Mom finally got a new kidney, and things arent going so smooth...

[shan22]

So we finally got the call we have been waiting for. After 6 years of an uphill batte my mom got the call a kidney was available for her! This will be her 3rd kidney transplant, with the last one lasting 16 years! The day after the transplant she was so talkative, and perky we are assuming thats from the meds. Kidney didn't start working right away, which we have been told that is normal (but scary). Slowly each day she started making a little more urine, and by 7 days post surgery she had made a liter. She had dialysis 3 times, and now hasn't dialyzed since Monday. Its now Sunday. The last 2 days she says she just feels horrible, no energy, no motivation. Her Labs all come back OK, well Hemoglobin around 8.1. (Which might account for her having no energy?) She just wants to sleep though her recovery and wake up and have it all fixed and working great. (which I dint blame her) They took her Foley catheter out Friday, but she had low urine output all day so Saturday they put the catheter back in because a bladder scan has showed her bladder was full. Her lungs are clear, she is very bloated and swollen. She says she feels so uncomfortable. Her Creatine is 3.4 but when she went into the hospital it was about 7. The Dr's say her creating will slowly drop, and she is making urine, and labs are good, so its getting rid of the toxins. Again she is 55 years old, and has been through hell and back with medical problems. I guess she was just expecting this kidney to work like the other one, and she would just pop up like before and feel great! The Dr's don't see to concerned, but we are. Just wondering if this kind of stuff is normal post kidney transplant, or if anyone else has experienced difficulty after their transplant.

[monrein]

I know it feels discouraging and I always wish everything would  just go smoothly but these really are early days.  Everything seems to get more complex as we age and transplants are no exception...heck youth is no guarantee with transplants either.

Keep on being there for your Mom, that makes such a difference and I hope that the uphill climb will flatten out soon and get smoother. 

[Romona]

I hope things go smoother for your Mom. Her hemoglobin is very low and she is going to be very tired.

[Rerun]

Check with her doctors, but I would say she should be drinking lots of water to clear out her system if the kidney is working that would be a good thing.

Best wishes and prayers.       

[jbeany]

Tell her to hang in there - some of us just get "slow starters" for spare parts.  I'd want to sleep all the time with a hemoglobin that low, too! ( Mine bottomed out to high 7's after my transplant, and I couldn't even stand up without getting dizzy.)  Hope your mom bounces back soon!

[jennyc]

Hey, it's rough but does slow down. Is your mum still on pain meds (even oral pain meds)? They really mess you around and make you tired, irritable, yucky, aggro and made me cry. That mixed with the low hemoglobin does mess you up a bit (also they are sticking her every day so they are taking quite a bit of blood which adds to it).

My creatinine took a little while to come down and my urine is still picking up after 8 weeks. I got very overloaded becuase they pump you full of fluid during surgery then the keep pumping you after surgery. Also i had an issue where it all went to my right leg (side the kidney is on) once i got up and walked around it went to the peritoneal cavity.

It is very slow but picking up each day, creatinine has dropped from 1200 to 150 (13.6 to 1.7 in US terms) so it does happen. Water is the main thing to get her to remember, drink as much as she can pass and then 500mls more.

My creatinine dropped fast in the first few days, getting to 500 after about 5 days, then rejection hit and it stopped dropping and rose, then once rejection was sorted it began to fall again, it was a little slower but now it's stable.

Good luck with you mum and hope all goes well

[RichardMEL]

Hey Jenny you need to update your signature!!!