mention of the psychiatric report reminded me. I asked the psychiatrist what he was looking for, and he said that, among other things, he wanted to make sure I wasn’t donating because the voices in my head told me to. I told him that my voices had told me not to tell him about them :-). Fortunately he had a sense of humour.
Yes, I realise that keyhole surgery isn’t guaranteed, but I am told that the percentage of keyhole operations is getting higher, which is good news if you are one of the lucky ones.
Sorry about giving too much info – I still don’t have a date for the op, and will make sure I don’t publish it. I was simply trying to give others an idea of the possible timescale involved, at least in my case. For personal reasons I have been pushing forward at each stage, to ensure the shortest possible time from start to finish. BTW, I am 66 years old. One bonus of all this is that I have now had the most thorough medical check-up I’ve ever had, and am pleased to know that I’m in such good health!
Cheers,
Haggis
lol, yes good job a sense of humour! 🙂 do you know which kidney they are removing? They like to remove the left one as the vessels are longer so easier to attach to recipient. However they always leave the best kidney for the donor 🙂 . In my case I donated the right kidney because it was a very small kidney and so they left me with the larger left one. The left kidney was working at 58% and the right at 42%.
They did not decide on which kidney until after the HTA approval with me, though each hospital is different.
Yes, we get a jolly good MOT with this 🙂
Di
Hi Di,
Good question – and interesting answer. Left kidney does ~53% and has one artery, whereas right kidney does ~47% (both ± ~2%)and has two arteries (so more complicated), so it looks like they’ll take the left one, but no final decision yet. I may not know till afterwards.
Cheers,
Haggis.
Dear Diane,
We have spoken in the past and just wanted to give you a quick update. I have had all of the physical tests now and as far as i am aware I have been successful up to now. I am awaiting the Psychological assessment and am looking forward to receiving the final sign off.
The donation journey has been greatly beneficial to me on a physical and psychological level as I was asked to lose half a stone.
so I have taken up exercise (at least one hour per day) which has had meant that I have become the fittest I have been in years which has emotional benefits.
Thank you again for your brilliant web site which is very useful and supportive.
Best regards
Philip 😉
Hi Philip,
We do get a great MOT don’t we – and good advice which we tend to follow, whereas perhaps under other circumstances we wouldn’t be so keen to do so. Well done on weight control and yes, it is far more beneficial than just making one physically fitter!!
Good luck with the Psychological assessment. It is interesting the different approaches hospitals have. Mine I had a psychological and psychiatric assessment, other hospitals I know just to the psychiatric one – and you have the psychological one :). That is the only legal requirement in the evaluation of a donor – that they have some sort of psych evaluation to a) make sure they are fully understanding what they are offering to do and b) not receiving any incentive or coercion to donate.
Please keep in touch and let us know how you get on.
All the best and thanks for posting
Di
x
Hi Di,
I have now successfully completed my donation, and it was all very straightforward. It turned out I had been slightly misinformed about the kidneys – the left one was 52% and two arteries, and the right one 48% and 1 artery, so they took the right one. The operation was done laparoscopically, and took about four hours (what do I care, I slept through the whole thing). The only complication was that my uvula (the dangly bit at the back of your throat) became swollen and inflamed, probably as a result of the intubation, which was uncomfortable for a few days, and stopped me talking as much as I usually do.
I was able to go for a two mile walk ten days after the operation, and full recovery was less than a month. I have a very tidy 3 inch scar just below my navel line, plus two small scars (~1cm) where the laparoscopes went in.
During the process I met several people who had already had one or two transplants, and who told me of the difference it had made to their lives. I also met a young man, about the same age as my own son, who was in hospital to try to save his second transplant long enough for him to get a third. He is such a cheerful chap, and it just brought home to me how important this altruistic donation thing is. I’ve volunteered to help by talking to others considering donation at my local hospital, and have had an interview published in a local paper. It all helps.
Cheers,
Haggis
Hi Haggis,
Thanks for letting us know how it all went. Sounds like a classic operation/recovery. Soar throats etc very common. I had one after a cataract operation, felt like tonsilitis it was so sore, lol 🙂
Yes I too had right kidney removed. They prefer the left but will generally leave the better kidney for the donor 🙂
Live donations are very important, whether altruistic or non, but yes more education is required re altruistic. You will have been given leaflet about the charity and joining it, and they can guide you more into how to “safely” spread the word.
Well done you on donating 🙂
All the best
Di
x
I am not donating my kidney. Am selling it
Kibet – then you will have no luck on this website as the buying or selling of an organ is illegal.
