How long is recovery

[Leroy1]

How long did take after receiving a kidney before you started feeling good?

[Tolmezzo]

Not experienced but talking to doctors from transplant team, if no complications, just after weak up from surgery you start feeling better. This off course is more valid from people who were on dialysis. Different story imagine is for premptive.

[Leroy1 in reply to Tolmezzo]

Thanks. I hadn’t been on dialysis and I’m 71. My follow up nephrologist said most transplant recipients have problems caused by side effects of anti rejection meds.

[Tolmezzo in reply to Leroy1]

Unfortunately there is no win win solution. Transplant drugs have serious side effects. However dosage are getting less and less after certain amount of time all becomes more manageable. Alternative is dialysis which I believe is much more worse..

[3Kidneys]

Actually, I was feeling pretty good 2-3 days out from surgery. I was in the hospital for 3 days. I was a little tender and moving a bit slowly for a couple of weeks. But, feeling in general was pretty good. If my doctor would have approved it, I probably would have gone back to work on the third week off.

[Leroy1]

Thanks I’m 5 months since getting a kidney from a donor and get very tired easily

[Darlenia in reply to Leroy1]

My hubby received a kidney on June 28 at age 71. He was a former dialysis patient. It's my understanding that it takes the body about a year to work seamlessly and effectively with the new kidney since it impacts many systems - cardiac, lymphatic, etc. We, too, assumed that everything would be amazing practically overnight, but have since realized it's major surgery that can come with complications. We are now seeing light at the end of the tunnel after almost three months. We expect recuperation won't be quick. Sending encouragement your way.

[WYOAnne NKF Ambassador]

First, remember that we are all different, so what I tell you was my experience, may not be yours. Age can have something to do with this too.I started to feel better right after my transplant while I was still in the hospital. About a week after I got home the pain was better and I started walking. At first it was down the block, then around the block, increasing how far I would go everyday till I was walking about 30 minutes a day. I know you said you were tired, as I was. But I found that the more active I was the better I felt and the more energy I got. Make sure this is OK with your doctor

Some of us have had side-effects from all the drugs we go home taking. I had a lot of GI issues those first 6 months. Always tell your transplant team any problems you are having. They can't help you feel better if they don't know about any issues. My immunosuppressant med dose was changed several times that first year.

I was actually hiking in the mountains in Glacier National Park in Montana.

I now live in Wyoming and am living the good life 21+ years post transplant - next month it will be 22 years. I am also 71, so was 49 when I had my transplant.

Keep the faith and things will get better!