1. < Transplants

Pre kidney transplant

Posted by Judyth @judyth, Aug 20, 2018

I am almost at Stage 5 CKD and hope to have my daughter's kidney before the year ends. She volunteered and is a match!! She's going for her 2 day exam in a week and our fingers are crossed. Are there any suggestions on how I can be in the best shape possible I have so little energy and I broke my left greater trocanter 2 months ago and have even less energy.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Transplants Support Group.

Judyth | @judyth | Sep 8, 2018
In reply to @rosemarya "@judyth, Here is a link that will give you the information about support groups that take..." + (show)
@rosemarya

@judyth, Here is a link that will give you the information about support groups that take place at the three Mayo campuses.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/patient-visitor-guide/support-groups/finding-support-group
Near bottom of page Look for: - See support groups at Mayo Clinic:
Arizona | Florida | Minnesota

Is this what you are looking for? Which Campus are you interested in?

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We’re 80 miles from Rochester so that is where I would love to chat w/others.

REPLY
Judyth | @judyth | Sep 10, 2018

We need to visit Trans House soon. My daughter completed her 4 days of tests, ec, had her mamo and Pap and are expecting her to be okayed soon! Maybe I'll get a Kristmas Kidney from her this year!

REPLY
Judyth | @judyth | Sep 13, 2018
In reply to @jolinda "Judyth, Congratulations on being so close to transplant!!! You have so many things going for you..." + (show)
@jolinda

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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Thanks for the great tips. I am so lucky to have a daughter who is a match! I am having my colonoscopy (Mayo required) next week and she had her 4 days of testing two weeks ago and, barring anything off on my colonoscopy, we should be ready to go! We still need to visit the GOL House soon to become acquainted. I keep thinking that when I wake up after my surgery I will jump off the op bed and dance around with all my new energy. How long is the usual hospital stay? Also, what is the oldest person to have a transplant that you all know?

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1 reply
marvinjsturing | @marvinjsturing | Sep 13, 2018

@judyth I love your positive thinking. I hope you have the energy to jump out of bed and dance!!! I had my evaluation a couple of weeks ago in Rochester and was just approved to get my name on the list for a kidney transplant. During my eval, I was told to expect a 3 day stay in the hospital and a 3-4 week stay at GOL. Praying that things go well for you.

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2 replies
coquifoife | @coquifoife | Sep 13, 2018
In reply to @marvinjsturing "@judyth I love your positive thinking. I hope you have the energy to jump out of..." + (show)
@marvinjsturing

@judyth I love your positive thinking. I hope you have the energy to jump out of bed and dance!!! I had my evaluation a couple of weeks ago in Rochester and was just approved to get my name on the list for a kidney transplant. During my eval, I was told to expect a 3 day stay in the hospital and a 3-4 week stay at GOL. Praying that things go well for you.

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I had my transplant 20 years ago at Emory and stayed 5 days. I’m sure it’s shorter now. Good luck!!

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Judyth | @judyth | Sep 13, 2018
In reply to @marvinjsturing "@judyth I love your positive thinking. I hope you have the energy to jump out of..." + (show)
@marvinjsturing

@judyth I love your positive thinking. I hope you have the energy to jump out of bed and dance!!! I had my evaluation a couple of weeks ago in Rochester and was just approved to get my name on the list for a kidney transplant. During my eval, I was told to expect a 3 day stay in the hospital and a 3-4 week stay at GOL. Praying that things go well for you.

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Thanks, I heard about the same times but I’d like to hear from actual recipients too.

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1 reply
Mentor
Ginger, Volunteer Mentor | @gingerw | Sep 14, 2018
In reply to @judyth "Thanks, I heard about the same times but I’d like to hear from actual recipients too." + (show)
@judyth

Thanks, I heard about the same times but I’d like to hear from actual recipients too.

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@judyth My husband had his surgery on a Saturday night, and was released on Wed. He had an extra day there due to a hospital-created CDiff infection.
Ginger

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Mentor
Rosemary, Volunteer Mentor | @rosemarya | Sep 21, 2018
In reply to @judyth "Thanks for the great tips. I am so lucky to have a daughter who is a..." + (show)
@judyth

Thanks for the great tips. I am so lucky to have a daughter who is a match! I am having my colonoscopy (Mayo required) next week and she had her 4 days of testing two weeks ago and, barring anything off on my colonoscopy, we should be ready to go! We still need to visit the GOL House soon to become acquainted. I keep thinking that when I wake up after my surgery I will jump off the op bed and dance around with all my new energy. How long is the usual hospital stay? Also, what is the oldest person to have a transplant that you all know?

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@judyth
In my mind I wanted to jump out of bed, but my strength had been depleted by the length of time with my organ failure. I did, however have a deceased donor.
I found this bit of information to share, it might give you some kind of age related information.
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/page/transplant/newsfeed/is-there-a-cut-off-age-for-kidney-transplant/

Please have a safe journey! and keep us informed.

REPLY
Mentor
Rosemary, Volunteer Mentor | @rosemarya | Oct 4, 2018
In reply to @rosemarya "@judyth, Here is a link that will give you the information about support groups that take..." + (show)
@rosemarya

@judyth, Here is a link that will give you the information about support groups that take place at the three Mayo campuses.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/patient-visitor-guide/support-groups/finding-support-group
Near bottom of page Look for: - See support groups at Mayo Clinic:
Arizona | Florida | Minnesota

Is this what you are looking for? Which Campus are you interested in?

Jump to this post

@judyth - Have you been able to connect with a support group? is 80 miles to far to travel? Here is what I found in Rochester.

Transplant support group
The solid organ transplant support group is an open group for pre- and post-transplant patients and their caregivers that meets every week.
Mondays
4 to 5 p.m.
Mayo Clinic Hospital, Saint Marys Campus
Mary Brigh Building, Conference Room 4-510
Contact: Danielle K. Peabody, L.I.C.S.W., M.S.W., at 507-284-6658

REPLY
1 reply
triciaodonnell | @triciaodonnell | Oct 5, 2018
In reply to @rosemarya "@judyth - Have you been able to connect with a support group? is 80 miles to..." + (show)
@rosemarya

@judyth - Have you been able to connect with a support group? is 80 miles to far to travel? Here is what I found in Rochester.

Transplant support group
The solid organ transplant support group is an open group for pre- and post-transplant patients and their caregivers that meets every week.
Mondays
4 to 5 p.m.
Mayo Clinic Hospital, Saint Marys Campus
Mary Brigh Building, Conference Room 4-510
Contact: Danielle K. Peabody, L.I.C.S.W., M.S.W., at 507-284-6658

Jump to this post

Are there support groups in the Twin Cities? I donated June 26th, and love the online discussions, but in person sure would be great.

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