story time: receiving a kidney transplant🤗
Hello lemon8, today I wanted to give a more in-depth #storytime about how my transplant went down. This is a bit of a long story, but i’ll try to keep it entertaining.
On saturday, June 8th, I received a call from my transplant coordinator. She told me she had a donor offer, (deceased donor) and this was actually the first offer I ever received. I had been on peritoneal dialysis for about 2 years at this point, and the average wait on dialysis before transplant is 5-8 years for my blood type in my state.
As she explained the offer, that the kidney was from a recently deceased man in texas, who was relatively young, had no health problems, and was an absolutely perfect match, I was dumbfounded. I was also #2 on the list for this specific kidney (each deceased kidney has a list, depending on how good the match is and on the patients wait time on the deceased donor list), meaning it was highly likely that this kidney could come to me.
Earlier when I said perfect match, there are 6 main markers that they use to determine a match. If you have 1-5, the kidney should work but the likelihood of issues or rejection is higher. To match all 6 is more or less like winning the lottery, and this match was that for me.
The circumstances of this felt somehow cosmic, my illness had already in some ways put my life on a track that felt more right even though the experience was challenging and painful at times. This however, reminded me that things happen for a reason. The fact I only waited two years, the donor was a middle-aged man from texas when I am located in NC (normally, the pool to find deceased donors does not reach so far), the fact it was my very first offer and a perfect match, it was all too perfect to believe.
I told my coordinator I was very much ready to accept this kidney if I could, and she said she would call back the next day, on Sunday. She did just that and called around 6pm, letting me and my family know to be at the hospital by 10pm, and that my transplant would likely be first thing the next morning. It was a shock still at this point, and there was no time to process. We all packed and made our way to ECU.
After doing the necessary tests and labs, I got an IV and spent the night in the hospital. Around 8 the next morning, I was in pre-op. At this time I was weirdly calm, almost eerily so, and you might not believe this but I swear it’s true; I felt fully at peace and trusted my gut feeling that this was right and I knew I would be just fine. As I wheeled into the OR, my mom was crying and my dad looked emotional too. If anything, I almost cried just because they were but held it together.
Everything went perfectly smoothly, and although in pain I was so happy that the big part was over with. My best friend and boyfriend visited me and stayed with me in the hospital, and my family was there as well. By the next day I was walking, not a lot, but I was on my feet as it is policy to walk asap post-transplant to help get that blood pumping.
The rest of my hospital stay was more or less typical. My transplant was monday, and my thursday the same week, I was leaving the hospital to go home. Little did I know Thursday-Sunday would be the hardest days of recovery without the same meds I had in the hospital, and I am lucky my mom was able to take care of me.
About 2 weeks later I had another smaller operation to remove the stint from my new kidney to my bladder, as well as removing my peritoneal dialysis catheter. I was pretty chilled about this too, at this point i’m quite used to most things medical and it kinda takes a lot to really shake me. I wasn’t shaken before, but humbled a bit after as the pain was worse than I expected for a few days. Nevertheless, I am still recovering really really well, and can walk around and go places as I wish as long as i’m not doing too much. Today marks a month since my transplant, and i’m doing great. I feel so lucky and grateful to have been given the gift of life by another and his family, and hope to one day write to them to personally express my gratitude and appreciation.
This was a realllly long post so if you made it this far, I really hope you were entertained or that you enjoyed my story! This has definitely been a journey and the crazy thing is, assuming I live long enough I will almost definitely need another transplant in the future, as I only have one properly working kidney. At least i’ll be prepared:) Anyways, if anyone has any questions about my experience, whether it be about peritoneal dialysis, the transplant process, my healing, anything really at all, I am more than happy to answer anything and help people learn about this as it is something many more people go through than I feel like a lot of people realize.
#storytime #explore #kidney #transplant #healing #healingjourney #autoimmunedisease #dialysis
It's incredible how many of you have reached out wanting to know more about the nitty-gritty details of my kidney transplant journey, especially what happens after the surgery and how the scars heal. I totally get it – when I was preparing, I scoured the internet for real-life experiences, so I'm happy to share mine. Let's talk about the scars first, because that's often one of the first things people notice and ask about. Right after the surgery, the main surgical incision on my abdomen was quite prominent. It was a long, vertical line, initially held together with what looked like surgical glue. It felt incredibly tender, and honestly, it was a bit jarring to see. The hospital staff were amazing, constantly checking on it and making sure it was clean. Within a few days, it was partially covered by a white dressing, which became my constant companion. Changing that dressing was always a reminder of the major thing my body had just gone through. As the days turned into weeks, those initial feelings of tenderness slowly subsided. The area around the scar would often feel numb, which is apparently very common due to nerve severance during surgery. I vividly remember the itching as the wound started to heal – a sure sign of progress, even if it was annoying! Now, a month post-transplant, that vertical surgical scar is still there, but it's much less angry-looking. It's fading to a purplish-pink and becoming a part of me. I've been using gentle moisturizers, as advised, to help with the healing process. Beyond the main transplant scar, I also have a couple of smaller marks from where my peritoneal dialysis catheter was removed. Those two small, healing scars are much less noticeable, almost like tiny dimples now. It's a huge relief to not have that catheter anymore, a true symbol of my newfound freedom from dialysis. But the 'before and after' of a kidney transplant goes so much deeper than just the physical scars. Life before, on peritoneal dialysis, was a constant juggling act. Every night, I was tethered to a machine, my diet was strictly managed, and fatigue was a daily battle. Even simple plans had to revolve around my treatment schedule. Now, a month after transplant, the change in energy levels is astounding. I can walk around, go places, and truly feel like I've got a second chance at living fully. Of course, there's a new routine of medications and frequent check-ups, but it's a small price to pay for the incredible gift of a functioning kidney. Emotionally, it's been a rollercoaster. There's immense gratitude, of course, but also a quiet anxiety about rejection. Learning to trust my body again, post-surgery, has been a process. Every ache or pain makes me wonder, but then I remember the peace I felt going into surgery, and I lean on that. This journey has given me a new perspective, a deeper appreciation for life, and a strong sense of resilience. If you're going through something similar or just starting this path, know that you're not alone, and there's so much hope on the other side.
Wow. This was an emotional read. Thank you for sharing your story. 🤍 I cannot imagine what you experienced or do experience on a daily basis with one functioning kidney. I do know that you are a fighter. You are a survivor. I wish you nothing but the best and that you continue to be happy and healthy. 💛