Misconceptions

I've heard several misconceptions about organ donation.  Let me clear up a few of them here.

TV medical shows will sometimes show a person getting a call in the middle of the night, asking them to come to the hospital immediately as an organ has just become available for transplant.  That is the recipient, not the donor.  And the donor whose organs are suddenly available are usually deceased.  I will donate on my schedule, at a reasonable hour of the day.  The recipient will adjust their schedule to mine, but will have plenty of advance notice as I am not dead.  My organs will stay viable as long as I do.

The long, long waiting list for organs is for recipients.  There are currently close to 75000 people on the national waiting list for a kidney.  The only waiting time for donors is the time it takes to complete all the testing.  Testing is complex and thorough.  They don't want to take a kidney from anyone who isn't completely healthy.  As soon as the testing is done, it will be easy to find a match who can use my kidney.  Blood type is the most important factor.  I don't know what other factors are tested for.

Planning to donate does not affect my ability to donate blood or blood plasma while I wait.  My body will replenish the supply quickly and easily, and as long as I have a week or so between donating fluid and donating a kidney, I will have plenty of blood for surgery to be safe (or at least as safe as possible).

Any other questions?  If I don't know the answer, I'll add it to my every-growing list of things to ask the transplant team.  I call them every day with more questions, and they're always very gracious about giving answers.