Hacker News Reader

Comment by esotericsean | Hacker News Reader

This probably isn't a viable solution for my father who has been on dialysis for 2 years and is in ESRD. I am a candidate for a kidney transplant for him (I went through the whole process), but he has other issues that have been preventing him from having another surgery. I'm pretty scared to do the procedure, too.

But really glad to see progress being made here. Hopefully, also, the world works toward improving diet and starts eliminating metabolic diseases like Type-2 Diabetes and Heart Disease.

View on HN

As a living kidney donor, I can tell you that it's not all that scary. It's much scarier to be ESRD and suffering the hellish purgatory of dialysis.

The operation is quick and recovery isn't too bad. As long as you have support at home from friends and family it's not terrible.

What struck me, though, was how weak it made me. Walking for the first time in a week was very slow, very sweaty, and put me into a state of extreme exhaustion.

are you feeling okay now? have you had other consequences from donating your kidney?

I've looked at this from a fathers perspective and have made the decision that no matter how much my kids may be a good match I would never want to be a donor recipient from them. That short-circuits a lot of ethical dilemmas around such a decision and making that decision well before it would ever come into play makes it a lot easier. My eldest one day said he'd gladly give up a kidney for me and it caused me to think about that at a time when it wasn't even on the horizon (fortunately it still isn't). That doesn't mean I do not appreciate the sentiment (and that I think you are tremendously brave) but it wouldn't sit right with me as a parent.

A big part of that is that they would be giving up something that they may very well need later in life and I may be condemning them to a reduced quality of life at some point in the future (possibly long after I've passed away but that doesn't really matter). Another part is that I don't want to see my children in any way diminished or at risk because of me, they're not 'spare parts'. On the reverse I would do in a heartbeat. These are tricky problems.

Indeed tricky problems; I suspect the same thought process that leads you to doing it for them in a heartbeat is likely theirs for you. The difference of a few dozen years in expected longevity due to your head start isn't that massive.

That is probably how I would feel as a parent as well. Though, just to put it out there, if you're a donor your retained kidney grows and makes up for the one that was removed. Also, you're given priority on the waiting list in the future should you ever need one yourself.

Also they say it'll be available by 2030 at the earliest: https://pharm.ucsf.edu/kidney/device/faq

Reply on news.ycombinator.com