@rosemarya Rosemary, you are an inspiration! I hate going to the gym part of my club and do not do it as much as I should, most of my activity is confined to the pool. Maybe you will inspire me to do the gym more.
Have a great time in the Great Smoky Mountains. Up here the mountains are cooler -- you need to come to New England!
I do not see my pre-transplant people at all now, but I love seeing my transplant surgeon. Initially I was such a mess and now I am looking very well. I know it is very gratifying for him to see his patients recover so well.
JK

@rosemarya I have to go weekly until my next appointment with him in September.

Thankfully they have some type of agreement with a group of labs called "quest labs" that are all over the place. It's about 10 minutes down the road. There is just one person there, she does the blood draw and sends it "stat" to MA where it is analyzed. I cannot imagine how much that must cost, for just my blood to go about an hour away! I get an email in the afternoon telling me the results are in and that I can see them on the portal. I have gotten so friendly with the phlebotomist that she is almost like a friend now.
JK

@contentandwell, My kidney failure came before my transplant. It was due to hepatorenal failure. Often the kidney resumes working after transplant. But my kidneys just stopped and there was no hope that they would revive.
I have never seen those figures for kidney post liver transplant. I am already beyond those 6 years!
I think that the step machine would be bad on your knees.
Rosemary

@rosemarya Thanks, probably stepping would be, although I do the treadmill and my bike. You don't lift your feet on the stepping machine do you? That helps with lessening impact.
JK

@rosemarya II'm sure you must make your transplant team very happy. They must be proud of the remarkable progress you have made.
The Great Smoky Mts will be a great place to hike! So lovely. While exercise-induced asthma can be a distraction if you hike at your own pace and use your inhaler and meds you should do fine. I will thinking and praying for you! Teresa

@contentandwell, The machine that you are describing sounds like one that I used once in a PT setting. That might work for you. If you try it, take it easy. The one in the gym is like a monstrous reversed escalator, and the steps are 8 or 10 inches high. The trainer directed me to it as a way to strengthen my legs for uphill hiking. It is the machine that most people avoid!
Rosemary

@rosemarya, the machine I am referring to is like steps that you "climb" up but the steps move. Now that I think of it I guess you do have to lift your feet but I suspect the impact is not as hard as in running or walking. They are extremely large/tall. The downstairs gym in my facility has them next to the windows that look out on the hallway. When I go to the club later today I will try to get a picture of one. I generally go to the upstairs gym -- a lot more older people like myself are up there. People who lift and do really serious machines use the downstairs one -- where my son goes when he is on visiting.
JK

@contentandwell - I recently learned at my local lab that the labs I get to monitor our kidney function are high cost labs and keep this tiny lab with one phlebotomist in business. It's hard to believe a few vials of blood and urine sample bring in that much money. I guess it's more complex than a CBC. I'm so thankful that I have good insurance and am not aware of the cost of the labs. I too have become friendly with my phlebotomist. I'm not sure if I mentioned that at my last lab she offered to get tested to be a living donor for me. What a great visit that was!

Oh, that reminds me that I should update you on my Mayo trip. My recent local nephrologist labs had me at a GFR of 20 and my ER visit had me at a GFR of 19 but in May my GFR with Mayo labs and their calculations was 22 so no transplant team visit yet.

@ contentandwell - Can I be so bold as to ask when and why you stopped seeing your transplant team? I'm going to be getting my transplant at Mayo and I don't live close by the hospital so I'm just curious how and when the transition happens.

@contentandwell - I agree, changing doctors is daunting, especially when you have major health issues but sometimes it is needed. Do your best to ask around for some referrals and find out why people like their doctor not just who they go to. Would your transplant team be able to refer you to anyone?

Love the picture. How do you post a picture?