My name is Sierra and I had the honor of donating a kidney to a friend named Misha. She is doing really well!


Before the surgery, my activity level was great. I boxed and also ran a lot. I was very active and loved lifting weights also.
I had some fears going into surgery but I did everything I could to make sure I was calm.
My post-surgery recovery went well. One month after surgery I was able to walk on my own without help and stand up straight. It took me four months to truly return to fitness and I took it very slow. I was only doing light cardio.


Six months into recovery I was able to dive into core exercise like I wanted. I use to have slight pain when I attempted core exercises which was unexpected to me. I was patient and I was able to maneuver better a week or two after the pain.
Now that the surgery is complete, I feel the same as I did before surgery. I don’t feel like a kidney is missing, but I do have a scar that reminds me of the surgery daily.

Now I take precautions when it comes to stretching my stomach. I think twice before doing exercises that allow me to stretch and use my core.
After a year, I felt back to myself 100%. I am more comfortable and confident with jumping into working out. I have no worries. I still put in the same effort now that I did before the surgery. I am glad I was able to help someone in the process and my fitness level and energy is back and continues to get better.

To anyone who is considering donating a kidney I would recommend that you make sure you are healthy. You want to make sure you are giving the healthiest kidney possible!
Well done Sierra. Kia ora Tom
Sierra, I appreciate you sharing your story and really appreciate hearing about taking it slow. I’m a little over 6 weeks post donation and the realism of not recovering as fast as I would like is setting in. Your story and others are a big help. Thank you!