So those of you that know me, know I have been busting my butt trying to finish school this last year and a half. With three wild kids and a husband who is always gone working this has not been easy, but here I am in the LAST WEEK of school preparing to receive my Bachelors Degree in Organizational Leadership, YAY!
But here’s the thing, one major hurdle is still standing in my way: the Applied Research Project. I am writing about something that is near and dear to my heart and I would appreciate your participation. Please share this post with your friends and family and anyone you know… the more responses I get the better my data will be. I tried using survey monkey but felt it was stupid to pay a yearly or monthly subscription for something I only need to use once. So I am hoping as my friends and peers, you wont mind hitting select all, copy, pasting and filling in your own answers… either as a comment on this blog or emailing me at (ranaldicure4pkd@gmail.com).
Once you get past the general demographic questions MOST of your answers will simply be YES or NO. Please do not feel bad if many of your answer’s are NO, be honest. You are not expected to already know most of this information.
Thank you SO much for your participation.
- Name:
- Age:
- Gender:
- Relationship Status(You Know: married, single, divorced, its complicated…):
- Job/Career:
- Educational background(high school, some college, college graduate, masters, doctorate, know it all…):
- Do you have children?
- Would you describe yourself as generally healthy?
- Would you consider being a living kidney donor to a stranger?
- Would you consider being a living kidney donor to a close friend or family member?
- How would you describe your knowledge of Organ Donation?a) very little to none: I’ve heard about it before and seen the sticker thing for my driver’s license
b) some-moderate: I’ve seen a few things on Grey’s Anatomy
c) curious: I have done a little research and am interested in the subject
d) experienced: I have friends or family that have gone through it, I know about my personal experience
e) expert: I have been involved with the subject of organ donation personally for many years.”
- Did you know that you were born with two kidneys and can still survive with one, in fact studies have shown that living donors are living longer than most people with two healthy kidneys?
- Did you know that there are many ways to “match” a living donor to a kidney recipient even if their blood type is different?(There is a paired exchange program that can allow living donors to donate to someone else who has a donor that doesn’t match them but is then paired up with someone else until eventually it comes full circle. this program has impacted over 600 patients in San Diego over the last few years.)
- Did you know In 2012, there were 28,052 organ transplants less than 6,000 of which were living organ donors?
- Did you know that currently there is about 120,000 men women and children in need of a life saving organ transplant and every day at least 18 of them die waiting?
- As with any surgery there are risks involved, but did you know the Living donor surgery has a .03% mortality rate (i.e., 3 in 10,000). As a point comparison, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, the 2007 infant mortality rate in the United States is .64% (e.g., 64 in 10,000) indicating that it is about 20 times riskier to be born in the United States than to donate a kidney.
- Did you know that as of TODAY there are over 90,000 people waiting specifically for a Kidney Transplant and every 10 minutes another name is added to the list?
- Did you know that the recovery time for a Living Donor is about two days in the hospital (sometimes less) and only 4-6 weeks limited activity? Most are up and moving within hours of the surgery.
- Did you know that a living donor can double the life expectancy for the kidney recipient? A cadaver kidney generally lasts 7- 10 years at most but a living donor kidney can last up to 13-20 years (some have proved to be amazingly healthy exceptions to this statistic)
- Did you know that the life expectancy for a patient on dialysis needing a kidney transplant is only 5-7 years and unfortunately the current wait time for a Kidney Transplant Patient waiting in San Diego is 7-10 years?
- Did you know in 2009 over 90,000 dialysis patients died waiting for a new kidney?
- Did you know that a kidney transplant is 45% more successful if received before the patient ever has to go on dialysis?
- Did you know that modern day technology provides laparoscopic surgery for the living donor, which means a smaller incision than most C-section scars and even less recovery time?
- Did you know that for every 10 successful kidney transplanted, 4 more patients who are waiting will die?
- Did you know that California is the first state in the nation to have a living donation website hoping to help find kidney’s for the 17 thousand of those on the waiting list needing kidneys specifically.?
- Did you know that out of the 561 successful kidney transplants from living donors made in California last year over 660 patients were removed from the list because they died?
- Did you know that a living donor does not have to take any medication or change their lifestyle in any dramatic manner post transplant, but in fact tend to live longer healthier lives than they may have otherwise?
- Did you know that 1 in 10 American adults suffer from Chronic Kidney Failure (over 20million) and will eventually need Dialysis or Transplant?
- Did you know that in California only 35% of the patients on the waiting list received a cadaver kidney within 5 years?
- Did you know that even if someone you know is currently on the waiting list for a cadaver kidney future potential living donors can be processed and matched at the same time without loosing their spot on the list?
- Did you know that having a living donor kidney can lower the chance of rejection, possibly reduce the amount of anti-rejection drugs and improve the acceptance and functioning of the kidney for the recipient?
- Did you know that all it takes to be matched to someone as a living donor is a simple blood test?
- Did you know that you can submit a blood sample and be put on the registry as an available living donor even without knowing anyone specific who needs a kidney?
- Did you know that submitting a blood test and inquiring about being a match does not require you to go through with the surgery, you can change your mind at any time?
- Did you know that by providing a kidney as a living donor allows someone else to move up in line on the waiting list? In some paired donation many people who are waiting can then be moved up on the list because of your decision to donate.
- Did you know that you could still be a match for someone even if you are not related?
- Did you know that you can still qualify as a living donor despite having certain unrelated medical conditions?
- Did you know that a social worker and team of professionals will be assigned to you and be your advocate supporting you in whatever decisions you make throughout the process, they are there to support you NOT pressure you into going through with the surgery?
- Did you know that the Laparoscopic surgery for a living donor is only 3-5 hours long?
- Did you know that you, as the living donor, will not have to pay any expenses for the procedure or recovery?
- Do you currently know what your blood type is?
- Have you ever donated blood?
- Are you currently registered as an organ donor?
- Would you, after having read much of this data, now consider becoming a living donor for a close friend or family member?
- Would you, after having read much of this data, now consider becoming a living donor for a stranger?
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For any additional information please feel free to go to these websites:
http://www.livingdonorsonline.org
http://www.transplantliving.org/
…and this is not really for factual reference but for a deeper behind the scenes look at stories where Living donation has made a huge impact on SO many lives.
A Penny for Your Thoughts... 