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Man still alive six months after pig kidney transplant

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Re: Man still alive six months after pig kidney transplant

#101

Post by quasarj »

CommenterPerson wrote: post #65
quasarj wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've been on dialysis for 5 years now... which means when I eventually get listed for transplant, I'll be at the top of the list, because nobody survives 5 years...

My thoughts with you wish you the best. Curious why you aren't already on a waiting list for a transplant?

The rules are very strict, primarily with respect to weight. That is, was (and still am) fat, and that's a no-no. I've lost 120 pounds so far, with at least 10 more to go before I will finally be (possibly) approved!

Re: Man still alive six months after pig kidney transplant

#102

Post by quasarj »

ChrisMarshallNY wrote: post #18
SapporoChris wrote: post #9

Keep in mind the amazing thing is the survival of having the transplant in addition to kidney failure. People have been living up to five years without kidneys by relying on dialysis.

Dialysis is hell. I had a friend that chose to die, after several months on a home dialysis machine.

That's rough, I'm sorry for your loss. I've been on dialysis for 5 years now (in-center, I couldn't do home for.. reasons). In the beginning I was considering giving up, but it did finally get somewhat better, and I'm fairly well adjusted now. I mean, it still sucks (especially losing about 5 hours 3 days a week), but I'm able to not think about it when I'm not there, at least.

Re: Man still alive six months after pig kidney transplant

#104

Post by isatty »

magicalhippo wrote: post #99
pazimzadeh wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It really depends on the organ. Kidneys stand out as the most successful organs for transplantation, even in allotransplantation (between humans) so it makes sense that they are working well in xeno as well. Kidneys are not as vascularized as some other organs (heart or lung) which probably helps a lot. Heart and lung xenotransplantation are still a ways off and a lot of basic research is still needed to make them wo…

A family member needed a kidney transplant in the early 60s. This was in the UK where the first successful transplant was in 1959, so just a few years earlier. Thanks to a kid on a motorcycle she got a kidney just in the nick of time. She was in her early 20s and was told she could expect a few years. Because of that she never had kids. Her donated kidney served her well and she lived a quite normal life. She passed…

Not a doctor, but I suppose she should’ve eventually told them in the interest of science. Also, pregnancy has a heavy toll so who knows? Maybe it was a good thing she didn’t. We don’t know.

Re: Man still alive six months after pig kidney transplant

#107

Post by jondiggsit »

Waterluvian wrote: post #2

“Xenotransplantation” is pretty #%^*ing metal. It’s pretty wild being alive these days. Lots of big stuff the species is struggling to adapt to and figure out how to exist with. But also… we got the tablets from Star Trek. And now we have the ship’s computer from Star Trek, and the early makings of the holodeck. And we’re making pigmen senior citizens who would otherwise be dead. It’s quite something to stop and thin…

And people skiing down Mt. Everest. I always like to think about progress and our current reality in comparison to Star Trek….

Re: Man still alive six months after pig kidney transplant

#108

Post by sadeshmukh »

kiba wrote: post #92
sadeshmukh wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wouldn't believe most in the US would live in Japanese style housing at all.

Most homes in Japan aren't built in the traditional Japanese style at all IIRC.

I was referring to the little space and tiny storage. Pay isn't exactly great for the rent either.

Re: Man still alive six months after pig kidney transplant

#109

Post by Centigonal »

magicalhippo wrote: post #99
pazimzadeh wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It really depends on the organ. Kidneys stand out as the most successful organs for transplantation, even in allotransplantation (between humans) so it makes sense that they are working well in xeno as well. Kidneys are not as vascularized as some other organs (heart or lung) which probably helps a lot. Heart and lung xenotransplantation are still a ways off and a lot of basic research is still needed to make them wo…

A family member needed a kidney transplant in the early 60s. This was in the UK where the first successful transplant was in 1959, so just a few years earlier. Thanks to a kid on a motorcycle she got a kidney just in the nick of time. She was in her early 20s and was told she could expect a few years. Because of that she never had kids. Her donated kidney served her well and she lived a quite normal life. She passed…

> Interestingly she mentioned she was told to take some strong medicine after the transplant. She got this feeling it wasn't good for her and stopped taking them soon after, without telling the docs of course.

Typically, after a kidney transplant, patients are instructed to take immunosuppressant drugs for the rest of their lives. This is to reduce the risk of the patient's body rejecting the transplanted organ. Your family member was just straight up lucky that her body didn't reject the organ, even without any immunosuppression.

One thing that's fascinating to me is that most immunosuppressant drugs used today hadn't yet been discovered in the early 60s! AFAIK, all they would have had was prednisone, prednisolone, and azathioprine. Back then, a kidney transplant aided by these drugs would have been as new and revolutionary as the Hepatitis C cure or the triple-drug therapy for cystic fibrosis is today.

Re: Man still alive six months after pig kidney transplant

#110

Post by missedthecue »

paulcole wrote: post #43
dmitrygr wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Insane take. Even if you confiscated ALL the money from all the billionaires (instant 100% wealth tax) and spread it to everyone worldwide, it would be a one time sum of under $2000. And what then?

You can shear a sheep many times but skin him only once. It seems like billionaires have a knack for making lots of money every year. Why don’t we just take a bit more of it than we do now and invest it into useful projects?

We're capable of taking the money but not of investing it into useful projects. Inherent system flaw.
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