A couple of Qs for those who've had transplants....

[SugarBear]

 

[MaryJoe]

   Oh lanie, I'm so happy for you...and your amazing dad!    

MJ

[lainiepop]

thanks guys! had emotional reunion with dad yesterday even docs Were cying they said they never seen a Kidney work so well so fast. they did say before 0P dad had super function for his age! he's gone home, i'm very sore & pretty swollen & extra complicated cos of my different bladder structure but hopefully we're on track!
I haven't seen ' myself but am told I look good & about 18 hehe! x

[brandywine]

Laniepop, SO glad that things are going so well for you. I'm almost 2 weeks post-op and keep having minor complications. Here are my answers to your questions, better late than never.
1. How did you feel when you woke up? Awful. I kept throwing up from the anesthesia.

2. How long were you in the recovery room for before you were moved to a ward? About 2-3 hours

3. How long after did you drink/eat something? I tried ice chips that night because I was so thirsty but I kept getting sick so they stopped until the next morning. I was able to eat a normal breakfast after holding down some water.

4. How soon after did they make you (or did you want to?!) get up and about? The next morning.

5. How long til your kidney function started/improved? Fairly quickly. When I was discharged from the hospital I was at 1.4. Now I'm 1.7. The doctor's are having a time with my prograf balance.

6. When did you feel more like yourself again? I don't yet. There are so many side effects of the meds. My stomach is tore up bad. I'm extremely sensitive to heat. My hands and feet keep burning/itching, and I have headaches.

7. When did u feel ready to drive/resume normality?! They haven't told me when I can drive.

8. Ive heard you can 'feel' the donor kidney afterwards, as in feel it being there, is this true? I definitely can, or I think I can. it's just above my incision.

9. Did you have live or cadaver donor? (this is just my nosiness lol). Live, my donor was 68.

10. If you had a live donor when did u get to see/speak to them/know they were doing ok? She came to visit me the first night, but I was out of it mostly. I went to visit her the next day.

11. Last thing, they mentioned on the phone something about a doppler, which they they connect to the kidney and to a machine which tells them kidney is working, i'd never heard of this its not in my booklets, doe anyone know what it is or had one? I've had two ultrasounds. The first one showed swelling in my new kidney, but the second was clean. My blood flow is a little weak.

[lainiepop]

thought it was about time i answered my own questions am now 5 days post op.

1. How did you feel when you woke up?
tired groggy sicky. worried cos had only been in surgery about 3hrs and had been told may take 6 cos of my bladder complications so was scared kidney didnt go in. it did, upside down !

2. How long were you in the recovery room for before you were moved to a ward?
maybe a couple hours. i was asleep the first hour then talked gobbeldygook the next half hr, i dont remember this tho.

3. How long after did you drink/eat something?
just had sips of water for first couple days cos i kept throwing up. onl just wanted to really eat yesterday asbeen so swollen

4. How soon after did they make you (or did you want to?!) get up and about?
i wanted to gt out day 2 but was so weak from low hb nearly fainted. i lost blood as my op was more complicated and had some blood which perked me up. got out day 3 but am still in quite a bit of pain.

5. How long til your kidney function started/improved?
instantly i think. tues morn before op creatinine was 500, wed morn 299, wed night 194, thurs morn 117, thurs night 87. then thy stopped fluids through drip  and sat morn 93 o we;ll see where that goes but i dont remember it ever being less than 140.

6. When did you feel more like yourself again?
after blood transfusion. if it weren for the pain id feel pretty good

7. When did u feel ready to drive/resume normality?!
notyet

8. Ive heard you can 'feel' the donor kidney afterwards, as in feel it being there, is this true?
not sure too sore

9. Did you have live or cadaver donor? (this is just my nosiness lol)
live my dad age 66

10. If you had a live donor when did u get to see/speak to them/know they were doing ok?
transplan  nurse told me he was fine, he came to see me on day 3 the day he went home. im on level 3 hes on 8 so a long way from me

11. Last thing, they mentioned on the phone something about a doppler, which they they connect to the kidney and to a machine which tells them kidney is working, i'd never heard of this its not in my booklets, doe anyone know what it is or had one? The girl i spoke to wasn't the transplant nurse but works with them, she didnt seem to know if u only had it for cadaver donors and couldnt tell me what exactly it was, which is why i looked it up in the transplant book which explains the things u'll have and says possibly a stent but no mention of this doppler. Did many of u have a stent? Do u know why some do and some don't?
doppler was inside connected to kidne so can hear it workin, they tok it out yesterday. i have a stent.
Marie x
[/quote]

[lainiepop]

brandy glad your transplant went well too hope they sort your levels out soon.

my creatinine was 87 his morning so been stable the last 3 days they wont tell me anything else just that alls ok and stop worrying but im terrified of it all going wrong.xx

[WishIKnew]

Oh lainiepop, I clearly remember the fear that I had.  They kept telling me all was great and I kept worrying!  With each passing healthy day the fear diminishes a little, but I won't lie to you.  At 4 months out I still worry a great deal that something will go wrong.  Right now I have a chest cold and my anxiety is on high alert. 

My friend got me a bracelet that says TRUST, and I think that's the key, hard as it is, we've got our lives back and now it's our job to learn to trust it.  Did you name your kidney?  Mine is Sheldon and I talk to him a lot.  Promise to do my best to take care of him.  Thank him for doing such a wonderful job.  Sounds silly, I know, but I think it helps me build a trust, like we are in this together. 

Lainiepop i think of you and your dad all the time.  My dad passed away suddenly almost 20 years ago, long before my kidney problems were real to me.  We donated his organs.  Nine people got transplants.   I know I did not get my dad's kidney, like you did.  But I do think, in a karma, pay it forward sort of way I did get my dad's kidney.  Anyway, I'm babbling.  Wishing you the best today and all the days to come.  I know your dad's home.  How is he doing?

 

[lainiepop]

thanks wish i knew. your not babbling i get what your  saying. i feel so bonded to my  dad now and we;re both so emotional. hes happy as i was born wrong and hes fixed me, let me avoid dialysis and gained my son and daughter too.

i do trust and we go  to church and my faith  has helped, altho wavered when we had real issues conceiving i now see the timing was right with the baby the kidney failure and dad donating as if it hhad happened a few yrs later dad would be too old.

they took my wound drain and  neck line out today, wound drain hurt and am still prety sore! xx

[lainiepop]

Hi everyone am 8 days post OP & home with mum dad hubby & Kids. Got to go back for bloods etc & to have my catheter & stent removed by my urologi st cos of my unusual bladder structure.
left on a high with last 2 days creatinine being 79 gfr 78! I know it will fluctuate up but just so amazed it even reached that sort of figure. looking forward to getting some sleep tonight , there was a right snorer on my ward Lol! x