Got covid - when test turns negative? - Kidney Transplant

Kidney Transplant

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Got covid - when test turns negative?

Live_Positive profile image
15 Replies

I am 53 yrs male. I had successful transplant 10 months ago. Everything has been going well by God Grace. Thankful for new life, living every moment with gratitude.

Unfortunately, I got covid 12 days ago. I had fever for initial 2 days and then all subsided. My transplant team stopped my Mycophenolate for 5 days and started me on anti viral for 5 days. Dr. spoke to me after 5 days and asked me to start back the mycophenolate. I had/have no other symptoms. I have been doing well except for very light running nose.

Today I did covid test at home, still coming positive. How long does it take to come negative? Any experience ?

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Live_Positive profile image
Live_Positive
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15 Replies
TeacherMommy profile image
TeacherMommy

I had a very similar experience at about 6 months post transplant. I tested positive for 14 days. Glad you have weathered the covid storm so we’ll!

sugabear profile image
sugabear

it’s documented that people who are immunosuppressed will test positive for longer.

Live_Positive profile image
Live_Positive in reply to sugabear

thank you for this info

Porter20 profile image
Porter20 in reply to sugabear

my doctor told me that as well but mine went away at week 3 it did last longer than my husband.

Gardner-NY profile image
Gardner-NY

Hello, did you have to be admitted to the hospital for all this care? Glad you are doing so well. My spouse got his transplant 4.5 yrs ago and we both live like its March 2020 still . THanks for sharing and I wish you well.

Live_Positive profile image
Live_Positive in reply to Gardner-NY

thanks for your reply. No I was at home, had 2 days of low fever. That’s all. No other symptoms other than running nose for few days. Thank fully .

TaffyTwoshoes27 profile image
TaffyTwoshoes27 in reply to Gardner-NY

I definitely feel you guys! I don't even go to church b/c the parishioners are all about NOT wearing masks (like I DARE Covid to get in me!). I still stay home, alone, quite a bit and it is getting quite depressing. Good luck to you and your spouse!

Gardner-NY profile image
Gardner-NY in reply to TaffyTwoshoes27

HI TaffyTwoshoes27. when i explain to friends and family how isolated I live for my spouse who received his kidney transplant 4.5 yrs ago, they still "don't get it". I am very much an extrovert and this situation has put me in my first in life depression that started may 2020 to now. i've wracked my mind and read self help type books and see a counselor and neither help me due to being away from people in the manner I'm used to. zoom type stuff i dislike alot, i feel i've tried everything . I'm now trying to figure out "radical acceptance" which is a psychology term to move onward. we've been married 45 yrs and have handled many medical issues in the past , but this covid19 and keeping my husband safe has been beyond difficult. everyone's risk factor with a transplant is different . his doctors have not been helpful. it's like they don't have suggestions to give to help. would you be interested in emailing me in a relationship? I don't know if healthunlocked has something like private communication or not. i've never tried it. big hugs to you. I get it!

TaffyTwoshoes27 profile image
TaffyTwoshoes27 in reply to Gardner-NY

I can feel your dilemma. I am single (the transplant patient) and live alone. The cat tries to be nice, but she has the personality of...well....a CAT (aloof). [I had to have my dog I LOVED put down in 2020. I'm still very sad about that.]To follow someone and start private chats, click on my Avatar (Taffy). It will take you to my profile. Click "Follow" and there will be a button to "Start Chat". Those are private. Then, if we write to each other, you will see an alert under the "Chat" link on the top of the screen (when logging in) or at the bottom banner in other situations (like now, while I am replying to you on my Android phone, the menu is below the "B I U @ 😀[photo icon]. Cursor down a couple times and you'll see a second menu: "My Hub" "Chat" "Post" "Alert", etc. "Chat" is where you type private msgs. to ppl you have "Followed".

I've made a few friends on here, but I don't check the email acct associated with this acct as often as I used to (where HealthUnlocked alerts you that there is a new Chat available).

I'm TaffyTwoshoes27 and I'll follow you.

We'll try it.

Before Kidney Disease, I was an extrovert too and now I stay isolated. (Most of my friends and social buddies were thru work folks). Not to take his side, but maybe that is the case with your husband - men don't make a lot of casual friends anyway, but I bet it gets harder when they have a chronic illness or a transplant. Once a person has to quit work and go on disability (11 yrs ago for me when I was 57 yrs old), I ended up losing a lot of friends and acquaintances. I'm still healing and get tired (and lazy). I'm sure your husband feeling that way (tired/healing/lazy) does sort of put a kibosh on your socializing and your desire to get out and have fun.

I hope you don't give your hubby too hard of a time.

