Carol Offen
@caroloffen.bsky.social
Living kidney donor/advocate/writer. I try to find the humor in everything, including kidney donation and depressing politics.
Pinned
Carol Offen
@caroloffen.bsky.social
· Apr 5
The Insider's Guide to Living Kidney Donation: Everything You Need to Know If You Give (or Get) the Greatest Gift
The Insider's Guide to Living Kidney Donation: Everything You Need to Know If You Give (or Get) the Greatest Gift [Offen, Carol, Crais, Elizabeth, FACS MD, Kenneth A. Andreoni] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The Insider's Guide to Living Kidney Donation: Everything You Need to Know If You Give (or Get) the Greatest Gift
www.amazon.com
Before I donated a kidney to my son nearly 19 years ago, I didn't know the first thing about living donation. Now the nontechnical up-to-date book I wished had been available back then is out. I wrote The Insider's Guide to Living Kidney Donation w/ a transplant recipient. Check it out.
I just published a piece on Medium about a disastrous New Year's Eve we had many years ago when we lived in Europe.
We ‘Celebrated’ New Year’s Eve in a Tow Truck
Bah Humbug!
medium.com
December 23, 2025 at 10:10 PM
I just published a piece on Medium about a disastrous New Year's Eve we had many years ago when we lived in Europe.
I'm still seething about the news in this investigative NYT article. Many US hospitals are actively enticing wealthy foreigners to come here for a transplant. Incredibly it's legal but so immoral. I don't blame the foreign patients, only the hospitals. @americankidneyfund.bsky.social @kidney.org
Hospitals Cater to ‘Transplant Tourists’ as U.S. Patients Wait for Organs
www.nytimes.com
December 22, 2025 at 11:10 PM
I'm still seething about the news in this investigative NYT article. Many US hospitals are actively enticing wealthy foreigners to come here for a transplant. Incredibly it's legal but so immoral. I don't blame the foreign patients, only the hospitals. @americankidneyfund.bsky.social @kidney.org
It's not just for boomers!
It's not too late to give your baby boomer friends and relatives some laughs for the holiday. They could laugh like this amused gentleman if you went here bookshop.org/beta-search?... and bought them this hilarious work.
#booksky
#booksky
December 21, 2025 at 2:10 AM
It's not just for boomers!
I just published a blog post on my personal favorite books on living kidney donors and organ donation generally. #booksky @kidneyfund.bsky.social @donatelifeamerica.bsky.social @kidney.org
Holiday Gifts about the Greatest Gift
If you’re still looking for ideas for a holiday–or any kind of–gift, consider a batch of my personal favorites on my favorite subject. A couple of years ago,I described several he…
kidneydonorhelp.com
December 20, 2025 at 10:20 PM
I just published a blog post on my personal favorite books on living kidney donors and organ donation generally. #booksky @kidneyfund.bsky.social @donatelifeamerica.bsky.social @kidney.org
Reposted by Carol Offen
The president calls for the execution of 8 sitting members of Congress and it is not the lead story on every newscast and every newspaper. That’s how far we’ve come.
November 21, 2025 at 1:19 PM
The president calls for the execution of 8 sitting members of Congress and it is not the lead story on every newscast and every newspaper. That’s how far we’ve come.
You don't need to be a boomer to enjoy it, but the laughs pack a particular wallop if you are! Makes a great holiday gift. #booksky
As you buy gifts this season, please go about buying my book, Building a Better Boomer. It's really funny and older people who remember Topo Gigio will like it as will younger people who have no idea what you're talking about. Plus, it's only $13.97 at Bookshop, tinyurl.com/34h66na3. #booksky
Bookshop.org US
tinyurl.com
December 6, 2025 at 3:32 PM
You don't need to be a boomer to enjoy it, but the laughs pack a particular wallop if you are! Makes a great holiday gift. #booksky
As a living kidney donor and a donation advocate, I strongly favor living donation but don’t want to mislead anyone learning about it through news of #Eisenberg's donation. If you're considering donating, learn all you can. My book can help. store.bookbaby.com/book/the-ins... #booksky 2/2
The Insider's Guide to Living Kidney Donation
"The Insider's Guide to Living Kidney Donation: Everything You Need to Know If You Give (or Get) the Greatest Gift" offers nontechnical information and practical advice, and the multifac...
