Another way to explore what posts are available is to see them as a table of contents, so you can choose (your own adventure).
Month: November 2025
Living Donor Match – Answered Prayers
After months of prayer and outreach, a friend quietly stepped forward as a kidney match—just hours after a church prayer request.
Back to Work
First day back at work brings projects, a donor award, and humor about scars while reflecting on the gift of kidney donation.
End the Wait Foundation
End the Wait Foundation is a non-profit organization utilizing film to educate and recruit kidney donors to save 100,000 lives.
Recipient Post-Transplant Recovery Update (11/9/25)
Recovery from my Oct 22 kidney transplant is going great. Low pain, good labs, and even my doctor was shocked by the progress.
In The Beginning…
Facing kidney failure in 2023, I navigated diagnosis, treatment options, and tough conversations—grappling with ESRD and the reality of dialysis & transplant.
(endless) Thank Yous…
Grateful for every hand, heart, and hero who helped me through dialysis, transplant, and recovery. It truly takes a village—and mine showed up big.
Living Kidney Donor: Why did I choose to donate? Reasoned Response – Part I
I didn’t wake up one day and decide to donate a kidney. It took deep thought, prayer, and a friend’s life-changing diagnosis to begin this unexpected journey.
Living Kidney Donor: Why did I choose to donate?
I have a two-part response, which is a general summation of over 6 months of inflection, investigation, and prayer.
About the Living Kidney Donor & Recipient Blog
Two people. Two stories. One miraculous intersection. A kidney donor and recipient share their transplant journey from both perspectives. Browse our interlinked stories by category, timeline, or curiosity. Because every kidney transplant story is unique, yet somehow universal.
Kidney Transplant – Stats (2024)
In 2024, 27,759 kidney transplants were performed in the United States.
Cross-Match Kidney Transplant 101
Two amazing donors, two recipients, one powerful swap: cross-matching made two transplants possible through paired donation and a shared commitment to saving lives.
Kidney Transplant Surgery 101
Transplant surgery is a major operation and comes with risks for complications just like any other. During the surgery, you will receive general anesthesia and possibly other forms of pain-blocking anesthetic as well. Your transplant surgeon will make an incision in your lower abdomen to insert the new kidney and connect it to your blood vessels and bladder. […]
Two Types of Kidney Donation
There are two main types of kidney donation.
Meet Our Transplant Doctor
Get to know Dr. Arika Hoffman, Transplant Surgery at UNMC
About Kidney Dialysis
Dialysis removes waste and fluid from the blood when kidneys fail. It can be done at home, in a center, or hospital using HD or PD methods.
One and Done
Reflecting on grace, faith, and the gift of kidney donation while celebrating Chad’s catheter removal and answered prayers.
Other Kidney Transplant Stories
Real stories from others living with kidney disease, dialysis, and transplants—voices of resilience, hope, and connection.
My Kidney Dialysis & Transplant – Fears
A raw, intimate glimpse into the fears that haunted my transplant journey—rejection, exhaustion, and the ache of waiting for hope to arrive.
Kidneys 101
Kidneys power life by filtering waste, balancing fluids, regulating pressure, building blood cells, and strengthening bones with unseen persistence.