Judyth,

Congratulations on being so close to transplant!!! You have so many things going for you already...clearly you are greatly loved by your daughter, you sound very motivated to be the best you can as you go into surgery and by receiving a living donor kidney you will have the best chance possible for a good outcome. Such amazing news!

As a recipient of a Living Donor kidney myself there are a few things I can recommend and I hope they are helpful as you prepare for surgery. First off it is very important that you stay healthy:
Wash your hands frequently
Keep hand sanitizer with you
Avoid sick people
Eat well cooked food to avoid any stomach issues or contamination
Rest when you can
If you are able to stay at the Gift of Life Transplant House you should (great support, much cleaner than a germy hotel, and they facilitate blood draws etc. with Mayo).

It will be hard for you to get a lot of exercise with your injury but perhaps your transplant nurse can suggest some breathing techniques and low impact workouts to keep your heart and lungs strong and active.

I can't say what dietary restrictions you might encounter post transplant but I am no longer able to have grapefruit or pomegranate so I wish I would have enjoyed them a few last times before I started on my new meds. Just a thought, again I have no idea if you'll encounter restrictions.

Another silly tip is to maybe be to increase your dietary fiber in the days leading up to surgery because it can take a bit for your bowels to "wake up" afterwards. You'll have an incision that will thank you for not adding any extra strain, make sense. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure on this one.

I hope some of these ideas help you. I am so happy for you. Keep us all posted as things progress.

Jolinda

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