At one year post transplant how had your weight changed?

[WishIKnew]

For those of us who have reached or passed the one year mark, how much weight have/had you gained or lost since transplant?  If you're willing to share.

[Roxy]

My transplant was 5.5yrs ago, but one year after I don't remember any real difference in my weight. I was also on a steroid-free protocol at the time. When I had my rejection episode about a year ago and was given steroids plus put on prednisone as a part of my immunosuppressants, I gained about 10 pounds and I have taken off about 15 since then.

[jeannea]

About 10 pounds gained. Hate that part.

[KarenInWA]

I've gained approximately 10 pounds. However, I am different. I've been skinny my whole life, so I've embraced my new weight. Makes me feel more womanly. I'm also 5'8", so it fits nicely on my frame.

KarenInWA

[cariad]

Gah! What a time for me to read this question as I am despairing over my weight.

One year post transplant I would say I weighed around 115, so depending on what starting weight you chose, anywhere from a 10-20 pound gain. At the hospital, I would always weigh in at almost exactly 118 thanks to the leather boots and full-length jacket that I almost always wear to visits.

Last time I checked my scale, it said 120.... until earlier this week. The scale had run out of batteries (again) so I changed them out and when I stepped on the scale, it said 130. This is alarming! Then I had Gwyn weigh himself and it told him he is near his highest weight ever. I held out some hope that the scale had worn down and was no longer accurate. I had the boys weigh themselves - being boys they see weight gain as good news. So Dyl jumps up there and it says he weighs 39 pounds. Huh? He was closer to 60 in America. Aidan weighed himself and he supposedly weighed 49 pounds (used to be around 75). What is going on here?  

Somehow this devious little instrument has found a way to make us all unhappy. I am terrified that if it is telling me that the boys are that light, it means that it's coming in much too low and that I actually weigh closer to 150 or 160 (a weight I have never in my life reached). Now that scale has decided that I weigh130, it absolutely will not waver in that judgement no matter what I do.

I have assumed that the scale is accurate until I learn otherwise, so I've been dieting for 2 days now - even if I don't lose weight, I need to at least improve the foods I eat. I'd like to weigh 105. I am the type who will always see myself as grotesquely fat, but I think I would be better able to accept 105, 110. I just don't feel right at this weight.

[noahvale]

*

[coravh]

Even though I was on steroid avoidance, I gained about 40 pounds after my transplant. This was due to the fact that my diet was so limited while I was on hemo that there wasn't much I could eat without sending various levels through the roof. I dove into food whole oink after I was out of the hospital. I took about half of it off gradually over the next few years after than and then I became quite ill and lost all that extra padding and then some. I am still underweight, but doing quite well at the 10 year mark.

Cora

[edersham]

Over the last 3 years post transplant my weight has gone from 200 to 225 to 210 to 240 to 185 currently.  This roller coaster has been caused by steroids, chronic rejection, angina, copd,severe coronary artery disease, three cardiac stents, numerous heart attacks, and finally, open heart double bypass surgery on Christmas eve.  My creatinine got as high as 3.6 right after the heart surgery but is currently 2.3 and I feel the best I have since the transplant. My goal is to get my weight to 170. On a heart and kidney healthy low sodium diet I feel I can get there.

[MooseMom]

whole oink

Brilliant!

[Speedy1wrc]

I lost 17lbs in the 22 days I was in the hospital post transplant due to not eating. I had a ton of complications and staff errors. When I finally got out I came down with CMV which they didn't diagnose for several months, so not much eating again, and minimal wieght gain. It was a good 6 months before I was back to "normal". In the next six months I gained back about 10lbs of what I had lost. I kept at that weight for 6 1/2 years till my transplants failed, again due to Dr error, and I started putting on a ton of fluid weight. I was up almost 26 lbs when I started dialysis again. I lost that fluid weight over maybe a month or so. I got sick with the flu again this past January and lost 18 lbs and have now been maintaining a dry weight about 16-17 lbs from where I am used to being. Starting tomorrow my dry weight drops another lb.

[RichardMEL]

In metric land down here pounds aren't really my thing but I put on about 10% post tx based on my then D dry weight so I went from 78.5kg to roughly 85. I reckon a year post I was hovering between 85-87 which I was comfy with - just the high end of normal BMI.. I've kind of blown out a bit since then where I've peaked at 90 (so about 20% total gain) but back to 88 then 90. I am sure being seduced by ice cream in recent times hasn't helped and like the "full oink" I have been enjoying food when I can even with a pretty low dose of 5mg pred.

they always said pre-tx that weight gain would come and you just won't get it off - though some here have said they have and I'm envious!!! I try and keep exercise up (I walk a lot) and stuff but it doesn't seem to help much when I weigh in.

I'm now technically overweight BMI and that is not fun but when I put my "perspective hat" on if this is the biggest (no pun intended!) complaint/issue I have post tx I'm probably doing pretty well....

I still would like to drop 3-4kg !!!

[Speedy1wrc]

I can't believe the BMI scales. I know they have changed them here, but they still are rediculous. Pre-transplant last time in 2005 they told me that I had to be below a 25 on the scale. At that time I was 5'11" and 170lbs. I was in decent shape but according to the BMI scale I was still 25lbs over weight. Even now with the BMI scales changed I am still considered barely in range. I am 5'10" (I have shrunk with age and all the prednisone) and only 157lbs. I am just under the threshold for being overweight! Everyone who sees me for the first time in awhile tells me I look scary thin. I do notice the difference and there isn't much left to take off if anything. I'm not sure where the logic is in the BMI scales.