Post Donation Question

bradr2237

Hello- I had my nephrectomy almost 2 weeks ago, and the post donation sadness/depression has really hit. I'm wondering how long it lasted for others. Also, and a big part of the sadness, is that my recipient's new kidney hasn't really woken up yet. We have been assured that labs and ultrasound look good but it is still so hard waiting. I know the data says it can take some time but how often do you hear of a living donor kidney that just doesn't ever really work?

AliEm14

@Jacob_Hiebert - any thoughts?

Jacob_Hiebert

When I donated to my sister her body rejected the liver. It took me a while to get over the sadness, to stop pondering the what ifs and to actually listen to what the doctors were trying to tell me. I can’t say the sadness ever fully went away for me, it definitely got a whole lot better but like many things in my life I still have bad days. It’s so easy to dwell on the bad, especially so soon after the surgery. It’s a hard fact to face that there is nothing more you can do, but that’s where focusing on the positive comes in - and by positive I mean knowing that you HAVE done everything you can do! The waiting sucks, the uncertainty is a slow killer, and it will take everything in you not to dwell on it but all I can advocate for is to find ways to not dwell on the what ifs and to focus on the positives. In your case that the labs are showing good signs and that the responsiveness is there. That was the sliver of hope I held on to while I stared at my sisters barely conscious body. I wallowed my fair share but I continually held onto the fact that she was in the best hands possible and that, although slowly, things were working. The little progresses are victories every time! I also can’t advocate more for talking to someone (a therapist is usually the best bet), chances are you are going through some of the stages of grief and being able to talk that over with someone who knows a lot about it is amazing for your own healing journey.