Test To Donate to Husband - My Story
Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2018 10:01 am
Hi I have found this website very useful over the last few weeks. I have been reading Team Tibs results are in and was very impressed with all the info and help he received so i thought I'd try to help others with the process that I have been going through and time lines for appointments. And advice will be greatly appreciated.
We have known for a few years my husband will eventually need a transplant so we had discussed it before about donation. In October 2017 at Salford Royal he was told his Kidney function had dropped to 12 and would need to start thinking of dialysis or transplant. He had a appointment with the transplant team in November and they gave him a card with a number for me to ring if I would be interested.I emailed the donor team on 15th November and received a reply to complete a questionnaire and return back to them and they would book me to see them. So 1st appointment was booked for 23/11/17. This was very straight forward blood pressure checked weight and then went to speak to the co-ordinator. Nice chat to give me some info on what happens next and asked if there was anything I wanted to ask. I then said I still wanted to go ahead and was sent for a blood test. I was told i would get a phone call when the results was in and they would start to book my appointments in. That night I got a call to say our blood groups matched so was quite happy to even get passed that bit. I then received a appointment to go to see the renal psychologist for 15/12 but I had to rearrange it to 3/1/2018. This was very straight forward just asked how I felt about the donation what I already knew (which i think I had read quite a lot ) was only in there 20 minutes which she ended with saying she was happy with everything and wished me luck for the future. late on that day I got a call to say that the tissue testing results was in and we was a match so we could do the direct as i had said if we wasn't I would do the pooled. Next day 4/1/18 I got my appointment to have the Kidney function test on 12/1/18. I was a bit worried about this test as I really dont like needles but I can honestly say it was completely fine the nurse was a very nice lady very chatty and but me at ease. I arrived for my appointment at 10.30am was seen within 5 minutes. Blood test taken and the dye injected. was told to wait in the small waiting room. there was a tv and 4 other people in having the same tests. Then had a 2 hour wait to have another blood test. I took a book to read as its long waits between. I then went down down the scan at about 13.00 then went back to the waiting room. Scan fine no problems at all just got lost on my way back. Final blood test was taken about 15.00 and i was free to go. Advice take something to eat or go straight to shop I was starving as we hadnt been allowed to eat since the day before. Next appoint letter came through on 11/1/18 for xray ct angiogram and XR Intravenous urogram for 26/1/18. On the 19th I rang to see if they had my results from the Kidney function test. They was in with both kidneys functioning good 1 @ 58 and 1 @ 63 they asked me if I had my appoint yet for the xrays and I told her the date she asked if I could come to the Kidney department on the day of my tests to have a final blood test and a ECG. Seemed like I had a lot to do that day but it was much quicker than i though. Arrived at 13.15 went straight in for blood test then went to the xray department. Was told to but a gown on and my dressing gown and told to wait in the waiting room. I was quickly called in and had a cannula fitted for the dye to be injected. I was then taken to the xray room and had a stomach and chest xray and told to wait in the waiting room again. less than 5 minutes later was called in for the scans. This took no longer than 10 minutes. They did some scanning first then injected the dye which they had hooked up to the cannula a couple minutes later all done. Was told to go and wait at xray again for another. Went in within 2 minutes. Had stomach xrayed again then told to have go and have a wee and come straight back for another xray. She even stayed at the xray door to wait for me so went straight back in. All done to had to get the cannula removed and get changed. I was then of for my ECG. As I didn't have a appointment for this I had to wait about 15 minutes. ECG done quickly and we had done was in the hospital at total of 2 hours 15 minutes i was very impressed. So now all i am waiting for is to see the consultant on 12/2/18 to get my results I also have a appointment straight after that with the nurses so I'm hoping alls good with me seeing the nurse after. fingers crossed. Anybody wants to offer any advice for us please feel free also If anyone wants to ask a question about any of the tests etc I will do my best to answer them. i will also update this post as I go along.
We have known for a few years my husband will eventually need a transplant so we had discussed it before about donation. In October 2017 at Salford Royal he was told his Kidney function had dropped to 12 and would need to start thinking of dialysis or transplant. He had a appointment with the transplant team in November and they gave him a card with a number for me to ring if I would be interested.I emailed the donor team on 15th November and received a reply to complete a questionnaire and return back to them and they would book me to see them. So 1st appointment was booked for 23/11/17. This was very straight forward blood pressure checked weight and then went to speak to the co-ordinator. Nice chat to give me some info on what happens next and asked if there was anything I wanted to ask. I then said I still wanted to go ahead and was sent for a blood test. I was told i would get a phone call when the results was in and they would start to book my appointments in. That night I got a call to say our blood groups matched so was quite happy to even get passed that bit. I then received a appointment to go to see the renal psychologist for 15/12 but I had to rearrange it to 3/1/2018. This was very straight forward just asked how I felt about the donation what I already knew (which i think I had read quite a lot ) was only in there 20 minutes which she ended with saying she was happy with everything and wished me luck for the future. late on that day I got a call to say that the tissue testing results was in and we was a match so we could do the direct as i had said if we wasn't I would do the pooled. Next day 4/1/18 I got my appointment to have the Kidney function test on 12/1/18. I was a bit worried about this test as I really dont like needles but I can honestly say it was completely fine the nurse was a very nice lady very chatty and but me at ease. I arrived for my appointment at 10.30am was seen within 5 minutes. Blood test taken and the dye injected. was told to wait in the small waiting room. there was a tv and 4 other people in having the same tests. Then had a 2 hour wait to have another blood test. I took a book to read as its long waits between. I then went down down the scan at about 13.00 then went back to the waiting room. Scan fine no problems at all just got lost on my way back. Final blood test was taken about 15.00 and i was free to go. Advice take something to eat or go straight to shop I was starving as we hadnt been allowed to eat since the day before. Next appoint letter came through on 11/1/18 for xray ct angiogram and XR Intravenous urogram for 26/1/18. On the 19th I rang to see if they had my results from the Kidney function test. They was in with both kidneys functioning good 1 @ 58 and 1 @ 63 they asked me if I had my appoint yet for the xrays and I told her the date she asked if I could come to the Kidney department on the day of my tests to have a final blood test and a ECG. Seemed like I had a lot to do that day but it was much quicker than i though. Arrived at 13.15 went straight in for blood test then went to the xray department. Was told to but a gown on and my dressing gown and told to wait in the waiting room. I was quickly called in and had a cannula fitted for the dye to be injected. I was then taken to the xray room and had a stomach and chest xray and told to wait in the waiting room again. less than 5 minutes later was called in for the scans. This took no longer than 10 minutes. They did some scanning first then injected the dye which they had hooked up to the cannula a couple minutes later all done. Was told to go and wait at xray again for another. Went in within 2 minutes. Had stomach xrayed again then told to have go and have a wee and come straight back for another xray. She even stayed at the xray door to wait for me so went straight back in. All done to had to get the cannula removed and get changed. I was then of for my ECG. As I didn't have a appointment for this I had to wait about 15 minutes. ECG done quickly and we had done was in the hospital at total of 2 hours 15 minutes i was very impressed. So now all i am waiting for is to see the consultant on 12/2/18 to get my results I also have a appointment straight after that with the nurses so I'm hoping alls good with me seeing the nurse after. fingers crossed. Anybody wants to offer any advice for us please feel free also If anyone wants to ask a question about any of the tests etc I will do my best to answer them. i will also update this post as I go along.