humbug:
had a bit of a shock today. went to the hospital for an ultrasound to check my nuts after a hernia operation. the nurse went further up and told me i’ve only got one kidney
the thing is i must have lived like this all my life, quite shocked actually. i don’t know wether to feel special or wether i’ve missing out on something for 44 yearsi don’t think i’ve ever felt so healthy as i do now.
i know i’ll have to tell the dvla or whoever it is you tell but does anyone know if this would stop me driving hgv’s?
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One kidney has been removed surgically, after an accident or because of a problem such as cancer or extensive kidney stones. So long as the other kidney is normal, people usually lead a normal life.
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Two kidneys joined together. In the womb, before birth, the kidneys form in the lower abdomen and move up. If the two immature kidneys join together, they cannot move all the way up the abdomen, and get stuck in the middle, in a lower than normal position. This large single kidney is called a horseshoe kidney because of its shape. A horseshoe kidney should function as normal with no problems. However, if any kidney disease such as a tumour or stones develop in a horseshoe kidney, treatment is much more difficult than if there are two kidneys. Problems with the drainage system are more common in horseshoe kidneys, and these may cause infections in some people with horseshoe kidney.
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If one kidney is small, for any of the reasons given above, it may be so hard to see on X-rays and scans that doctors tell someone they have a single kidney, or single functioning kidney, even though, strictly speaking, both kidneys are present.
I should have another scan before telling DVLA anything about your health.
This is the advice if you donate a kidney to your loved one.
Driving
The DVLA in Swansea has no hard and fast rules with regard to starting to drive again. In the main, if they feel okay and their GP agrees to it, a donor can return to driving when they feel capable, usually after 4-6 weeks.