So, after the first post back in August 2012, I am now back to where I wanted to be even before Jo's kidney failed - preparing to donate my kidney to her.
If you are a new follower of our journey, please take the time to read the blog entitled 'Big Boss Trousers and The Quest For a Kidney'. You can find all of the posts by clicking here.
This blog is going to focus entirely on the donation and transplant process from me to Jo and I look forward to sharing with you the joy of seeing my beloved sister get well.
When I next post, we will have a date for our operations which will be pretty much carried out at the same time.
My left kidney has been selected for Jo and will be taken from me and put pretty much immediately into Jo's body and plumbed in.
We have gotten to know many of the staff at the hospital where we will be having our surgery and recovering and we have already been warned that we must behave ourselves during our stay or we will be separated! Haha!
If you are interested in reading about the process for donors, my post here will give you all you need to know with regard to testing for suitability. Please remember that my assessment took much longer than a usual donor's.
This whole experience has made me realise how many people die of kidney failure. You may have heard of some of the following names:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, composer, died 1791 most likely from kidney failure
Emily Dickinson, poet, died 1886 of Bright’s disease
Sarah Bernhardt, actress, died 1923 of kidney failure
Buffalo Bill Cody, Wild West show entertainer, died 1917 of kidney failure
Cole Porter, composer, died 1964 of kidney failure
Marlene Dietrich, actress, died 1992 of kidney failure
Edgar Bergen, ventriloquist, died 1978 of kidney diease
James A. Michener, author, died 1997 of kidney failure
Jean Harlow, actress, died 1937 of kidney failure and uremic poisoning
Julia Child, chef, died 2004 of kidney failure
Dexter Gordon, jazz musician, died 1990 of cancer and kidney failure
Norman Mailer, author, died 2007 of acute kidney failure
Oscar Peterson, jazz musician, died 2007 of kidney failure
Art Buchwald, columnist and writer, died 2007 of kidney failure and diabetes
Erma Bombeck, columnist and writer, died 1996 of PKD and transplant complications
Bobby Fischer, chess master, died 2008 of kidney failure
Barry White, singer, died 2003 of kidney failure
Billy Preston, singer, died 2006 of kidney failure
Manute Bol, basketball player, died 2010 of acute kidney failure
Gary Coleman, actor, died 2010 of FSGS
Ernest Borgnine, actor, died 2012 of kidney failure
I have found a great website for people in my position which explains the procedure of kidney removal in an easy to understand way.
A person can function perfectly with one kidney so I hope that someone is inspired by our journey and goes forward as a donor for either a loved one or a stranger. It's good to share!
March 14 is World Kidney Day and Jo and I are holding an event to raise funds so that lives can be saved. If you would like to join us in raising funds for Kidney Research UK, please go here.
Here's a link to our most recent news article. It's so nice to have some hope.
March 14 is World Kidney Day and Jo and I are holding an event to raise funds so that lives can be saved. If you would like to join us in raising funds for Kidney Research UK, please go here.
Here's a link to our most recent news article. It's so nice to have some hope.
