Pre-Transplant

[Bolingo]

Hello everyone,

I was diagnosed CKD about 3 years ago and keep on till my kidneys failed finally. I've not been on dialysis (hemo) since July (4 months ago) and working towards having my transplant this November. Any advises? I'm a bit anxious as to what life holds for me on the other side in terms of meds, wellness, side effects and cost. Any advise from you will be appreciated. Thanks.

[Hidden]

Can you confirm are you on hemo dialysis, and are you having a live donor for a transplant, or has your transplant centre told you they have a kidney for you.

[Bolingo in reply to Hidden]

It's hemodialysis and I have a living donor (my brother).

[mtwskk in reply to Hidden]

Agree with lkhenderson, with one additional point, not to scare you but after the transplant if it feels good and after a couple of days you don't feel good notify the doctor right away. I had an antibody from my brother-in-law's kidney come up that they missed, I should of said something but I didn't know better I just thought I was tired after day 3, I rejected it on day 6 so if it's good and then not, have them check it out. Good luck it's really not too bad day two getting out of bed is the worst then it's all uphill. You'll feel much better than you did on dialysis. It's totally worth it. Keep smiling and God bless you and your donar.

[lkhenderson]

First let me say how happy I am that you are getting a living donor kidney. God Bless your brother. My husband is my donor and its been 2.5 years for us. If you are frightened it is perfectly normal so embrace it and don't run from it. I too was scared but it was the single hands down best thing I could do for myself and therefore my family. If you feel confident in your transplant center and your doctors, that is a huge first step. The medicine can be a little overwhelming in the beginning and you will absolutely need help for a while so line up friends and family for basic needs and transportation for the first month and I would also encourage you to have an advocate (spouse, sibling, close friend) that can be with you thorughout, advocate for you, take notes, ask questions and just monitor your care to insure you get everything you need. Just take all the time you need on the front end so that you can have all the time left on the other side to live. Most importantly, do EXACTLY what your doctors tell you do and I have no doubt you will do great. God speed, I will be praying for you!

[Bolingo in reply to lkhenderson]

Thank you. Please put me in your prayers

[Castildd]

Hi Bolingo! I just got my transplant about 2 weeks ago so I understand the fear and anxiety that comes from the process. I was never on dialysis but got down to a GFR of 7. It’s a miracle that I didn’t end up on dialysis. The medicine can definitely be overwhelming and the cell cept/envarsus has caused me some stomach aches as well as trouble sleeping and anxiety. However, I think those symptoms are leveling out. I’m most worried about my creatinine levels which haven’t dropped as much. Doctors say this could happen sometimes even if kidney is coming from living donor. Interested in knowing how your experience is going so far!

Sending all positive vibes to you.

[Bolingo in reply to Castildd]

Thanks for the feedback Castildd, it means a a few weeks behind you. My donor/brother is currently being tested to see if he's fit to donate. I hope all these checks out positive then I'll have a date for surgery. Still anxious and hopeful that all works out by God's grace