I came across this article and podcast from the Renal Support Network’s “Kidney Talk” program and figured I’d pass it along.
I am often asked about transplants and new patients especially ask me. Their nephrologist may have suggested they get on the transplant list even before they mention dialysis. That’s informative, yes, but it’s also a bit cruel. The fact is many patients are on a list for several before they get to the top and are eligible for a kidney. In the meantime they are on dialysis. It’s a complicated issue. However, this podcast offers a novel approach to getting on several lists so that you increase your chances as some areas have shorter lists.
An acquaintance of mine recently got a transplant and his suggestion was to be the “squeaky wheel” (in a good way) by sending letters and documenting your way through the process. Don’t just phone to ask questions, but write so that the facility feels a responsibility to answer you. He also created a resume, of sorts, documenting why he should get a kidney. It seems to have helped. He has a new kidney and reports that he’s “peeing like a racehorse!”
What’s particularly interesting in the podcast are some of the suggestions to save money in pursuit of a transplant in areas where you don’t live and must travel to be evaluated. You can get discounts and in, some cases, financial assistance.
Getting a transplants isn’t easy. Here’s an idea to make it quicker.
Give a listen to Kidney Talk by Clicking Here.
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About DevonTexas
I am a person with ESRD (End Stage Renal Disease) which means my kidneys don't work. Forty or so years ago that would have been a death sentence but today there is Dialysis which means I could be hooked up to a machine that would clean my blood as the kidneys should. Three days a week, I went to a dialysis center and had too very large needles stuck in my arm to remove and replace my blood as it passed through a process where it was cleaned and the fluid was removed, a process taking a little over four hours each time.
In November 2017, I received a kidney transplant from a deceased donor. My life went into overdrive. With a "new" functioning kidney, I no longer had to go to a dialysis center and my days were not open to be lived rather than recovering from dialysis which meant dialyzing for three days and resting for 4 days a week. I work full-time and often 50 hours per week. It is something I never imagined. I highly recommend it! HeeHee
I want to advance knowledge about dialysis and transplant so that others can learn from my experience and mistakes. We shouldn't have to reinvent the wheel, eh? There is so much to be learned and experienced about our predicament. There are vast resources available to support us and enrich our lives but many patients don't know about them. There are also many issues that we have to deal with whether we want to or not. So I blog about them in www.DevonTexas.com
All comments are confidential until I approve them. If you don't want your comment public, let me know and I will respect that. So, feel free to leave a comment.
I also blog in LegacyTales in WordPress if you are interested in the ramblings of a Old Man. Give a peek and let me know what you think. https://legacytales.wordpress.com/
Enjoy.
I am often asked about transplants and new patients especially ask me. Their nephrologist may have suggested they get on the transplant list even before they mention dialysis. That’s informative, yes, but it’s also a bit cruel. The fact is many patients are on a list for several before they get to the top and are eligible for a kidney. In the meantime they are on dialysis. It’s a complicated issue. However, this podcast offers a novel approach to getting on several lists so that you increase your chances as some areas have shorter lists.
DevonTexas 