FAREWELL UNTIL NEXT YEAR
I wanted to post an update - the healing process is well under way. Abdominal swelling is beginning to subside. The Bladder is back to normal.
Now for the hard part – the large colon/bowel is not a happy camper. I am trying to work with him/her? to get him/her? back on track. Edema also presented as a serious issue because the surgical team did not hydrate me enough during surgery. They openly owned this error in judgement. This caused ‘unprepared’ for complications. Another issue I am still dealing with but that is slowly resolving itself.
All in All – and to answer the question that is on many a mind - Would She Do It Again?
Answer – In A Heartbeat! I would still say ‘It’s A No-Brainer!’
California Pacific Medical Center Donor Team - Outstanding! They had it together from day 1 and never missed a beat. All calls were returned promptly, requests for information were honored. I never had one doubt prior to surgery nor after.
Post Surgery - Care by the Hospital Staff was Meticulous!
Now for some pics of pre-op and nephrectomy day!
I will check in with you’all (Texas talk) in another year to give an update on life with 1 kidney. Adios my friends – it’s been a fun ride thus far!
In Case You Are Wondering – WHY?
Hello Friends and Family,
I wanted to post some information here for family and friends who are supportive of my decision to donate a kidney but who also want to know the whats, whys and hows of it all.
I have been a long time believer in organ donation. Having been on the bone marrow donor list for over 30 years it is my personal belief that if we are healthy enough organ donation is one of the most supreme gifts anyone could offer another who is suffering.
I am posting a couple of links here that offer information and will help those who are close to me and those that are curious about potential organ donation themselves:
Living Donors Online – Experiences
http://www.livingdonorsonline.org/experiences/experiences.htm
This link will take you to a website with story after story after story by those who have donated organs to family, friends and even those they didn’t know.
Home for Living Donors Online
http://www.kidney.org/transplantation/livingDonors/index.cfm
This site is sponsored by the National Kidney Foundation and provides a lot of answers to questions for living donors and for those thinking about donation.
Here’s to Happy – Healthy – Living!
gaylechipman
QueCEUs
lisawallender
zenpaths
Hi, I’m a friend/neighbor of Lisa Wallender who sent me a link to your site. I’m a therapist (LCSW) and I also have carpentry skills (ramps, other special needs?). If I can do anything helpful I’m available. Gerald Clare
Dear Margie,
How often can we say we stand at a crossroads where we know what we are about to do will absolutely change someone’s life? You, Margie, have chosen the path which will change Gayle’s (and her families’) life forever. Thank you. You are a blessing.
Margie,
It is action like yours which brings people together and infuses peace and love to the world. May your life be filled with an abundance of wisdom, good health, laughter and miracles.
“Aye, Ms. Margie to the Rescue!!!!” You are such a beautiful soul and so giving! Thank you for your love of life and for all you do. We miss you so much at FitzGerald, but I am so glad to know that you are still bringing sunshine into to the lives of others, just as you did everyday to our students and staff at FitzGerald!
You and Gayle are in my prayers! Love you!
Dear Margie:
On behalf of Gayle’s step-sister, located in the bay area, Thank you so much for your gift to Gayle.
If I can do anything for you, you have my e-mail address, please don’t hesitate to ask, I will do what I can for the cause, and that most definately includes you.
Denise Haughin
Ms. Margie…you are MAGNIFICENT.
Thank you for being such a miracle. All peace-filled healing.
Good work Margie and thanks for taking the huge risk and major sacrifice for Gayle. You are the best. Time for you to take care and have a speedy recovery.
Margie,
You have done what could be the most incredible journey of your life, and Gayle. Know that I have prayed many times for both of you to have a speedy recovery, a blessed journey and much laughter.
You are a miracle Margie, shine on!
Much love, and to a courageous partner Carol,
Martine
Margie,
Thanks you so very much for saving our Gayle from years of distress. You are a very special loving person and I for one I’m glad that you were in the life path of Gayle & Loren. We couldn’t of asked for a better outcome. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. May you have a fast healing process and may you live your life with happiness around you forever. — all my best, Joan (I’m Gayles DeskMate)
Friends and those interested can also find me on Facebook.com where I post daily. Be sure to add me as a friend.
