If there were six like you

[GoingThere]

"We would all go crazy" was the statement of a young doctor at my last clinic visit. I always prepare myself with the latest data, researches, I do read "their stuff": UpToDate. I admit I have "heavy" questions. Currently I would like more to know about the relationship between types, numbers of rejections and levels of PRA.

Last week I also suggested a new research topic. I would like to see if and what is the relationship between acute rejections and playing sports. In the last 4 months 3 kidney patients (including me) were transplanted who are active, do play sports and we three had severe acute rejections: ACR, AMR banff IIB.

GT

 

[cariad]

"We would all go crazy" was the statement of a young doctor at my last clinic visit. I always prepare myself with the latest data, researches, I do read "their stuff": UpToDate. I admit I have "heavy" questions. Currently I would like more to know about the relationship between types, numbers of rejections and levels of PRA.

Last week I also suggested a new research topic. I would like to see if and what is the relationship between acute rejections and playing sports. In the last 4 months 3 kidney patients (including me) were transplanted who are active, do play sports and we three had severe acute rejections: ACR, AMR banff IIB.

GT

 

I love the comment! I would take that as a badge on honour, Uros! That is just about the nicest compliment I could imagine from a doctor. Keep the questions coming, you will motivate them to prepare more for your visits.

Personally, I woudl guess that physical activity would tend to improve the transplant prognosis, but that is a troubling trend you've noticed. I imagine the first issue they would look at is adequate hydration, because aside from some sort of blunt force trauma to the kidney (a football to the stomach or similar) I think that is the only other real danger. I think this may be an unfortunate coincidence. The first year tends to be rocky for most, extremely so for a few like yourself, and easy peasy for a few others. Are you on standard meds? Are the doses being closely monitored? The newer drugs can reach toxic levels pretty easily, and that can cause creatinine spikes and fear, but so long as things are adjusted in a timely manner, it doesn't tend to lead to long term damage.

You mention PRA. Have they measured yours since your transplant?

I hope things smooth out for you soon. 

[MaryD]

I ask the 'heavy' questions, too, but now I know who doesn't look at me with a confused, embarrassed look on their faces when I ask.  There is one nurse and one nephrologist who can go into mind-numbing detail in answering my queries.  I can ask them how something would look if it were graphed, or the relationship between PTH and corrected calcium and if they aren't sure they will check it out for me.  At least I have never been told not to worry my pretty little head about something.