@transplant2017 Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. We are a diverse group of people who share our stories and experiences, to support others on their own health journeys.

When we kidney disease patients hear those words - dialysis or transplant - it can indeed trigger a wide range of responses, each person has their own story. What is your current eGFR, if I may ask. It sounds like your AKI happened during surgery; was it caused by medical procedure? Your team had to do an emergency port, probably upper chest, for the catheter. Since you needed it right away, you were not given any choice in how it would be done, and were not prepared psychologically or physically, for dialysis. Prior to the liver transplant, did you have any kidney issues?

If you decide to search for a living donor, get the word out to friends/family/family-of-choice. How? An email or notice to people, with as much info as you care to share. Here is a Mayo Clinic article about transplant https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/kidney-transplant/about/pac-20384777 And, here on Mayo Connect, we have a transplant discussion group https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/transplants/ that has a wealth of information in different threads of talk.

Dialysis can seen as a time waster, but it can also be seen as a bridge to better kidney health in light of a transplant. And, given your circumstances, you may have the choice of in center hemodialysis, home hemodialysis, or peritoneal dialysis if you can. My husband was on PD for 5.5 years before his transplant, and for him, there were some accommodations to be made, but his life went on as before, right down to traveling on his job, and camping. A good source for more information is rsnhope.org.

Although you did not mention what part of the country you live in, there are resources available to you anywhere! Please come back with any questions you have. Do you have family or a support team with you?
Ginger