Hi Diane,
Notification of Kibet’s email brought me back here. It’s now over two years since my donation and I feel fine – don’t miss it at all! The scar has almost disappeared (I think they must have used superglue rather than stitches).
Earlier this year the hospital ran an award ceremony for all those in Scotland who had donated, thus gaining a little extra publicity. I found it quite moving.
Have a Merry Christmas!
Take care,
Colin.
Hi Colin,
Great to hear from you 🙂 So pleased all is well for you. It is surprising how the scars do fade away. Modern techniques I think help a lot.
How wonderful to be apart of the award ceremony, think that would have moved me to tears. I know a afew in Scotland who have donated, hope they were able to make it.
I generally delete posts like Kibet’s …. but occasionally allow one through, just so I can post reminding people of the laws. So glad I did let this one through – as I heard from you.
Have a fantastic Christmas …. just think … out there are people with kidneys they may never have had – celebrating Christmas as well.
I always Christmas Day raise a glass to my recipient and hope all is well …..
Take care, lovely to hear from you
Di
x
Hi Di
Happy new year to you Di, hope you had a great festive season and heres to you helping many more donors this year! You’re site is invaluable to both pre and post donors!
Hi Colin
Were you operated on at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary? I donated last year (can’t believe i’m saying last year now) and your scar sounds the same size/place as mine, just wondering if it was the same surgeon.
Susan x
Hi Susan,
Great to hear from you 🙂 Thanks for comments.
Yes great festive season with family. Hope yours was great also. Lets hope 2016 will be a good year for all.
xx
Hi Susan,
I’m trying to remember the surgeon’s name. He is Romanian, first name Gabriel, a lovely chap. I asked him if he was from Transylvania, since he was always taking blood from me. I’m still not sure about the two puncture marks on my skin, just about the right size for vampire teeth ;-).
Take care,
Colin x
Colin & Susan
Gabriel Oniscu 🙂
http://www.ed.ac.uk/surgery/staff/surgical-profiles/gabriel-oniscu
Di
x
Yep thats the same surgeon as I had, I agree he was a lovely man and his dedication was outstanding. He asked me if i was pleased with my small scar, I said I had wanted it larger so I could show it off, he said he didn’t do big! I only have 1 other tiny scar for the camera which is barely visible now, the nurses were even shocked checking me to see if there were any others!
Agree about the blood also, he had more than his fair share from me too lol I was disappointed as I never saw him at my check up, never felt like i got the chance to thank him properly for his care.
Susan x
Hi Susan and Colin
Can I be the third member of the Gabriel Oniscu fab club?! This great man was also my surgeon when I donated my right kidney a couple of years ago. He did a fantastic job and I made a rapid recovery and am left with only the faintest scar and no evidence of the other two mini incisions. Like you, Susan, I never saw him at my check up but was delighted to meet up with him again at the award ceremony early last year. I wonder if you were at that event too? It was a great evening and a wonderful opportunity for donors, recipients and potential donors to meet and talk about their experiences. I have told the co-ordinators at the hospital that I would be willing to speak to anyone who may be considering donating but isn’t quite sure what to expect, but so far no-one has approached me. When I was undergoing my evaluation tests, I was able to speak to someone who had already donated and, together with chatting to him, and also contacting Di and reading her blog, I felt very reassured and well prepared for the operation. I think it’s so important that more people are made aware of altruistic kidney donation and how easily it can enhance the lives of the donors as well as the recipients. If there are any more events promoting AKD in Edinburgh at any time, it would be lovely to meet up with you both.
Pam
Hi Di
Happy New Year! I hope you’re well. Keep up the good work with the blog! I still regularly check in to read the posts even after two and a bit years!
Pam x
Hi Pam!!!
Gosh all we need is the coffee and cream cakes 🙂 Quite a little gathering on here – wonderful!
So wonderful to hear from past donors, it really is. I try to do my best, gets harder to know what to post as time goes by but … I try.
Are any of you going to the GAK AGM on 20th Jan in London? I know its a long way from Scotland …..
Drifting of subject of surgeons – if any of you have any ideas of how I can improve this blog .. or what sort of posts to post (now my donation is in the distant past) then all gratefully received 🙂
Di
xxxx
Hi Pam,
Yes, welcome to the Gabby Oniscu fan club! The award ceremony was a great idea, and I found it very moving. I had planned to get the certificate framed and hung above the toilet (seems appropriate :)), but it’s so far still lying in a drawer somewhere. Perhaps they’ll make it an annual event, as I suspect Susan’s operation was too recent for her to have taken part.
