Kidneys

[Hoz]

Thoughts from a 10 year renal transplant survivor (with 2 years on dialysis).It's easy to be pious and say buying a kidney is unethical, but until you have been on dialysis and experienced the long term pain and constant debilitation that comes you have no idea what you're talking about. A Filipino friend recently passed away on Christmas Eve while waiting for a kidney. He had been on dialysis in the US the past 3 years and had done everything right. Rey came to me 2 years ago, and asked if I thought he should go to the Philippines to purchase a transplant, seems they had a connection there. I advised him "The sooner, the better. As time goes on you start to go down, and it may become too late". Pressure from the current US medical community kept him here and he lost, his heart gave out. I was lucky, after a year my sister was tested to donate. When she was found to be unsuitable my son stepped up. On September 29, 1999 I was transplanted with one of his kidneys and have been healthy ever since. The transformation was instantaneous and amazing, a miracle. I gave him life in pleasure, he gave me life in pain. The operation was harder on him than for me. He had one of the last "open" procedures in the area. Kidneys are now taken through small laproscopic incisions. My son has a scar running from under his sternum to his left side. The problem is, since it is considered "unethical and illegal" the sale of kidneys is handled through shady underworld brokers. In many instances donors get only a pittance for their sacrifice and in some cases are outright swindled. If it were sanctioned, open and in the public light, the donor would stand to get a better deal. There are currently almost 80,000 people in the US waiting for a cadaver kidney. Time is of the essence, and most wait an average of 3-4 years. Dialysis is a growth business. Pray that you or one of your family doesn't end up with end stage renal disease.

[tom_shor]

Thoughts from a 10 year renal transplant survivor (with 2 years on dialysis).It's easy to be pious and say buying a kidney is unethical, but until you have been on dialysis and experienced the long term pain and constant debilitation that comes you have no idea what you're talking about. A Filipino friend recently passed away on Christmas Eve while waiting for a kidney. He had been on dialysis in the US the past 3 years and had done everything right. Rey came to me 2 years ago, and asked if I thought he should go to the Philippines to purchase a transplant, seems they had a connection there. I advised him "The sooner, the better. As time goes on you start to go down, and it may become too late". Pressure from the current US medical community kept him here and he lost, his heart gave out. I was lucky, after a year my sister was tested to donate. When she was found to be unsuitable my son stepped up. On September 29, 1999 I was transplanted with one of his kidneys and have been healthy ever since. The transformation was instantaneous and amazing, a miracle. I gave him life in pleasure, he gave me life in pain. The operation was harder on him than for me. He had one of the last "open" procedures in the area. Kidneys are now taken through small laproscopic incisions. My son has a scar running from under his sternum to his left side. The problem is, since it is considered "unethical and illegal" the sale of kidneys is handled through shady underworld brokers. In many instances donors get only a pittance for their sacrifice and in some cases are outright swindled. If it were sanctioned, open and in the public light, the donor would stand to get a better deal. There are currently almost 80,000 people in the US waiting for a cadaver kidney. Time is of the essence, and most wait an average of 3-4 years. Dialysis is a growth business. Pray that you or one of your family doesn't end up with end stage renal disease.

You are right I have not experienced it. I am sure it is a horrible situation to be in and I am happy it all turned out well for you. It would be good if a better system for obtaining organs could be found. However I am not sure being able to buy and sell them is the answer either. There is way to much possibility for abuse and possibly outright theft of organs. Not just anybody can hack out somebody's organs but don't think there aren't doctors who would do it if the price was right.