store.bookbaby.com
November 30, 2025 at 2:57 PM
As a living kidney donor and a donation advocate, I strongly favor living donation but don’t want to mislead anyone learning about it through news of #Eisenberg's donation. If you're considering donating, learn all you can. My book can help. store.bookbaby.com/book/the-ins... #booksky 2/2
Thrilled that Jesse #Eisenberg will be donating a kidney to a stranger, bringing a much-needed spotlight on donation. BUT when I see him quoted as saying it’s “essentially risk free,” I cringe. No major surgery is risk free; the risks are about the same as any abdominal surgery--extremely low. 1/2
November 30, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Thrilled that Jesse #Eisenberg will be donating a kidney to a stranger, bringing a much-needed spotlight on donation. BUT when I see him quoted as saying it’s “essentially risk free,” I cringe. No major surgery is risk free; the risks are about the same as any abdominal surgery--extremely low. 1/2
A great laugh-out-loud read! #booksky
Want to laugh away the current chaos and additional seasonal pressures? Buy the perfect holiday gift, "Building a Better Boomer," now 23% off at Amazon, and you will forget the chaos and be able to focus on your upcoming colonoscopy prep. tinyurl.com/y49pc9a8 #booksky
Amazon.com
tinyurl.com
November 15, 2025 at 10:59 PM
A great laugh-out-loud read! #booksky
As a living kidney donor & donation advocate, I was delighted to see that Eisenberg will be donating! It's great when celebrities share their story & shine a much-needed spotlight on this important topic. For more about live donation from someone who's done it, check out www.kidneydonorhelp.com
EXCLUSIVE: Jesse Eisenberg Reveals He Is Donating a Kidney to a Stranger: 'A No-Brainer'
The "Now You See Me: Now You Don't" star shared the news of his upcoming altruistic kidney donation on TODAY.
www.today.com
November 11, 2025 at 7:02 PM
As a living kidney donor & donation advocate, I was delighted to see that Eisenberg will be donating! It's great when celebrities share their story & shine a much-needed spotlight on this important topic. For more about live donation from someone who's done it, check out www.kidneydonorhelp.com
If you or someone you know has an interest in kidney donation/transplant, here's some good news from my state, NC. I wrote about it on Medium. (FYI: I'm a living donor myself and a donation advocate. This is a free "friend link.")
NC Could “Soon” Have a Living Donor Protection Act!
It’s so close I can taste it
medium.com
November 7, 2025 at 6:00 PM
If you or someone you know has an interest in kidney donation/transplant, here's some good news from my state, NC. I wrote about it on Medium. (FYI: I'm a living donor myself and a donation advocate. This is a free "friend link.")
Couldn't we all use a good laugh-out-loud read these days? "Building a Better Boomer," a hilarious send-up of common advice on dealing with aging, is on sale now at 23% off on Amazon! BTW, though the author and I have the same last name, we're not related (except by marriage). #booksky
Building a Better Boomer: How to deal with bothersome bodies, exhausting exercise, memory missteps, terrifying technology, impossible insurance, retirement regrets, foreign foods, and, oh yeah, aging
Building a Better Boomer: How to deal with bothersome bodies, exhausting exercise, memory missteps, terrifying technology, impossible insurance, retirement regrets, foreign foods, and, oh yeah, aging [Offen, Neil] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Building a Better Boomer: How to deal with bothersome bodies, exhausting exercise, memory missteps, terrifying technology, impossible insurance, retirement regrets, foreign foods, and, oh yeah, aging
www.amazon.com
November 2, 2025 at 8:19 PM
Couldn't we all use a good laugh-out-loud read these days? "Building a Better Boomer," a hilarious send-up of common advice on dealing with aging, is on sale now at 23% off on Amazon! BTW, though the author and I have the same last name, we're not related (except by marriage). #booksky
I published a personal essay on Medium about finding the house my grandparents lived in in Sicily in 1902--and the emotional impact it's had on me.
I Finally Met My Nonna — More Than a Century Later
At last, she has a back story
medium.com
October 24, 2025 at 2:44 PM
I published a personal essay on Medium about finding the house my grandparents lived in in Sicily in 1902--and the emotional impact it's had on me.
Just published a blog post about my state getting very very close to protecting living organ donors from discrimination. I've been involved in the fight for 6 years.
NC Will “Soon” Have a Living Donor Protection Act!
It’s so close I can taste it. I actually wrote much of this blog post in late June thinking it was days away, then put it aside thinking I’d wait till it was official that North Carolin…
kidneydonorhelp.com
September 20, 2025 at 9:40 PM
Just published a blog post about my state getting very very close to protecting living organ donors from discrimination. I've been involved in the fight for 6 years.
I just published a piece on Medium, remembering the remarkable aide who took care of my dad--and about the challenges of arranging 24-hour at-home care for a loved one. @crowsfeet15.bsky.social
When a Home Health Aide Feels Like Part of the Family
My dad’s helper cared for him even when she was off the clock
medium.com
September 17, 2025 at 8:09 PM
I just published a piece on Medium, remembering the remarkable aide who took care of my dad--and about the challenges of arranging 24-hour at-home care for a loved one. @crowsfeet15.bsky.social
Half-price sale: For nontechnical, accessible info on living kidney donation from a #livingdonor, check out my book store.bookbaby.com/book/the-ins... Use promo code "pubanniversary" at checkout for 50% off on paperback #booksky
The Insider's Guide to Living Kidney Donation
"The Insider's Guide to Living Kidney Donation: Everything You Need to Know If You Give (or Get) the Greatest Gift" offers nontechnical information and practical advice, and the multifac...
store.bookbaby.com
September 14, 2025 at 5:39 PM
Half-price sale: For nontechnical, accessible info on living kidney donation from a #livingdonor, check out my book store.bookbaby.com/book/the-ins... Use promo code "pubanniversary" at checkout for 50% off on paperback #booksky
Reposted by Carol Offen
I just visited Naval Station Great Lakes that Trump is letting DHS use as they prepare to invade Chicago.