Like you, I’ve volunteered to talk to anyone considering donating, but so far I haven’t been taken up on it. I certainly hope the three of us can meet up sometime, together with any other members of the club. I’m just a short train ride from Edinburgh, so happy to meet any time (I’m retired).
Diane, regarding your blog, I think this current correspondence is doing the job to some extent – showing others how good we feel about our donations, and that we can sing the praises of our surgeon. Perhaps there are others out there who might like to join in, and tell us about their experience in other parts of the country.
I was unaware of the London event, and won’t be planning a trip.
I googled GAK and found the Give a Kidney website. Details of the AGM are given in the “News” tab. There is also a link to an interesting study, Better the donor you know?, about recipients’ attitudes to altruistic donors.
I hope these links work, but if you prefer not to have outside links, just delete them, Di.
Take care, all,
Colin x
Colin,
GAK is a good website for potential donors to gain information. I have been a member of the charity since it started. Most committee members etc are donors themselves, some are surgeons, doctors etc etc … the meetings are great to go to as you get to meet those people and hear them speak and also meet other donors who attend the day. Of course a long way from Scotland 🙂 Even for me to get there for 9.30am is going to be a hassle but … 🙂 as long as it doesn’t snow.
I have seen the science report before and similar has often led to interesting discussions amongst us. I have also met recipients who received the kidney of a deceased donor. That too has emotional problems for them. As each annual “birthday” comes around for the transplant – family & friends rejoice, but often the recipient mourns the fact someone had to die so they could live.
Much is often talked about donors but little about the recipients and their emotions.
Good link and yes links are fine.
Di
x
p.s. I may just think about making a new post regarding recipients … you have given me an idea there 🙂
Okay … this is to the three of you.
I do get people contact me wanting support – and sometimes they are from Scotland. If you are all willing, I can offer to put them in touch with one or all of you, so you can offer your support?
If you are agreeable, can you please send me an email [use the Contact link top right of the page] although I think you all have my email anyway, so can send direct to that – to confirm and to confirm what email address you would like me to use. That way I can file it away in my email folders for “Scotland support” and will be easily at hand.
I would of course forward their email to you first, so you can choose whether to respond or not. If willing, I can confirm to them that they will shortly hear from you … all three of you … whoever …. more the merrier I always say 🙂 🙂
Cheers
Di
x
Hi Di,
Email sent – definitely count me in, I’d love to help if I can :-). I’ve sent you my address so you know the locality for anyone who wants to meet face to face.
Take care,
Colin x
Hi Di
Yes, me too! I’m more than happy to be of any assistance to anyone in or around Edinburgh who may be a bit nervous or hesitant about making the first move, or if anyone has any questions regarding the procedure or hospital stay or anything at all, I’d be delighted to help. I think you have my email address but I’ll send you a quick email to confirm. Like Colin, I’m also retired so would be willing to meet up with anyone if they wished to discuss things in person.
Pam x
Hi to all the fellow kidney giving Scots! I’m sure Di can be an honorary Scot!
My donation must have been too late for the award ceremony, hopefully they may have another in a few years time as it sounds like it would have been a great night. Loving the idea of hanging your certificate on the toilet Colin lol
Unfortunately the GAK AGM is too far, perhaps one year I could tie it into a mini break. It would be nice if us north of the border could meet up in the better weather, I’m not too far from Edinburgh either. I’m still working though so not as flexible as everyone else.
Goes without saying Di, I’m more than happy for anyone to contact me re donation. I love talking kidneys and my family are bored with it now, they cringe whenever kidney is mentioned lol. I’ll back this up with an email to you Di.
Hi Colin,
I have tried to email you but it keeps getting sent back saying blocked by a filter. Do you have a different email address ? if so can you email me with it and I will try to respond.
Thanks
🙂
Hi Di,
Email sent to the website.
Colin 🙂
Have replied to the email you just sent me. If I get that bounced back will try and see if I can contact you direct from this blog privately.
Oh hang on, as I am writing this I got email bounced back. It says this
Quote
Delivery to the following recipient failed permanently:
your email was here, I deleted it 🙂
Technical details of permanent failure:
Google tried to deliver your message, but it was rejected by the server for the recipient domain by mxcluster2.one.com. [91.198.169.9].
The error that the other server returned was:
550 5.7.1 Blocked by email filter (94341359-c111-11e5-b3ec-b82a72d88088)
Actually, I have webmail …. let me see if I can send direct from webmail instead of from my email programme. I notice that returned message mentions google, I was using my google email for that, but the email associated with this blog I also used and that was sent back with this message
quote
This is an automatically generated Delivery Status Notification.
