@joanaiken You have surely been through a lot with two liver transplants and now needing a kidney transplant. Did the immunosuppressants cause the need for a kidney transplant? I used to participate in a different liver group and I recall one person saying that their transplant center had told them that eventually they would probably need a kidney transplant due to the immunosuppressants. My transplant center, Mass General in Boston, has been very pro-active. When my creatinine went up they changed my immunosuppressant. They really stay on top of everything and tend to be conservative, which I like.
I know the thought of dialysis is daunting but I have known a number of people who have led very good lives while having dialysis a number of days a week. My niece's husband was on dialysis for about five years. They used to travel within the country and set up dialysis ahead of time at a hospital close to where they would be. He finally got his new kidney last August.
I hope your wait will not be as long as his was.
Best hope is that you do find someone who will be a live donor for you. If that doesn't happen I hope your wait isn't too long for a cadaver kidney.
You are fortunate to have your husband there with you to be your caretaker. I had the same good fortune. Our son and daughter live out of state so they were here only in spirit and for occasional visits.
Being a retired RN does give you a better appreciation for all of this, but also probably makes you more conscious of which nurses are great and which are not so great. When I was in my local hospital a few times pre-transplant for HE episodes, most of the nurses were "not so great". When I was in Mass General every nurse I had was great.
Hugs, JK