I rushed home from dialysis today to watch a live NKF (National Kidney Foundation) webcast regarding kidney transplants. The program was supposed to be about what to expect during the first 100 days of a transplant. The webcast had three speakers: the NKF host, a transplant doctor, and a transplant patient. The patient received a deceased donor kidney about six month ago.
Like most kidney disease presentations, this was pretty basic. Or maybe I’ve read/heard all about it for the past four years. I don’t think I learned that much from attending except that the deceased wait list is not absolute. They do some line skipping if there is a particularly good match or some type of antigen criteria. Once again, I’m surprised at the lack of knowledge regarding kidney disease. Of course no one knows anything initially, but if you are diagnosed with this lifelong chronic condition, wouldn’t you do some research? It seems that new patients don’t even do the most basic Google search for more info.
There are two more webcasts in the series. Hopefully they are more informative for those already on dialysis and the transplant list.
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My dad was watching the webcast with me and asked me about having a packed bag ready in case I get a call. I think they meant if you’re near the top of the list in your area but not #1, you may get the next kidney depending on a few different criteria. There are over 2,000 people waiting for a kidney transplant at UCLA, and they’re one of a dozen transplant centers in Southern California that share the same list. I’m probably another 5-6 years from the top of the list. I don’t think I need to pack my bags yet.
Life with chronic diseases 