CHRONIC TONIC posts on Thursdays at 9 p.m. EST, it is a place to share stories, advice, and information and to connect with others with chronic health conditions and those who care for them. Our diarists will report on research, alternative treatments, clinical trials, and health insurance issues through personal stories. You are invited to share in comments (and note if you'd like to be a future diarist).
Tonight's diary by: chacounne & MsGrin
UPDATE: River is on her way to the operating room! Kidney, here she comes!
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Please forgive these scattered thoughts, friends. Tonight, Kitsap River is at the hospital while they determine whether she and the kidney that has been donated are good fits for one another.
To be honest, we cannot keep our minds on writing or editing, because a miracle may happen tonight for one of our friends. As you can see on the Rec List, River received word last night that someone had donated a kidney, a kidney which may be meant for her. Tests are being done, but we should know over the next hour or so if River will receive the kidney. If so, she will likely be going into surgery about 7:30pm PST, which is 10:30pm, EST. Please, send her and Charles your love, send them your strength, send them your energy, and, if you are a person who prays, by whatever name, please, send them your prayers.
We are going to try to edit the rest of this diary, full of facts and statistics about organ transplants, but our minds and hearts are far away, so please forgive if we are copying and pasting too much.
Here is the US Code for the federal law governing organ transplants:
42 USC Sec. 273 and following.
Under the umbrella of the federal legislation, each state has laws governing organ transplants in that state.
From: http://www.donatelifeny.org/...
United States Data
More than110,000 people need life-saving organ transplants in the United States.¹ [Solid organs: Hearts, kidneys, pancreases, lungs, livers and intestines.]
There were just 8,021 deceased organ donors in the United States in 2009. A total of 21,855 organs were transplanted because these donors gave the gift of life.
Each day, on average, 18 people die in the United States because of the shortage of organ donors.
Every 11 minutes, a new name is added to the national organ transplant waiting list.
Each year, more than one million people need lifesaving and life-improving tissues, and corneas.² [Tissues: Heart valves, cardiovascular tissue, bone and soft musculoskeletal tissue, and skin.]
This information is provided by UNOS (United Network for Organ Sharing)
During the Transplant
Arriving at the Hospital
The process of being admitted and preparing for transplant surgery can vary greatly. Talk to your physician about how your transplant hospital will handle this phase of the process.
The Procedure
An incision is made in the lower part of one side of the abdomen, the donor kidney is placed in the recipient, and blood vessels and the ureter from the donor kidney are connected to vessels in the recipient. The recipient's kidney is typically not removed unless special circumstances are identified by the surgeon. Once all connections have been made, the incision is closed.
The kidney or renal transplant surgical procedure takes approximately three to four hours to complete. Because the length of this surgery is different for every patient, families should talk with the surgeon about what to expect.
During Recovery
Postoperative care begins with a team of heath professionals within the hospital. Careful, comprehensive post-surgical monitoring constantly evaluates whether the body is accepting the new organ. In addition, the amount of time you spend in the recovery room, waking up and getting to the point that you're ready to go home, will vary from patient to patient. Because individual experience after recovery is so unique, it is important to discuss with your physician what to expect after surgery.
Additional Resources
Dying & Death in Law & Medicine: a Forensic Primer for Health and
Legal Professionals. Berger, Arthur S., Praeger, Arthur S., 1993.
The Ethics of Organ Transplants: The Current Debate Caplan, Arthur L.,
and Daniel H. Coelho, eds., Prometheus Books, 1999.
http://www.organdonor.gov/. "Organ Donation." First-Gov.com, 2002.
Available at http://www.organdonor.gov/.
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