Why Me?

The one question all transplant patients ask at one time or another is: "Why is this happening to me?" There are no simple answers; by now, your doctor has probably explained your specific problem to you. However, knowing how your kidneys are supposed to work might help you understand why transplantation is a major step in the right direction for you.

The Kidney Connection

Your kidneys are located deep in the abdominal cavity near your back, just above your waist.  Although most people are born with 2, you can live normally with just 1 healthy kidney. 

Each kidney contains millions of tiny filters called nephrons. These nephrons work continuously to perform 2 important functions:

• Filtering waste from your body
• Maintaining your chemical and fluid balance
  
  

The Filtering Function

The kidneys produce urine to carry the waste they have filtered out of your body. The urine travels from the kidneys to your bladder, where is stored.  When you urinate, it passes out through the urethra.  If the kidney's filtering system fails, it can cause a serious and potentially dangerous condition called uremia.

The Maintenance Function

The kidneys control fluid volume and chemistry by helping to balance the chemicals in your blood, including sodium, potassium, and calcium.  Proper balance is necessary for your other bodily systems to work efficiently. An imbalance may affect various organ systems in your body.

And Hormone Production, Too

Your kidneys also produce hormones that help regulate your blood pressure and stimulate the production of red blood cells.  Too much of one of these hormones can cause high blood pressure, and too little of another can cause anemia.

Isn't Dialysis Enough?

Hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis can eliminate waste from your body and remove excess chemicals from your blood.  But, unlike the kidney, dialysis can't produce vital hormones. 

Through transplantation, you will get a new kidney that performs all these important functions.  What's more, you won't have to continually interrupt your life for dialysis treatments or depend on machines to keep you going.  Whether you receive your kidney from a living donor or from a deceased organ donor, it will truly be a "gift of life."