| Subject: Re: Transplant |
Author:
Lorelle
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Date Posted: 21:38:37 07/10/06 Mon
In reply to:
Bill
's message, "Transplant" on 16:14:05 06/23/06 Fri
No one can predict the rate of progression. You may not reach kidney failure for many years. But, if the Doc (you should be seeing a nephrologist) has said to start thinking about transplant then it's probably time to start asking around for a living donor if that's what you want. Since PKD is usually inherited that may limit the number of people in your family who will be able to donate. If you have insurance where you work, try to keep working so your insurance will cover most of the expenses. A kidney which is a good match can last for decades and the anti-rejection drugs are much better than they used to be w/ fewer side effects.
The wait for a cadaver donor may be many years, so sign up as soon as your Doc says you can.
Also, keep in mind that dialysis may be in your future. It has progressed so much in the last few years that my husband is not even considering a transplant -- he's 63 and thinks he can handle dialysis for at least 20 years. The NxStage portable dialysis machine can be used anywhere there is a place to plug it in, and people are taking them on planes, on vacation in hotel rooms and motor homes, etc.
In the meantime, do what you can to slow the progression of the PKD and someday you will probably be glad there are choices which can give you many years of good quality of life. Check out all of the PKD web sites -- there's lots of good information online.
Lorelle
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