# It's been two years since the transplants

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-been-two-years-since-the-transplants/681375>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [February 14, 2014, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-been-two-years-since-the-transplants/681375 "2014-02-14T22:18:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![The\_Mad\_Hermit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5ac83/32.png) [@The\_Mad\_Hermit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Mad_Hermit)\
**Post date:** [February 14, 2014, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-been-two-years-since-the-transplants/681375/1 "2014-02-14T22:18:10Z")

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Two years ago today I recieved my new liver and kidney. They seem to be working OK, I just have some minor problems to deal with, mostly side effects from the meds I’m required to take now.

When it happened, I got the liver and kidney from the same donor- a man who had a stroke and was brain-dead, just older than me. I was told that the other kidney and possibly other organs were used in other transplants.

I was wondering what the pros and cons of seeking out my ‘kidney brother’ would be, if it was even a good idea. i wouldn’t mind comparing notes with them on the post-op care and recovery, and how they were doing overall. Does anyone want to weigh in on this? Should I seek them out, and if so, how would I best go about it?

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**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\
**Post date:** [February 14, 2014, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-been-two-years-since-the-transplants/681375/2 "2014-02-14T23:34:28Z")

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I’m glad you are doing well! Is there a third party involved through which you would contact the other donee so they could agree or decline to talk with you?

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**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2014, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-been-two-years-since-the-transplants/681375/3 "2014-02-15T00:59:25Z")

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I’ve know a couple of post-transplant people and asked them about this.

Now, the media would have you believe that meetings of this sort - between fellow recipients and/or the donor family and recipient(s) are all sweetness and butterflies but that’s ain’t always so - there can be all sorts of emotional pitfalls involved. It can get very ugly.

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**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2014, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-been-two-years-since-the-transplants/681375/4 "2014-02-15T01:43:28Z")

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Congratulations on your 2-year anniversary. I don’t know about kidneys, but liver transplant is a hell of a procedure.

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**Author:** ![The\_Mad\_Hermit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5ac83/32.png) [@The\_Mad\_Hermit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Mad_Hermit)\
**Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-been-two-years-since-the-transplants/681375/5 "2014-02-17T08:42:00Z")

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Honestly, I have no idea how to start. I just posted this to get the reaction to the idea, and to celebrate that I made it for two years so far.