At my transplant hospital, there is a pair of adjoining OR rooms blocked out every Tuesday for live kidney transplants. Adjoining rooms is the best option for transplants as it has the lowest amount of time between kidney out and kidney in.

When I arrive they’ll put me to sleep and once I’m under anesthesia, they’ll place compression boots on my feet/legs to minimize the chance of clots, and they’ll give me a catheter. To be perfectly honest – I’m scared of the catheter. I’ve never had one and that is the part of the procedure I am least looking forward to (at least I’ll be unconscious).

Doc will cut me open and they’ll perform the surgery. The technique my surgeon chose is a hand assisted technique (hands remain one of the most advanced tools available). My largest incision will be a vertical cut of 3-4” below my belly button. I will also have a few minor incisions to install instrument ports for the camera and other tools used.

Once my kidney is out, they’ll sew me up, start waking me up, and take me to the recovery room. I’ll need to spend two or three days in the hospital. They’ll remove the catheter while I’m awake. I’m not looking forward to this.

At. All. They’ll make me get up and start walking around the next day. I can go home once I can eat and pee on my own.

They’ve warned me that often this is when the really difficult part begins for donors.

Recipients enter the hospital feeling awful. Their bodies have had nearly poisonous blood circulating for years. They’re generally weak and don’t feel super great. Once they receive a working kidney – they start feeling better immediately (because their blood gets cleaned!).

Conversely: donors are healthy. They enter surgery feeling pretty great. Then they have a major organ cut out. They go from feeling physically good and altruistic to feeling pretty banged up and often the ‘excitement’ disappears.

I’m hopeful my recovery will be smooth. I have a great support network and a LOT to look forward to once I heal. I’m hoping this combination is enough to stave off depression. I know that if I experience it though – it’s normal and my transplant staff will ensure I get the assistance I need.

I’m also REALLY excited that my recipient may start to feel better. I love her very much. I’ve known her my whole life and she wrote a song about me that I still sing on occasion.

I’m also really excited about the ripple effect this may have. A person close to me is now considering live donation. I’ve had several people tell me they are considering platelet donation as a result of my blogs. I’ve also raised a little bit of money for the National Kidney Foundation.

I’m really hoping that this continues. You don’t need to have much to make a big difference and I hope you consider making a meaningful difference in someone’s life.