Maybe you could come to an agreement that so many days of the week you will go out and socialize with girlfriends and he will maybe have a Care.com or other caregiver or a friend to spend the evening with.

After such a major surgery, I haven't felt like myself anymore.

I can understand your point of view too. I've been doing some additional research on mental issues because I have to see a psychiatrist for one of my medications. Recently I read that a lot of big pharma and doctors try to keep "mentally challenged" or depressed patients on depression medication forever for financial gain to the doctors and pharmacies. Have you ever noticed how much depression medications keep coming out as "new" and "improved"? AND, definitely more expensive! I have had to file for patient assistance programs (PAPs) with several BigPharma companies, such as astrazeneca, Bausch and others to get help with paying for the pricey Medication. If they have so much alleged expertise in this area, why can't they make the final, working medication that can address ALL the kinds of depression that most of the population deals with -- without the horrible side effects that most of the depression medication creates?

I even read that they have never proven that there is such a thing as a "chemical imbalance" in the brain that is attributable to depression. They pretty much blamed big pharma and doctors for continually keeping patients on depression medication and changing it or increasing dosages many times as the medication begins to not address the depression.

They are VERY expensive medications (the article I read said that some people think that big pharma and the doctors are in cahoots with one another and that the doctors invest heavily in the stock of big pharma companies. I was always under the impression from the lawyers I worked for that it is illegal for doctors to participate in buying stock for medication companies they write for their patients. However, there are always family members and spouses they could use to circumvent this issue -- like Nancy Pelosi does with her husband (a stock broker).

I have decided I'm going to stop taking all the antidepression medication, except alprazolam, which is for anxiety and I take at night to sleep. I think - although it will be a very disciplinary issue -- that eating right, getting daily exercise (even just walking) and having weekly meetings with friends or craft classes or something that makes you happy is much better than spending all that money on drugs that have terrible side effects. I'm not saying it will be easy to do, but the articles I have read say this is possibly the way to get out of these funks! Meditation, yoga, calming music -- anything you like to help you get out of the bad thoughts you are having and calm your brain.

I hope these suggestions may help. I look forward to hearing from you again.

Gardner-NY profile image
Gardner-NY in reply to TaffyTwoshoes27

hello, i will try the private messaging this week. i had a minor hand surgery and limited on what i can do typing and i'm a fast typist. thanks for caring.

Blue-Quilter profile image
Blue-Quilter

My transplant was October of 2019. I had covid last April (2022) so likely one of the newer variants. Fever for two days, aching for a week, slight cough, no appetite. It took three weeks to get a negative test, which was required to go back to work. But the fatigue! Man that was brutal and lasted a good six weeks! Hope you dodged that part of it!

TaffyTwoshoes27 profile image
TaffyTwoshoes27 in reply to Blue-Quilter

I've known some people that may have slight chronic conditions, but nothing like kidney disease or a transplant like us. They have had Covid a couple times and it was pretty mild but had them down a week to 10 days.I wish covid would disappear and take this country's current mentality and corruption with it!

Porter20 profile image
Porter20

They usually do monoclonal antibodies. I had it too after 10 months. I ended up fine no treatments they were out of the antibodies. By the time they had them in I was almost well. You will be fine. 🙏🏻

TaffyTwoshoes27 profile image
TaffyTwoshoes27 in reply to Porter20

I was told by my transplant hospital that I would have a second monoclonal antibody vaccine around December/January 2023. All of a sudden, the Hospital called me and told me that they had found out the monoclonal antibody vaccine had been tested against the omicron variant of covid and it did nothing to prevent it from attacking the immunosuppressed patients.

TaffyTwoshoes27 profile image
TaffyTwoshoes27

I'm glad it was a very mild case for you. I am close in transplant time to you, about 15 months ago (waited 11 yrs for transplant and was 66 yrs old when I got the call).

I'm definitely afraid of getting Covid and have probably isolated myself too much just because there's too much crazy out there right now as well as the omicron variant is still out there and killing people, albeit not as many, especially b/c I have a mild case of COPD from my parents smoking in closed vehicles, the house and around me for 17 years of my life.

I have been told and saw on TV just like last night that the free boxed Covid tests that were given free by Medicare and even the ones from doctors can show a false positive or a false negative.

If you are eligible (on SSDI, SSI or over 65 yrs old), order free Covid tests from Medicare. I have a pharmacy name and phone number you can call if you would like to check if you are eligible for the free test (free shipping too). You can order up to eight tests free tests per month if you are on medicare.

NOTE: THIS PROGRAM FOR FREE MEDICARE COVID TESTS SENT TO YOUR HOUSE FOR FREE WILL BE ENDING MAY 11, 2023.

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