An in-law needs a kidney. I’m the first person to match.
I feel that it is my duty to help, but I’m also having second thoughts. My pastimes include home remodeling, canoeing, mechanics and riding motorcycles (I know, I will donate then), and the idea of losing that last kidney by falling off a ladder, hitting a rock in a river or damging it by riding a hardtail bike worries me. Also, I’m not sure where my career will go next, but I don’t like being stuck at a desk and I don’t want to have to explain a kidney belt on my first day of a new job.
That said, how much should I worry about this? The National Kidney Foundation relates that “people with one kidney (should) avoid sports that involve higher risks of heavy contact or collision.” How many donors lose their remaining kidney? Why have I never personally heard of anyone receiving kidney damage, because it rarely happens or because the second kidney takes up the slack?
I should be willing to make some changes in my life to give someone a life, but I do want to know how much I would need to change my life and what this will cost me. And before someone states the obvious, I am going to talk with my doctor about this.
An in-law? Those are extraordinary odds to match a non-blood relative. That said, congratulations. You have the opportunity to save a life. I’d do it.
A friend of mine donated a kidney to his sister. She had hypoplastic kidneys and she got to the point of needing dialysis daily. She was a sick puppy. They’re both living happily ever after. He told me that the surgery was actually harder on him than her, but I don’t know why. He leads a very active life and says he doesn’t notice any difference.
As far as being worried about injury to your remaining kidney, there’s always dialysis to get you through the crisis. I’m told our renal organs are very resilient. If you love this person, it shouldn’t even be an issue.
I can’t see how having donated a kidney is going to count against you with any reasonable employer; it should be quite the opposite; a possible measure of character.
One of my high school classmates who was very active in sports found out that she had only one kidney during a routine physical. She gave a report in class on this astonishing finding. I remember her saying the doctor told her that having only one kidney should not alter her sports activities.
You might develop kidney problems or sustain a serious kidney injury. You could also* get hit by a bus, blown up, murdered, get a brain tumor, fall off a cliff, have a heart attack, fatal bee sting, terminal cancer, CO poisoning, break your neck, terrorist attack, drowning . . . Going from two kidneys down to one doesn’t affect your risk of bad juju all that much. Instead of (say) a million ways to kill yourself, you have a million and one.
It’s your decision, but I hope that you will do it.
*I don’t feel like making this list parallel. Deal with it. 