I am a kidney transplant recipient who has been through a public health initiative to have a kidney transplant. I, however, find myself faced with the same problems everyone else does when starting new – worry about how I would adjust to life now, how my body will react to the surgery and recovery, and how society would react to the fact that I’m receiving a new organ.
What is a Kidney Transplant?
A kidney transplant is a surgical procedure to replace a diseased, damaged or removed organ. It can be done in three ways, using either an organ from a deceased donor, an organ from a living donor (parent or sibling), or by implanting the patient’s own donated kidney into their body.
How Does a Kidney Transplant Work?
A kidney transplant is the most common type of organ transplant. The procedure involves removing a diseased organ, usually the kidneys, by surgery, and replacing it with an healthy donor kidney. Kidney transplants are typically successful and lead to a better quality of life for patients. Recovery from transplantation can be challenging in some cases, but with proper medical attention many patients can resume normal, healthy lives after completing treatment.
Experience of Resuming Life After Kidney Transplant
The first few weeks after the kidney transplant were intense. The body was going through a lot of changes, such as adjusting to the new organ and getting used to the medications. After four months, I went back to work and I took it easy for almost two years until my body started rejecting the kidney. This happened several times before finally giving up on my kidneys entirely. Now, I’m searching for the best way to live with an artificial kidney that has been donated by my sister and is in need of a home.
Tips for Beginning Your Recovery Period
My kidney transplant was completed on June 19th, 2014. I began to feel well enough to be discharged from the hospital three days later and went home with my parents. My first few weeks of recovery were challenging but life seemed worth living again for the first time in a long time. I slowly started back at work, slowly started exercising again, and slowly got back into the swing of things one day at a time.
What to Expect When You Begin the Recovery Process
Depending on your condition, you may have to remain in the hospital for a few days or weeks. Your doctors will decide when you can go home. However, know that it’s not the end of the world. Keep an upbeat attitude, work hard on all aspects of your recovery, and do whatever you can to make your stay as comfortable as possible.
Homework While Recovering from a Kidney Transplant
After almost two years of waiting, I woke up in the hospital to a dialysis machine, bedridden and unable to move for the first time in longer than I could remember. I had been told that my kidneys were deteriorating faster than they could be replaced, and that only a transplant would save me.
Conclusion
For my whole life, I have always been sick. My health problems started as a teenager and continued until I was admitted to the hospital for kidney failure in 2008. By that time, a team of doctors finally found out what was wrong with me. After undergoing a decade of treatment and surgeries, the doctors discovered that my kidneys were irreversibly damaged due to chronic hypertension and too much protein in my diet. I had to be on dialysis while waiting for a kidney transplant that never came. This left me trapped and in pain; able to do nothing but wait for my inevitable death.