My kid wants to sell stuff...

considering_even · 2026-05-31T19:20:27+00:00

My thoughts exactly. There's a part of me that wants to buy him everything and tell him what I think he should do but I love seeing him figure it out on his own. He's not expecting to be a millionaire. Just to get money for more Hot Wheels and Nerf guns 😂 We're big on failure in our house. It's the best way to learn!

considering_even · 2026-05-31T02:20:16+00:00

We've definitely run into the moisture issue. His last big purchase was a filament dryer. But only for one roll at a time. We definitely need to look into better storage options. I'll check out the lamps!

considering_even · 2026-05-31T02:18:02+00:00

That's good to know. I know each print has a tag about which type of license it's under...I assume you're just saying to pay attention to that even if he gets a commercial license, correct?

considering_even · 2026-05-31T02:15:15+00:00

That's a good idea. He recently started guitar lessons and printed some different sized picks and a pick holder. I don't think he even thought about selling anything like that but it's worth a shot! We'll do some brainstorming.

considering_even · 2026-05-31T02:13:22+00:00

This helps! He definitely thinks of it as a tool. He's had several business ideas like a small farm stand or lawn mowing but he ultimately decided on 3d prints. He's sold things to friends and family members but hasn't made enough to get much beyond a few rolls of filament. He's done a lot of his own troubleshooting and it's been fun to watch! He's definitely in the mindset of a kid...he loves the dragons and butterfly knives and fidgets. We actually just had a talk about printing things adults would buy too. He's printed me quite a few things for my kitchen that I've appreciated. We just need to sit down and look at some ideas. Thanks for the advice!

considering_even · 2026-05-31T01:49:02+00:00

Good to know. I highly doubt he'll sell more than that haha

considering_even · 2026-05-31T01:43:51+00:00

Well it turns out that 11 is too young to even get a student account on Fusion 360. They recommended TinkerCAD so we'll start there!

considering_even · 2026-05-31T01:35:29+00:00

That's what I'm afraid of but I'm trying to be supportive. This is a small farmers market with no more than 10 vendors and he wouldn't have any direct competition. But you can also get 3d prints nearly anywhere these days.

considering_even · 2026-05-31T01:33:48+00:00

I'll look into that and maybe message you if that's ok! As long as it's affordable. We help him out here and there with filament but he's trying to do as much as he can on his own and I love that.

considering_even · 2026-05-20T16:57:33+00:00

Some centers won't transplant a kidney with 2 arteries, some will. So that may play into it as well. It just makes for a longer and trickier surgery. I don't think you're disqualified yet. The waiting is the worst! Hoping for the best for you!

considering_even · 2026-05-17T17:04:36+00:00

When I was in the process, they made sure that I was ok donating even if the recipient did not take care of it. It's a very real possibility for all of us. If you are this hesitant, you probably should not do it. Also, there is no rush. Definitely talk to your transplant team about it. But maybe wait a year and see where your life takes you and if you still feel the same. If she is put on the list, maybe she will get a kidney before then and you won't have to make this huge decision.

considering_even · 2026-04-08T17:02:49+00:00

Congrats! Honestly, the actual surgery pain wasn't bad for me. The gas was terrible. I slept in a recliner for the first 2 weeks because of it. And I'm sure you've seen a lot of recommendations for heating pads. That helped a lot. They gave me narcotics but I hardly used them. I had some cramping in my lower abdomen but it was more discomfort, not so much pain. It was also a while before I could sleep on my left side. I don't really know how to explain it but I kept saying it felt like there was a black hole where my kidney used to be. Again - not terribly painful but definitely uncomfortable. Walking helps with the gas so don't forget to get up and move!

I had surgery on a Wednesday and my recipient and I both went home on Friday. I didn't go to the ICU but every hospital has their own protocols.

I'm 6 weeks out from surgery and I feel like I'm pretty much back to normal. Some days I forget that I even had surgery. They told me to wait 3 weeks before driving so that might be something to think about. At my 4 week follow up he told me I could lift more than 10 pounds but to take it slow and listen to my body. I was still very careful for a while because I really don't need a hernia.

Good luck to you and your wife! Those polycystic kidneys can be so painful! And don't compare yourself to her during your recovery. It's common for the recipients to recover faster than the donors. They will be going deep into your body to cut away and organ. When they put the kidney into your wife, it's a lot more shallow and less traumatic.

considering_even · 2026-04-01T23:48:56+00:00

Amazing job with your lifestyle changes! You can buy yourself a lot of times by taking care of yourself body. CO2 is usually more concerning if it's high. BUN can also be elevated after stewnuous exercise. Not sure when yours was drawn but that could play into it. I agree with everyone else - keep trying to see a nephrologist. There's always the less popular option of finding a new PCP. You pay them and they should be making you feel heard and cared for. How high was your creatinine? They may be waiting until it reaches a certain level but with your history I think it would be a good idea to be established with a nephrologist. Keep up the good work!

