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I've had no hero in life, until now

Rockland

Turbo Monkey
Apr 24, 2003
1,870
262
Left hand path
This saturday my girlfriend is taking part in a 3 way kidney transplant at Mass General. What started about a year ago, a curiosity about altruistic donation, has now become the real thing. We don't know the recipient, other than it's a young man who has been on dialysis for years. She is the key to making the rare 3 way transplant work. So wish her luck, as she is nervous, having never surgery/serious injury/pain. Superhero.
 

urbaindk

The Real Dr. Science
Jul 12, 2004
4,819
0
Sleepy Hollar
WoW! Not only does she make yummy chicken dinners for a random dirty mountain bikers that show up unannounced on her doorstep and she works in an animal shelter and takes in stray animals when they're full, now she'll literally lend you a kidney as well. She is a superhero.

I wish her all the best. Good luck Amie and Jason!
 

Pegboy

Turbo Monkey
Jan 20, 2003
1,139
27
New Hamp-sha
I have a friend that I met through ski racing that is diabetic and has undergone a couple of kidney transplants. He is almost completely blind ( can see shapes and colors but couldn't tell who you were if you were standing next to him and he also cant see things like curbs ect.), and he raced all four events including DH with a guide skiing ahead of him. He also rides, and has raced, mtb DH...with a guide riding infront and giving verbal cues. It has been a gift knowing this person due to his personality, willingness to try anything and positive out look. Inspiring to say the least and I don't use that term loosly.

Your GF is doing something amazing and I can only hope the recipient is half the person that Bobby is.
 

Rockland

Turbo Monkey
Apr 24, 2003
1,870
262
Left hand path
What's a 3-way transplant?
3 recipients, 3 donors.

Often when someone needs a kidney, they have a friend or family member willing to give. Doesn't mean it's a match. It does get them "up the line" cause their willing donor could be used for someone else in waiting. It's taken about a year for all the type matching to shake out.
 

LordOpie

MOTHER HEN
Oct 17, 2002
21,022
3
Denver
So she's donating her's to a stranger so someone she knows gets one?

Is that correct? If so, who does she know who needs one?


(A family member of mine is needs one and is getting it from another family member, so I'm just curious about the whole thing)
 

mogulskr

Monkey
Aug 28, 2002
642
1
NH
What your GF is doing is great!! My mom would not be alive today without a lung transplant. Unfortunately with lungs, most of the time they are coming from the deceased, but they still made the decision to help someone after they passed.
 

Rockland

Turbo Monkey
Apr 24, 2003
1,870
262
Left hand path
So she's donating her's to a stranger so someone she knows gets one?

Is that correct? If so, who does she know who needs one?


(A family member of mine is needs one and is getting it from another family member, so I'm just curious about the whole thing)
She's the non directed donor. No one we know is in need. I think the young guy getting her's has a family member giving a kidney. That dude's kidney is going to one of the other 2 recipients. It's a round-about trade. It was made alot easier because her kidney was a freebie in the matching pool.
 

Secret Squirrel

There is no Justice!
Dec 21, 2004
8,150
1
Up sh*t creek, without a paddle
Couple things:

I just about stopped reading right here:

Rockland said:
This saturday my girlfriend is taking part in a 3 way...
But I kept going.

Number Dos: I wonder how much a kidney is worth on the black market......


Seriously, that's an awesome thing she's doing. I wish you guys all the best.

I know people can live with one kidney (obviously...) but are there any restrictions put on diet and exercise (after the proper rehab and healing period of course...) post-op???
 

cadmus

Monkey
May 24, 2006
755
0
PNW
I'm not sure how many people out there would undergo such tramatic surgery for a stranger, but there can't be very many. That's one amazing act of selflessness, good for her!
 

Total Heckler

Beer and Bike Enthusiast
Apr 28, 2005
8,171
189
Santa Cruz, CA
Very cool of her to do. I wish you guys the best of luck with everything. Seriously, its one of the most amazing things you can do for someone to improve their quality of life. Pass some rep I am giving you on to her. =]

I cant imagine how much paper work/planning has been involved with this 3 way transplant. I went through around 1 years worth of stuff for the one I was going to do.

Link:
http://www.ridemonkey.com/forums/showthread.php?t=162530&highlight=kidney+transplant
 

stosh

Darth Bailer
Jul 20, 2001
22,238
393
NY
That really is amazing!!

Good luck to her! I'm sure you'll take good care of her in her recovery.
 

MMcG

Ride till you puke!
Dec 10, 2002
15,457
12
Burlington, Connecticut
This is a truly selfless act - so unbelievably kind of your girlfriend to do what she's doing. God bless her. Here's to everything going super smoothly and completely successful.