Health issues after my transplant

[kimosabi1961]

Im not sure if this is the forum for this, but over 1 1/2 years after I received a successful transplant Im having other issues. I am diabetic and that's a daily fight, and now I have a bad diabetic foot ulcer that may require surgery. I can barely walk and needless to say am very depressed. I can't get out and do things I want to do.

[March-31-09]

I bet that you wouldn’t think of not taking your transplant meds. Please take care of your mental health too. The right medicine can be life changing. Talk therapy is excellent as well. I’m very blessed/ & grateful to have a transplant, but it doesn’t mean that I can’t ever be depressed. It sounds that you have a lot on your plate. God Bless you on your kidney journey

#MyKidneysMyLife♻️🧡♻️🧡♻️🧡

[Dara3351]

No matter what and we all know it’s hard sometimes, but don’t get depressed, it serves no one! Four months after my transplant I started getting vomiting episodes. They weren’t regular but annoying. I questioned my transplant team could it be my gallbladder and they basically didn’t address the situation. My regular Doctor referred me to a GI Specialist. They were monitoring me. Well, long story short, the vomiting was occurring more and more and would you believe on a Friday 13th I had the most violent vomiting episode. I drove myself to the ER, got admitted, had an endoscopy, and the following day I had my gall bladder removed. Never felt better! However since then I have eye surgery (vitrectomy) and now dental surgery. Now with this COVID-19 virus, self isolation it’s not been bad but I feel like I’m living in an above ground bunker. Hang in there! Stay positive! My nephrologist tells me this is just another chapter in our life!

[WYOAnne NKF Ambassador]

Hi, so sorry you are having problems now, since your transplant. I am sorry to say that it kind of comes with the territory. I developed an incisional hernia in my transplant incision. I had to have it repaired twice. I did hemo-dialysis before my transplant and had a graft in my L arm that they used. At 14 years out, I had to have part of the graft removed because my arm was swelling. Then 2 years ago the remainder of it was causing nerve pain and had the rest removed. I am not diabetic, but my sister was and had a difficult time managing the disease.

Starting in March of this year, with COVID and all, I started running a fever. Doctor's all thought that it was COVID. That was my only symptom. Due to COVID no one wanted to see me in person - everything was telehealth. To make a long story short, I was finally seen in infectious disease, cardiology and had every blood test under the sun. Just showed that I had inflammation "some where." Finally, in July, 4 months of a fever, my primary doctor took over and discovered that my gall gladder was inflamed and a whole lot bigger than it should be. July 23rd I had surgery to have it removed. If it wasn't a pandemic, I think they would have found this a whole lot sooner.

I guess my message to you is to take one day at a time. Take care of your diabetes and hopefully your foot will heal soon. Try not to let it get you down....as this too shall pass.

Let us know how you do. Blessings!

[Hidden in reply to WYOAnne]

How was the gallbladder surgery? I am facing it at some point in my future. My healthy neighbor had minimally invasive gallbladder surgery and was in pain and had a hard time for 2 weeks. How did you do with your surgery?

[WYOAnne NKF Ambassador in reply to Hidden]

I think that my gallbladder had been bothering me for years and I just didn't realize it. The surgeon removed mine laparoscopically even tho mine was quite large. I did spend one night in the hospital to get the pain under control and I had a lot of nausea. Didn't feel too bad the next day when I went home. Had hydrocodone 5/325 to take for pain, but only needed to take it for a couple of days. Surgeon had warned me that the first 2 months you had to watch what you eat, and not to eat fatty, greasy foods or could cause diarrhea. Had a couple of episodes the first couple of weeks and now I have been fine. I am 2 months out and really have no issues at all. I feel so much better!

[Hidden in reply to WYOAnne]

I just don't want to deal with another hospital issue this year. And, worried about covid-19. Although, I met my deductible this year so it wouldn't cost anything. Feel better about it now. I do wonder if the gallbladder is causing my creatine, bun and gfr to bounce around this year. Thank you for your help.

[WYOAnne NKF Ambassador in reply to Hidden]

When I was running a fever for the 4 months, when docs were trying to figure out what was going on, my labs did bounce around also. All of the labs run showed my BUN at 27 and 32 - showing dehydration, even though I thought I was drinking enough water. My liver enzymes were elevated, showing my gallbladder was backing up into my liver. That was making me sicker, I found out after the surgery. My creatinine is consistently 0.8 and during this time went up to 1.2. My nephrologist was ready to do a kidney biopsy until they found out my gallbladder was sick.

I know what you mean about not wanting another hospital issue. I had to wear my mask till they took it off in surgery. I wore a mask in my room when anyone came in. And the day before my surgery they gave me the rapid COVID test to make sure I was negative. I think they are taking all the precautions possible for you as a patient or surgical patient. If something else happened to me this year and I needed more surgery (heaven forbid) I would not worry.

[Hidden in reply to WYOAnne]

That is exactly what is going on, except no fever and I don't think I have liver issue. When I was in the hospital this February for pericarditis the GI guys did a gallbladder clean out and I stopped vomiting. Before I went in, I would vomit several times a week. Haven't vomited since. I never eat fried, greasy food, so I am currently being very careful about the other foods, to try to get as much mileage out of the gallbladder and hope the clean out was enough for a while. I have a nephrologist appointment in October and I will bring it up. Your creatinine is phenomenal at 0.8. My normal before this stuff started early this year was 1.0. Nephrology increased my prednisone and cellcept due to what's going on and I acquired a painful gum infection. The dentist can't write hydrocodone anymore because of the opioid issue, so I had generic codeine #3. Wasn't very good at pain control, but you know we can't take the 800mg motrin. I always have been very careful with my teeth because of the meds causing decay. I was surprised the meds increase caused such a problem so quickly. Not to get off subject, but thank you for you input.

[Drdetroit]

I'm sorry to hear of your problem's. I am also diabetic since 1989. I am 69 yrs old now & have controlled my diabetes since 2001 with a low-carb diet. My A1C is between 6.2 & 6.7 continuosly. I am 8 &1/2 yrs post transplant & I am a very positive person but occasionally get bummed out. Talk to family & friends to he;p your mental attitude, maybe that will help. I take prednesone for 8&1/2 yrs & that is my main issue with bone, joint & muscle. Hang in there & good luck

[Hidden]

There is always something going on when you have a transplant. When I was in the hospital last February for pericarditis, the GI docs got involved, took out 3 gallstones and some sludge with the intention of me returning for gallbladder removal after I recovered from pericarditis. Vomiting is a big clue it's gallbladder. Well, covid-19 hit and my procedure was canceled. When I received a letter from the surgeon's office to schedule my gallbladder procedure, I ignored it. I am just tired of the cost and crap that goes along with a kidney transplant. Not ungrateful, just tired. This is how it is going to be and we all have to keep plugging along.