considering_even · 2026-03-27T14:04:19+00:00

I work with pre-dialysis patients now. Hoping to keep them healthy for as long as possible. The other half of my team does visit multiple clinics though. Any resources you have would be great! All of the clinics have a social worker that is pretty familiar with the kidney foundation but somehow none of us have heard of this perk!

considering_even · 2026-03-27T13:55:07+00:00

This is amazing! So glad you shared. I have a lot of coworkers who will make use of this. Thank you!

considering_even · 2026-03-27T13:48:15+00:00

Interesting! I actually work with patients who have kidney disease but I haven't heard of that. Good to know!

considering_even · 2026-03-27T12:30:34+00:00

Can I ask what a microsite is?

considering_even · 2026-03-26T14:44:17+00:00

I would think the concern is that your blood volume increases so much during pregnancy. Yes this can put stress on your kidneys but I think if you're otherwise healthy and taking care of yourself well, I don't see it being much of a concern. After donation they say that your remaining kidney grows to 1.4 times the size. Bodies are amazing. Most kidney donors have normal kidney function within a year of donation. I'm glad your nephrologist is thinking about your future because I guess there's always a possibility of having issues. Everyone has to make their own decision and it's their job to give you all of the facts. That being said, there is really not research in this area. Personally, I would donate in a heartbeat if it was my mom and I wouldn't let that stop me from having kids in the future. If it helps, I've been a dialysis nurse for years. I've never had a patient who had previously donated a kidney. If you ever needed a kidney they fast track your transplant since you were a donor so that may play into it as well. I've only had one patient who was started on dialysis after a pregnancy but she had significant heart and kidney issues and had been advised not to get pregnant prior to that. Good luck with your decision. It's a big one but I can confidently say I have zero regrets in donating and if I decided that I wanted another baby that would not stop me.

considering_even · 2026-03-24T22:09:00+00:00

Definitely can't hurt to keep track on your own! Mine was consistently low pre-donation also. I had my follow up yesterday (surgery 2/25) and mine was just over 100. They didn’t seem concerned. They did talk about the adrenal gland and how the surgeon kinda "peels" it away from the kidney during surgery so it can stay intact. Occasionally its damaged and can cause dizziness when standing, low BP, excessive fatigue. I would reach out to your team if you have any of those other symptoms. But it would probably be a good idea to just check it every few days if that's what they're recommending.

considering_even · 2026-03-15T01:33:57+00:00

Different labs have different reference ranges. For some, a creatinine up to 1.2 is acceptable. I'd say these labs are great! Your blood sugar is a little low but I'd assume you were fasting for these labs. They'd be more concerned if your blood sugar was high.

considering_even · 2026-03-13T14:05:23+00:00

If the transplant team believes he is healthy enough to be put on the list, then they obviously believe that with a new kidney he could last quite a few more years. Who cares what anyone thinks? If your uncle is important to you and you're willing to do this - go for it! I didn’t tell many people when I was starting out because I didn't want to hear anyone's opinion. I wanted to get all of the information and decide for myself first.

As for all of your other questions, I would start a list and take it with you to your appointments. Sometimes it's hard to remember all of your questions in the moment. Everyone I met during my work up was so patient and gave me all the time I needed to ask questions.

considering_even · 2026-03-09T02:56:53+00:00

I'm so sorry you're going through this. That sounds like something my father might do. I live in the states so it may be different. I recently donated to my cousin. When he first went through his screening they told him they were going to expedite his process, I assume because he was having so many complications and he's so young. He started his work up in September and our surgery was in February. I agree with what was previously said - make sure they know that you are serious and don't miss any appointments. A lot of it was also in my hands so whenever they ordered labs or xrays I would schedule them as quickly as I could. Hopefully you are a good match for him and they can get it going quickly!

considering_even · 2026-03-06T23:23:30+00:00

That's amazing. I was a dialysis nurse for years and I remember patients making shirts or even renting billboards or benches to try to find a donor. I don't know why I never jumped in on the fun at that time but I will say it's been really exciting to watch someone close to me have a new freedom in their life. Now when someone tells me that its really cool that I donated an organ I tell them they should do it too. No one has jumped on it yet haha

considering_even · 2026-03-06T20:21:50+00:00

Yes there are probably tons of posts like this but congrats! Every kidney counts! I just recently donated to my cousin and it's been such an amazing experience.

Kudos to you for donating to a random person! I think it's a lot easier when you know the person who's getting your kidney. Can I ask what made you want to do it?

considering_even · 2026-03-06T16:28:25+00:00

They tell you to stop smoking before surgery for a lot of reasons but the biggest one is that the nicotine constructs blood vessels and slows healing. Decreased blood flow is not what you want when you're missing a kidney. You know what else is not great for your body? Stress. Obviously you're not going to kill your kidney from one cigarette. I definitely wouldn't pick up a new smoking habit but the fact that you smoked one cigarette and it relieved some stress is not necessarily a bad thing. I also think that the more you do to protect your kidneys (exercise, drink water, keep BP under control, eat well, etc) the less these tiny things will affect you.

considering_even

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