Living Kidney Donors

Ann

Age at interview: 61
Gender: Female
Outline: Ann donated her kidney to her husband twenty-one years ago when she was 40 years old. Ann’s husband needed a kidney because of problems resulting from his diabetes. During Ann’s recovery at the hospital, she required plasma. About three months following her donation, she noticed a hernia in place of the incision site, which led to another surgery. She was the sole caretaker for her husband while both of them were recovering from surgery. Ann and her husband are still happily together and recovered from the surgery years later and remember the experience fondly as it brought them closer together.
Background: Ann is a 61-year-old Hispanic woman who lives with her husband in an urban area in the southwestern US. She has three sons, with one living out of state.
Time Since Donation: 21 years

Type of Donation: Directed donation

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Ann was surprised at how minimal her pain was immediately after surgery.

Ann was surprised at how minimal her pain was immediately after surgery.

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Well, they released me from the recovery room before him. And they had told us before-- they warned us that my surgery might be more intense and more painful…than his. So we were sort of expecting it to be that way and mine was nothing. It- it was- It was manageable. It was laparosopic, laparoscopic…We were actually really happy to go home. [laughter] There was- It wasn't a difficult transition in- transition at all because, I mean, since we were there for a month, are, we were healing. We weren't in pain or anything like that. I didn't have to take any medicines or anything after that. So I was able to take care of my husband. I mean, it was fine.

 

Ann took one month off but felt weak for a long time.

Ann took one month off but felt weak for a long time.

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I was off of work for, I think, four weeks. It didn't take me too long to get back to work…I have to be honest with you, it uhm… I felt weak for a really, really long time. I didn't get back my-my energy level to where I had it before. And I didn't expect that, but I was healthy. I mean, there was nothing wrong, other than my energy levels. I sort of felt real run down…I would say for sure the first year. I know that sounds like a lot. I usually tended to have low blood pressure levels, anyway, so I don't know if that's the reason why, or what. I'm not sure. Maybe I went back to work too soon. I could have stayed longer, but I just didn't want to have to go on short-term disability.

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