BY KAY-ELLE DASH
 
Did you know in your life time, being that each human has two kidneys (or more! A girl from high school was born with three and a half) your body only uses up to 40% kidney function on either kidney? That would be like with only one kidney: it working to the potential of 80%. My point being... your kidneys never use 100% of their potential. What a waste right?
It’s almost cruel to think a person can live with one functioning kidney, we’ve each got two but there are millions of people out there on a list waiting for someone to die so the live person can have the dead persons kidney. But kidneys are one of the first things to shut down. This being said the dead kidney if the person was in perfect health (ummm… don’t bet on it - they did just die for some reason…) that kidney can only reach 60% of its potential in the new alive person. And this live person still only has one kidney… which as I stated before, one needs like 80% potential… meaning this person who went though massive & risky surgery to get a dead persons kidney will most likely have to go back on dialysis and wait for another kidney in the next 6 – 10 years.
But what about an alive person giving one of their only 40% using kidneys to one of the alive people on the list, while keeping the other one to work up to 80% potential?
It’s called being a live donor – I know because I’m going through it right now, I’m going to give my kidney to a person in need while I’m alive! All this means for me is many tests, arranging your life for like a year or two, after a laparoscopic surgery leaving three to four really awesome tiny scares that’ll fade under your left pectoral muscle and one incision in the fold of your thigh/crotch region the length of a fist, two weeks of bed ridden rest, a check up a week for three months, then a check up a month for two years, and some weight lifting restrictions, oh and some pretty strong medication. I know that seemed like a lot to read but really the ordeal ends up only using about a month’s time of your life altogether. And check it out – your “live-donor” kidney can last the person in need for up to 20 years. People in need of kidneys are usually older around 40 or 50. You’ve helped them live to about 60-70+, that’s like an average life span!
What’s more beautiful the giving life?
I know this has told you absolutely nothing about the national kidney foundation, but what more do you need to know other then they are trying to improve life for people in need of such a vital organ. On top of fundraisers to help pay for expenses they are the leaders in the “kidney list” waiting for cadaver kidneys or gracious live donors, and hooking it all together in crazy things like kidney swaps and kidney circles, it’s truly amazing!
All it takes is like a little less than a month’s time of your life.
To learn more visit:
http://www.kidney.org/
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