Kidney Transplant Stories

Many other people have already been through the kidney transplant process. Reading their stories could help you make a decision in your own process.

Do you have a story you'd like to share? Submit your story

Anthony
Boston, MA

It seems like a lifetime ago, the summer of 1980. I was 28 years oldand in terrible pain. As it happens I needed my gall bladder removed. When the sonogram was read I was diagnosed with Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD). When the
doctor came to see me, he explained that I had a disease which was both inherited and potentially fatal, and stated very firmly "you must not have any children." OOPS, to late already had a 9 year old son. Who by the way has PKD, he was diagnosed after a sports injury when he was 14 years old.

Doctors over the years both did not understand the disease or stated many times "oh if you make past 50 without renal failure you'll be fine." Well fast forward to the future, to the year 2008. The doctors tone changed stating that " it is not a question of if but when renal failure will occur." During the winter of 2008/ 2009 my labs got consistently worse I tried to prepare myself saying I was strong, blah blah blah. Well I got a fistula placed in my left arm during March 2009, awaiting for the day to come when I would need dialysis.

At the same time my mother had a bad fall and while talking to my sister on the phone, I just mentioned that I was going to have to get dialysis or find a kidney. Without any hesitation whatsoever, she said " you can have one of mine." I was completely blown away by her loving gesture. I said "are you sure" and she replied "of corse I am, your my brother and what is family for."  Over the next several days and in fact right up to the time of transplant I kept questioning her if she was joking, and she never gave it a second thought always sticking to her conviction.

My doctor was not exactly supportive of a transplant stating that you had to be on dialysis first. My wife kept saying that this was not true. Luckily I saw a PKD foundation "Webinar" on transplantation and discovered it was a better choice to have the transplant prior to being on dialysis.

Four people came forward to give me a kidney, my wife, my sister and two coworkers. So it was off to NY Presbyterian Hospital to start the process of matching one of my donors to me. Well my sister was a match and we started down the road to my transplant. It was a rocky one at that, we had several set backs the biggest one being that my PSA (prostate-specific antigen) level was high, the bad news was it was Prostate Cancer and the good news was it was treatable.

Meanwhile my kidney function was getting worse along with my mental state. I decidedduring August 2009 with some gentle persuasion from my boss to take a leave of absence from work. I was told that transplant was probably
going to be postponed for several months, my skin was grey, had little energy and I had lost a good 16 pounds. Needless to say I was on the edge.

Then near the end of September my sister called me and said " I got the call today they want to do the surgery in two weeks are you ready." I answered her in my normal joking style " let me check my busy schedule first," then "OK, lets do it."

Well the rest is history on October 9,2009 we met ay NY Presbyterian to have my transplant completed. Everyone and everything at NYP was incredible. My sister was out of the hospital in two days and I was there seven days, I had both my kidneys removed since the cysts where so big, the kidneys weighted in at about 18 pounds. A normal kidney is only a few ounces. It was incredible how good I felt even with the after effects from surgery, I hadn't felt like this in years. I felt like had a new transmission, and it was purring right along.

At first recovering from surgery was a little trying but now being 19 weeks posttransplant I feel great and can do almost anything within reason. I have moved to Massachusetts and I am busy making paintings, looking for work and I
even shovel snow. I am off blood pressure medicine for the first time in at lest twenty years. There are some issues with my medications but we are working this out.

I am currently being treated at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and could not be happier with the care I am receiving. My quality of life has certainly taken a turn for the positive since transplant and I am looking forward to a full
productive life ahead of me.