I became a non-directed living kidney donor in October 2024.
Donation of some description had always interested me and over the years I had thought about donating blood and bone marrow but for various reasons the opportunity did not arise. Practising as an NHS GP for over 30 years I had seen the impact of kidney disease on patients and their families and in particular the difficulties of dialysis. I had always been fortunate to have good health and had made efforts to look after myself and thought I would like to share this with someone else.
I was aware my father had lived healthily into his 80s with a single kidney for most of his adult life. Thinking I had missed the boat for any kind of living organ donation due to being in my late 50s I was inspired after reading about an 83-year-old man who had donated a kidney. My mind was made up.
I contacted several transplant centres in the UK and within a short time having heard back from the Hammersmith Hospital, London, I had started my journey.
Over the next 7 months I went through a thorough health screening process with blood tests, X-rays, scans and a psychological assessment. At each stage I was supported by the wonderful transplant team led by the living donation co-ordinator nurse.
I was a little nervous along the way that something may turn up in my results that would exclude me from becoming a kidney donor. Finally after all the tests were completed I was given the all clear to enter the register to find a match. To my surprise a match was found within 2 weeks. This was a wonderful and exciting feeling that someone out there unrelated to me was a close match for my kidney.
The date for surgery was set for 3 months ahead. This period of time was exciting but also somewhat anxiety provoking as I informed more close family and friends of my upcoming surgery. Understandably reactions varied from being positive and encouraging to being more guarded and worried for me. I was also a little anxious that nothing should happen to either delay or prevent the donation going ahead.
The day for surgery came. My thoughts drifted to the recipient and how they must be feeling.
The surgery went to plan and I was in hospital for 4 days. The first 2 weeks of recovery were pretty tough physically but over the coming weeks I made steady progress along with my remaining kidney. I was able to get back to cycling and running after 4 weeks and returned to work as a GP after 2 months.
At my 3 months post-operative hospital review when asked how my energy levels were, I found myself replying “I’ve got more energy now than before I had my kidney out!”
I have heard that my kidney recipient is doing very well and my donation helped them to avoid dialysis. Donating a kidney has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life knowing that it has been life-saving for someone else.
Living kidney donation is very much a team effort with the support of the transplant team, workplace and family and friends who back fill you while you are out of action.
It is a huge privilege to be able to give a kidney and I can honestly say if I had a third kidney I would do it all again.
