So a relative needs a kidney

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thought I would update, if anyone is interested.

My cousin is a match. I am a back-up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thought I would update, if anyone is interested.

My cousin is a match. I am a back-up.

Wow. Thank you for the update. I hope it all works out for your family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You should decide what is best for you, given your risk of diabetes, etc. However, my Grandmother just died in her 90's, having donated a kidney to her teenaged daughter 50 years ago. It was one of the earliest kidney transplants in Virginia. She never had any health complications related to the kidney donation, or living with her one remaining kidney.

But OP has a strong history of diabetes on both sides...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thought I would update, if anyone is interested.

My cousin is a match. I am a back-up.

Thank you for letting us know! All the best to you and your family.

[Anonymous]

Also interesting article on kidney donations in nyt over weekend http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/05/03/magazine/the-great-american-kidney-swap.html?referrer=

[Anonymous]

OP again. Thanks for the article...very interesting. As several folks stated earlier, they will not do a workup on me unless and until they need to. I.e., my cousin's donation doesn't pan out. So the question of the significance of my family health history isn't something to worry about right now.

[Anonymous]

I haven't read the whole thread, but I have a child born with a single kidney and all the doctors we have spoken to, including the leading nephrologist at Johns Hopkins, have told us that life with a single kidney is no big deal. FWIW.