Delivery to the following recipients was aborted after 1 second(s):
*email here which I deleted for privacy
Reason: The following message to was undeliverable.The reason for the problem: 550 5.7.1 Blocked by email filter (1edc5d8c-c103-11e5-9d46-549f350a6292)
Okay just resent direct from google webmail. cc me in with a copy. I have my copy …. no bounce back yet …..:
Hi Di,
I got your fourth attempt, thanks. I’ve still no idea why the other ones didn’t get through. I’ve sent an email today as you suggested, and we shall see what develops.
Take care,
Colin.
phew, at last 🙂
When I got your email to say you had received it, I replied and it got bounced back. Seems I am okay sending you email via webmail but not from my email programme. Strange as we have had conversations in the past with no problem …. the wonders of modern technology and the internet 🙂
All the best
Di
x
Hi Di,
I’ve been trawling through the comments on your blog over the weekend, and have a couple of comments to add. Firstly, on my computer (using Firefox), if I want to see “older comments”, I have to click on the “newer comments” bit, and vice versa!
Secondly, I noticed that a couple of male donors have mentioned problems with a swollen testicle after their operation. I haven’t mentioned this before, but I also had a slight problem with my testicle on the same side (right) as my operation afterwards. It wasn’t swollen, just slightly tender to the touch (about 2-3 on a scale of 1 to 10 pain). It cleared very slowly by itself, and after six months was barely noticeable, and completed normal after a year. I must emphasise for the benefit of nervous men out there that it had no effect whatsoever on my sex life, which was back to normal within a month of the operation 🙂 (laparoscopic). I perhaps should mention, in case it’s relevant, that I had a vasectomy many years ago.
I’ve discovered from Susan and Pam that they both received a silver pin in recognition of their donation. This was news to me, so I’ve contacted NHS Blood and Transplant to see if I can get one!
Take care,
Colin.
Hi Colin,
Just to say I edited your post. I will email to explain why 🙂
Yes Older entries is telling you what is there now and clicking on it will give you the newer entries, so the text says newer entries after you have clicked. Could be confusing I suppose 🙂 but only a click away .
Re the Pin. Eventually all donors should get one.
Re testicle Pain, yes I highlighted this about 4 years ago and there are quite a few posts about it. The left testicle if left kidney removed is often the worst as the vessels are shorter. The right one not so much a problem. Don’t know if vasectomy affects one way or another to be honest.
Glad you didn’t find it a problem. Also not all men get a problem, so it is one of those after effects that may or may not happen. A bit like the aching pain in the shoulder due to the gas used to inflate the abdomen, some get the discomfort, some don’t.
TTFN
Di
x
Hi Di,
Well, I’m now proudly wearing my silver pin, which came very quickly when I asked for it. There must have been some misunderstanding which caused me to be left off the list.
Following an initial meeting in Edinburgh with Susan and Pam, we had another meeting last night with donors Chris, Kate and John, and recipient Gus, and as a result have formed an informal group to raise public awareness of altruistic kidney donation in Scotland. We are mostly based in the east, but are happy to include any Scots that wish to join us, and help expand our horizons. We have plans to make presentations to small groups/clubs such as Rotary and WI, but in time we hope to involve the press and broadcast media. The tenth anniversary in September of the change in the law may prove a useful hook for media coverage. The media being what they are, it would be useful to have a well-known personality (either donor or recipient) on our team.
Although we have no official affiliation, we will probably try to work with giveakidney.org, and will also promote your website. Incidentally, that’s a great piece about your donation on their website.
We’re just starting, and have a lot to learn, but our long term aim is to match the number of Scottish donors to the number on the waiting list – quite a challenge! We realise, incidentally, that kidneys are matched throughout the UK, not specifically in one area; it’s just a convenient way of setting a target.
We’d like your help in encouraging other Scots donors (and recipients) to join us. Everyone can help in their own way, be it in giving talks to small groups, being available for one-to-one meetings, helping with distribution of literature, or advising on promotions. We’re a very friendly group, and all of us have found it really enjoyable being able to share our experiences with each other. From there it’s a small step to sharing with others.
Take care,
Colin.
Hi Colin,
Glad you have your pin now 🙂
I converted mine to a pendant. I had a very strange thought ages ago when I decided to convert it. I thought, wouldn’t it be nice to have two pins then I can have them as earring. ….. of course, to be able to have two pins – that would mean …..!!! So the silly idea quickly got swept under the carpet 🙂 🙂 🙂
Sounds like you had a great meeting – so glad it seems to be developing.
Watch this space! as the saying goes … or rather watch the home page of this website ….. later today …..
🙂
TTFN
EDIT – will be tomorrow now to check home page … as have to dash out!! 🙂 x