Eight months since beginning this process and it is all now complete.
The op went like clockwork apparently.
I was put under at about 8.30 on the Friday morning and spent just short of 5 hours under the knife. I emerged with 3 small holes where the cameras etc had been and another that resembles a caesarian wound, where my apparently huge kidney was removed.
By 5′ish I’d stopped ejecting any remaining anasthetic in my own unique way and was returned to the ward.
By 10.00am the next morning I was out of bed and shuffling around the ward dragging around a bag attached to a tube they’d neglected to tell me about before the op (perhaps I’d just not heard).
By Sunday I was ready to go home but in true hospital style wires got crossed and they kept me for another night.
I finally went home on Monday lunchtime, feeling every bump in the road as we went.
The weirdest thing has been that I have had no pain, discomfort yes, but no pain at all!
I learned today that a new local anaesthetic technique had been trialled – it clearly worked.
The recipient is apparently doing very well, all I know is that it is a male.
He is planing to write to me though and I’m excited about the prospect.
I am resting up as much as possible but getting bored now, 2 weeks in pyjamas is enough for anyone.
I can get about fine now but get tired easily and will need to get back up to speed gradually – no footy for a while!
I’m hoping to make an appearance in the office on Monday though I don’t anticipate making a full day of it, that will be just 2 weeks after the op. When my Dad had a kidney removed in the late 1960′s he was in hospital for 18 weeks.
I have to say that the care I received in hospital was wonderful and the good wishes I have recieved from so many people has been humbling.
Thanks to everyone for all the support.
Chris
March 16, 2010 at 8:13 am
Way to go Chris ….. Glad it all went well and thank goodness operation techniques have improved since the ’60s … lol … and yes, little pain etc afterwards – you would think one would be maybe groaning away, but glad you only had discomfort.
Wont be long before you are kicking that footy around.
Great thing you have done there and one family you have made very happy indeed!
May 29, 2010 at 7:11 am
Chris, I have just been put onto your blog, as you had it done at the same hospital I am planning to have mine done if I get that far. Yup, I am another person on the non-directed altruistic donation route. I have been really impressed with them so far, very efficient, lots of communication. The first meeting was at the hospital 2 hours away and had to meet the surgeon because of potential problems from past surgery. I don’t think that will be a massive barrier, but they wanted that checked out first thing. I have had the first 2 lots of bloods done, and the psychologists appointment – all clear so far. I am waiting for the nephrologist which they are doing at my very local hospital (2 mins down the road instead of 2 hours). I think nearly all the main tests will be done locally with the final few bits at the main hospital. I have had emails, phone calls and copies of letters regarding everything done so far. It has been amazing. I am about 2 months into the process. Your blog has made it sound very easy. Glad Rachel came round in the end. I am still convincing my husband, although he won’t stand in my way at all! Would love to hear more! Jenny x x x
May 31, 2010 at 9:26 pm
Hi Jenny
good to hear from you.
It really was quite straightforward and very rewarding.
I;ll post again tomorrow.
Chris
June 13, 2010 at 1:14 pm
I am interested to know how a new anaesthetic (presumably used during the operatoin) stops all pain in the recovery process. One would have assumed any anaesthetic would flush out the system within 24 hours and not remain for a week or more perhaps so dulling the pain. There would have been internal bruising and cuts then the surface incisions. Are you saying you took no pain killers at all either in hospital or afterwards and had absolutely no pain around the incisions or when you moved internally? I would think maybe that was due to good surgical skills rather than an anaesthetic which puts you to sleep but should not last for days afterwards. I had some pain after my donation. If I turned over in bed or bent down I felt some pain in lower abdomen. Nothing to shout about, but it was there. I was told it would be internal bruising where they had to move other organs out of the way and bag and remove the kidney.
Thoughts appreciated.
Ricky
June 14, 2010 at 9:29 am
Hi Richard,
I had a personal morphine pump but used it so little it was taken away less than 24 hours after the op.
Similarly I took paracetemol for a similar period but only as a preventative.
Subsequently there was discomfort when moving but my general back ache from lying in bed all day on the day of the op was much worse than anything from the op itself.
Guess I was just lucky.
Chris
June 14, 2010 at 2:54 pm
I think what you experienced was normal. There should not be huge amounts of pain. They dose you up during the operation with pain killer then yes we have the ability to administer pain relief ourselves. Mine too was taken away very quickly. The paracetamol they give is very strong so that would have dulled any niggling pain you had. I did not get any back ache at all. I have to admit I found the hospital bed extremely comfortable much more so than my bed at home so did not get any general back ache. I did though get the discomfort they say may be present, around the shoulder blade area where the gas can collect that they pump into you when doing the operation. That caused annoyance more than anything for a few days. I have heard of some people getting a lot of pain, but the majority of living donors I have spoken with did not get much pain at all. But I do not believe it was anything to do with the anaesthetic which gets expelled from the body very quickly but more to do with the surgical skills and the painkiller they give you when in recovery and the amount of painkiller taken as preventative. I stopped taking pain killers altogether the second day I was home as did not need them at all. Some people continue to take them for over a week because they still have pain of some sort.