The Navy cooperated and took the time to answer our questions. Trump’s DHS locked the doors and fled. That’s not how you act when you’re doing something legal.
The Navy cooperated and took the time to answer our questions. Trump’s DHS locked the doors and fled. That’s not how you act when you’re doing something legal.
September 5, 2025 at 5:35 PM
I just visited Naval Station Great Lakes that Trump is letting DHS use as they prepare to invade Chicago.
The Navy cooperated and took the time to answer our questions. Trump’s DHS locked the doors and fled. That’s not how you act when you’re doing something legal.
The Navy cooperated and took the time to answer our questions. Trump’s DHS locked the doors and fled. That’s not how you act when you’re doing something legal.
I published a piece on Medium about important lessons most of us learn the hard way.
Never Wait To Let Someone Know You Care
And other life lessons learned the hard way
medium.com
September 1, 2025 at 3:31 PM
I published a piece on Medium about important lessons most of us learn the hard way.
Reposted by Carol Offen
Trump says the Smithsonian is “out of control” for discussing “how bad slavery was.”
Insane.
Insane.
August 19, 2025 at 7:06 PM
Trump says the Smithsonian is “out of control” for discussing “how bad slavery was.”
Insane.
Insane.
You definitely don't need to be a boomer to enjoy the laughs, but it sure packs an extra wallop if you are! Enjoy the 20% off!
Here's some laugh-out-loud advice for baby boomers: “Sneak in a workout during your lunch break. Order a large pastrami on rye. Lift it over your head five times. Rest. Lift the pickle.” It's from Building a Better Boomer, now 20% off at www.amazon.com/Building-Bet...
Building a Better Boomer: How to deal with bothersome bodies, exhausting exercise, memory missteps, terrifying technology, impossible insurance, retirement regrets, foreign foods, and, oh yeah, aging
Building a Better Boomer: How to deal with bothersome bodies, exhausting exercise, memory missteps, terrifying technology, impossible insurance, retirement regrets, foreign foods, and, oh yeah, aging [Offen, Neil] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Building a Better Boomer: How to deal with bothersome bodies, exhausting exercise, memory missteps, terrifying technology, impossible insurance, retirement regrets, foreign foods, and, oh yeah, aging
www.amazon.com
August 14, 2025 at 2:40 PM
You definitely don't need to be a boomer to enjoy the laughs, but it sure packs an extra wallop if you are! Enjoy the 20% off!
I just published a light piece on Medium about the lengths I go to to avoid waste (think emaciated toothpaste tubes). Power to the little guy!
I Can’t Bear to Let Anything Go to Waste
This calling isn’t for the faint of heart
medium.com
August 6, 2025 at 4:08 PM
I just published a light piece on Medium about the lengths I go to to avoid waste (think emaciated toothpaste tubes). Power to the little guy!
Important and disturbing story for #kidney transplant patients. share.google/1uL2Yjwdq89C...
His Kidney Failed. He’ll Never Know if a Transplant Drug From a Banned Factory Was to Blame.
When Joe DeMayo’s donated kidney started to fail earlier than expected, he didn’t know that the drug he was taking could’ve left him vulnerable — and that one of the most formidable drug regulators in...
share.google
July 5, 2025 at 2:40 PM
Important and disturbing story for #kidney transplant patients. share.google/1uL2Yjwdq89C...
I just published a piece on Medium for us older women still battling our junior-high-school demons.
At 77, Do I Dare Dress…Dorky?
Guess I’ll never outgrow my junior high school angst
medium.com
July 1, 2025 at 6:38 PM
I just published a piece on Medium for us older women still battling our junior-high-school demons.
19 yrs ago today my son & I had 4 kidneys between us before our surgeries. Afterward he had 3 of them (still does). We're both doing well. To celebrate I'm offering 50% off the paperback today & tomorrow at the link below (use promo code 19years at checkout).
The Insider's Guide to Living Kidney Donation
store.bookbaby.com
June 27, 2025 at 2:11 PM
19 yrs ago today my son & I had 4 kidneys between us before our surgeries. Afterward he had 3 of them (still does). We're both doing well. To celebrate I'm offering 50% off the paperback today & tomorrow at the link below (use promo code 19years at checkout).
Reposted by Carol Offen
Go out today and peacefully but vociferously protest this utter garbage.
Forcefully taking undocumented children from their foster homes is the ultimate cruelty and it’s happening nationwide.
We say #NoKings
VC __coyotl__ on IG
Forcefully taking undocumented children from their foster homes is the ultimate cruelty and it’s happening nationwide.
We say #NoKings
VC __coyotl__ on IG
June 14, 2025 at 12:23 PM
Go out today and peacefully but vociferously protest this utter garbage.
Forcefully taking undocumented children from their foster homes is the ultimate cruelty and it’s happening nationwide.
We say #NoKings
VC __coyotl__ on IG
Forcefully taking undocumented children from their foster homes is the ultimate cruelty and it’s happening nationwide.
We say #NoKings
VC __coyotl__ on IG