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To: Pete from Shawnee Mission
Acceptance will be a big thing. I'm as geek as they come. I grew up with fast change and live on the bleeding edge of technology.

And I'm missing a kidney. Since about 360 days ago.

I wouldn't consider this as an option unless the right side kidney were to fail or also be damaged in an accident.

But then, I would consider it. Better than dialysis. And that I won't do. Even if it means dying.

Something less than rational drives those feelings, but there they are.

/johnny

14 posted on 12/03/2010 4:48:52 PM PST by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: JRandomFreeper
I wouldn't consider this as an option unless the right side kidney were to fail or also be damaged in an accident. But then, I would consider it. Better than dialysis. And that I won't do. Even if it means dying.

With one functioning kidney, you're still in good shape. After all, even at 10% kidney function, you're not in any immediate danger.

However, I was down to 6 1/2% kidney function and, thus, slowly dying until I found out I was in End State Renal Failure as I was on the operating table for a pacemaker implant.

As a consequence, I've been doing dialysis for 4 1/2 years. If you should ever need it, don't resist it. The experience is relatively benign -- especially if you're not diabetic.

Three days a week for 3 1/2 hours isn't so bad -- particularly if you can get the 5:30 AM session. You can sleep through the procedure and still get in a full day's work.

Nor does dialysis make you immobile -- you just need some advance warning of travel plans so you can schedule dialysis in another city. Over the 4 1/2 years, I've dialyzed in 34 different centers. All (save one) have been quite satisfactory. It seems that dialysis nurses and technicians universally enjoy what they do -- which makes the experience a pleasant one, even if they're sticking needles in you.

In other words, there's no reason to consider the alternative...

25 posted on 12/03/2010 7:15:05 PM PST by okie01 (THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA: Ignorance on Parade)
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