<p>Someone in H’s family needs a new liver and he and others in the family are being asked to consider donating a lobe. I only know what I learned about it on *House<a href=“LOL”>/I</a>. According to one source, it takes 5-10 years for the lobe to grow back. Another source said two months. (Quite a difference in info.)</p>
<p>Is anyone able to share his/her experiences as a liver donor?</p>
<p>While I don’t have any experience with this, my neighbor did donate a kidney to her sister. Frankly, if it were me, I’d rather donate a lobe of my liver, which I know would eventually grow back (whether it’s two months or ten years), than a kidney, which you’ll never get back and have to hope the one you have left remains healthy.</p>
<p>The lobe will grow back within a few weeks, if I recall. However, it takes several months for full function to return.</p>
<p>Ran into a JrHS/HS classmate (age 59). She had a full liver transplant a year ago. She looks great.</p>
<p>No but my 9 yo niece would not be alive today if not for the very generous donation by an unknown family. She’s perfectly healthy now, not even requiring anti-rejection drugs anymore.</p>
<p>H’s best friend needed a liver transplant. H volunteered a lobe, but was a different blood type. I had the same blood type and was willing to donate a lobe, but the friend wanted to wait for a whole liver. Unfortunately, sometimes there’s a very short amount of time between being sick enough to jump to the head of the waiting list and being too sick for a transplant. He was 47 when he died.</p>
<p>How about bone marrow? Would you donate for a stranger?</p>
<p>I know a woman who has had a liver transplant for 22 years but I think she’s on her second. OTOH, a friend has had a difficult recovery after donating a lobe to her D. It has been about 5 years but I know she’d do it again in a heartbeat.</p>
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<p>What I think is very cool are transplant daisy chains. It enables a string of donations to take place because people are willing to save a loved one but are not necessarily the right match. So instead, unmatching loved ones donate to strangers, which in turn ensures their loved one gets a donation too.</p>
<p>[Kidney</a> Transplant Daisy Chains and Paired Donation - Health Blog - WSJ](<a href=“http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2010/01/09/one-more-way-to-increase-the-number-of-kidney-donors/tab/article/]Kidney”>http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2010/01/09/one-more-way-to-increase-the-number-of-kidney-donors/tab/article/)</p>
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<p>Actually, I am listed in the National Bone Marrow Donor Registry, so yes, I would. But in 15 years, I’ve only been called once for further blood to determine if I was a match.</p>
<p>Hi Teri-</p>
<p>If you lived near a research hospital and they asked you for a marrow sample to grow cells for later infusion into a patient under a research protocol would you be willing?</p>
<p>I guess given all that my family has to be grateful for… good health, and H’s very good job at a major pharma that has benefitted us all, then I’d say yes. Pay it forward.</p>
<p>I registered and was willing to be a bone marrow donor but because I now have serious chronic health condition, they have removed my name because they said it would endanger my life and health to be a donor. 
They won’t take my blood, I’m assuming for the same reason.</p>
<p>It’s worth finding out more & discussing with YOUR doc the risks you might run. They generally want the closest match possible, which tends to be a family member (but have to run tests to figure out whether you would even be an appropriate match).</p>
<p>My D donated bone marrow to a stranger a year ago. She was on a registry, received a call, turned out to be a perfect match. </p>
<p>If the recipient lives (I think something like 2 years) AND wants to identify herself to her donor, they will be put in touch with each other.</p>
<p>Needless to say, we’re very proud of D!!!</p>
<p>^^^
That’s terrific, Inthebiz!</p>
<p>I’ve been listed in the National Bone Marrow Donor Registry for over 20 years, but I’ve never been called.</p>
<p>Very cool Inthebiz. Did your daughter say how much the procedure hurt?</p>
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I am a bone marrow donor for my sister. She had a BMT 14 years ago and is living an active and normal life. Yes, I would do it again for a stranger. I am listed with the BMT Registry & was contacted once but apparently it was not a good match. No, it isn’t extremely painful - more like a pulled muscle stiffness for several days.</p>
<p>Thanks for the comment on pain. I’ve heard different things.</p>
<p>The way I look at it, the multiple blood tests and bone marrow extraction are not a treat, but they are minor inconveniences compared with the alternative. I can’t speak to kidney or liver donations, since those both involve major surgery and recovery.</p>
<p>I agree 12rmh18. The folks who need the transplant go through so much. I was talking with a fellow the other day whose 6 y/o niece died of leukemia before a match could be found. It was a sad story but he now donates plasma at a local lab in her memory and he knows the plasma helps someone.</p>