Also, follow my tweets on Twitter. Just look for:
Margie Savage
What my friends and co-worker, Joan Kennedy, said is exactly right. You saved Gayle from years of distress and enabled her to have the “gold standard” of transplants: living donor + no dialysis. “Thank you” seems inadequate – just know that we all hold you great esteem.
I’m hoping Margie will find this question and answer it here – it seems like the most logical place for it. In a phone conversation with my brother this evening, he asked me a question for the umpteenth time, which I keep forgetting to ask, so here it is, finally! Margie, since you now have only one kidney as a consequence of voluntarily giving one to someone in need, if you were to need a kidney in the future for some reason, would you get a priority spot on the list? My brother asks this every time we talk, and I keep forgetting to ask you. And tonight he told me that every time he tells someone else about the transplant, they ask him the same question – so he really wants an answer (either that, or he made up the part about other people asking the same question, just to pressure me into asking you
).
I recall hearing at the support group from a transplant rep speaker that donors needing a transplant go up very near the top of the list, as they should. But it is a big mathematical calculation so the points must plug into that. Good question!
Hello Lisa
Dr. Katznelson explained to me that a donor scores ‘points’. I can’t remember how many (I think he said 4) but it doesn’t mean you move to the top of the list by any means.
There are a number of items they factor into a point system. I can’t remember all of those factors. Being a prior donor is one among many.
It’s important that anyone living with 1 kidney take precautions and do whatever they can to preserve the kidney they have.
Among those things:
1. No impact sports or activities that would risk injury to the remaining kidney
2. No NSAIDs
3. Double your prior H2O intake
4. Limit toxin intake such as alcohol and tobacco (neither of which I do)
5. Urine/Blood tests yearly and Kidney function test every 3 years
6. Exercise regularly
Let me know if your brother has any further questions. This should get you off the hook for now.
Great info; thanks Margie.
Some information I found about the Point System:
UNOS has developed a point system for selecting recipients as objectively as possible. In addition to the tissue type and blood group, other criteria include: percent of reactive antibody, waiting time on the list, medical urgency, and, in the case of liver and heart transplants, distance from the transplant center.
Points for kidney recipients are based on things like length of time on the list and percent of antibody activity. Patients with a high antibody reactivity are given points because of the difficulty in finding a compatible organ with a negative crossmatch. Pediatric patients are also given extra points.
So far, I haven’t found anything more specific about how many points are awarded for being a pediatric patient, how many for being on the list a long time, etc. But I suspect that both pediatric patients and high-antibody patients get more points than former donors.
I did confirm that donors are awarded 4 points as a matter of prior donation. Personally I don’t feel donors should move to the top of the list just because of a prior donation.
Living donation is a risk and it is important for anyone considering donation to be aware of the facts and ask the interviewing Nephrologist lots of questions. Carol and I were careful to do that.
The future outlook for living donors after donation is ‘very good’ in that they will never need to be on any waiting list. The majority of living donors are ‘extremely’ healthy to begin with or they would not be allowed to donate.
I couldn’t sleep so out of curiostiy I did a search on the point system established by UNOS (manages the database) for transplants:
1. Time Waiting on List – 1 Point (for each year)
2. Quality of HLA Match – 2 Points (0 DR Mismatch)
1 Point (1 DR Mismatch)
(I have not clue what DR means)
3. Panel Reactive Antibody – 4 Points – (>80% PRA and negative crossmatch)
4. Pediatric Recipient – 4 Points – < age 11yr
3 Points – ages 11 – 17 yr
5. Organ Donor – 4 Points
Expanded Criteria Donor – Longest Waiting Patient, Older than 60 yrs., or 50 – 59 with 2 other additional risk factors.
That’s It – Seems Fair to Me : ) Balances waiting time with other factors such as medical need.