In search of a living kidney donor for a fellow lung transplant recipient
Post-transplant medications put us at risk of chronic kidney disease
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In August 2022, I was diagnosed with stage 3b chronic kidney disease (CKD), indicating moderate to severe kidney function impairment. I had anticipated this diagnosis for years prior to my bilateral lung transplant in July 2021. After being diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in January 2017, I learned a lot about the disease, transplant, and potential outcomes.
Inova Fairfax Hospital, where I received my transplant, offers a variety of educational programs to help patients prepare for the surgery and life post-transplant. Through these sessions, I learned that many transplant recipients develop other conditions due to the medications they must take, such as diabetes, skin cancer, and kidney disease.
According to a 2022 article published in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases, CKD affects 10%-20% of liver, heart, and lung transplant recipients.
Wanted: More kidney donors
In a previous column, I introduced readers to my friend Dan Hughes. He received a bilateral lung transplant in December 2020, almost seven months prior to mine. He has also been diagnosed with CKD and was recently listed for a kidney transplant.
Hughes and I shared similar experiences when we were listed for a lung transplant. A transplant committee reviewed our cases and approved us for the surgery. Lungs were allocated by an organ procurement organization (OPO). As patients, our responsibility was to be ready and to wait.
Kidney donations can come from living or deceased donors. A kidney from a deceased donor follows an allocation process similar to that for lung transplantation.
A living donor may elect to donate one kidney. It can be a directed donation, in which they specify who will receive their kidney, or a nondirected donation, in which the kidney is given to anyone in need who is a match. Another option is a kidney paired donation, where incompatible donor-recipient pairs exchange kidneys to find a match.
Hughes shares the responsibility for finding a kidney donor. He is listed with both an OPO and the National Kidney Registry (NKR), whose tagline is “Facilitating living donor transplants.” The NKR has 102 Member Centers in 35 states and the District of Columbia. With 90,000 people waiting for a kidney transplant, this increases Hughes’ chances of receiving the lifesaving surgery.
Hughes’ campaign for a kidney has led him to take on new roles as a marketing manager, campaign manager, public information officer, and advocate. He’s leveraging his own social media and asking everyone he knows to share his posts.
It doesn’t stop there. Posters, car magnets, and sharing a link to his NKR page are all ways to get the word out.
March is National Kidney Month, but CKD and the need for living donors deserve year-round awareness. Since receiving my own CKD diagnosis, I have found a great kidney team at Metropolitan Nephrology Associates that works closely with my transplant care team at Inova. That coordination has enabled me to keep my CKD from progressing beyond stage 3b, which I count as a major health win.
If my CKD progresses, I will be prepared to pursue a kidney transplant. What I have learned as a CKD patient and from Hughes’ work to find a match will be invaluable. I have taken notes to help me make every breath count.
Note: Pulmonary Fibrosis News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Pulmonary Fibrosis News or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to pulmonary fibrosis.
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