Hi all, personal update: On August 5, I underwent a hepatectomy, a removal of 70% of my liver, to be a living donor for someone in need. I had initially volunteered to help a friend, and remained on the list after their transplant, in case the University Health transplant center needed a spare. 1/5
I was swayed by the professionalism and clarity of purpose by the surgeons, doctors, nurses and staff there, and felt it was the right thing to do. I ended up staying in the hospital for 11 days, because of an elevated bilirubin level, but my bloodwork is nominal now. 2/5
Cool thing about livers: They grow back (I have several MRIs to prove it!), so I've got a fresh one that's almost full size. When I emerged from surgery, the first thing I said to my docs was, "Okay okay, I promise not to steal fire from the gods ever again" (I don't know if they got the joke) 3/5
Coolest part of my donation: Because I was a "spare," the transplant team could set in motion 5 operations in total for paired donations. Many people who find suitable donors from their friends and family aren't directly compatible, so transplant centers rely on swaps to get people transplanted. 4/5
All this is to say, please consider signing up to be an organ donor if you can. This has been a surreal experience but I'm pleased with the result, and would happily do it again. 5/5