Your best tips for raw food safety post transplant.

@melinda I fail to see the reason why cantaloupe (or any melon) and pineapple should prove unhealthy. I cut the flesh away from the rind. None of that touches my lips or is ingested. The same with bananas I don't eat the peel. Am I missing something?

@gaylea1 it's the bacteria that could be on the outside that is introduced to the inside by the knife when you cut it. The more smooth the rind or skin on the melon the easier it is to wash of the bacteria. Pineapple and cantaloupe/muskmelon are rough on the outside and harder to clean.

JoDee

We did not mean to offend anyone. We were just bombarded with information/misinformation in the house where we stayed and somehow in a support group. We want to make sure that we follow instructions provided by the medical team/nutritionist/infectious disease specialist so that the practices we follow are supported by a medical team. Like you, we thought it was a good idea to buy the cleaning cloth, but we cannot endorse that product based on science. We were told several times by our medical team that my husband could eat cantaloupe and watermelon so long as we scrub the surface very well. They told us not to buy fruits that have been cut in the store, though. We enjoy reading the posts in this community, but we will continue to ask if a particular practice has been recommended by a medical provider.

Hello Rosemary, thanks for the welcoming message. Yes, we are finally home after spending 3 months in Jacksonville. Adjusting to the "new normal" will take some getting used to, but I think we are coping well. As for many people in this group, preparing food can sometimes be a challenge as we are learning the dos and don'ts of food preparation. We have not been out to eat yet, and I am very careful about what I fix at home. We are also very aware of the environment and its pollutants.
As we said in a previous post, we enjoy reading the posts and participating in this community.

@genocurt It is so hard to sort out all of the information, I wish there was a rule book. 🙂
It's great to compare the info each person shares, as was mentioned earlier the guidelines vary from one transplant center to the next and from doctor to doctor. I personally have my local Nephrologist who is from the U of MN and then my Mayo transplant team to bounce ideas off of. I also check in with friends from CA and FL regularly to see what their teams say. So few studies that I know of have been done on Post Transplant Food Safety, which is why we all benefit from comparing notes. I've gotten fabulous ideas from the contributors on this site. I look forward to learning from you too as you share your transplant wisdom. Always something new to learn! 🙂

My daughter is preparing for a preemptive kidney transplant in early November. She is in her mid twenties and will recover with us in her childhood home. My husband and I are trying to make plans for her diet post transplant. She has general advice from her dietician, but we would like to find an appropriate cookbook. There are many available that are intended for those with kidney disease. I wonder if there is one that is more helpful for her. Can anyone recommend a cookbook specifically for folks with a kidney transplant? Thank you

I had my kidney transplant 18 months ago. I was told that I can eat anything now, other than the few things that don’t work with the immunosuppressants, pomegranates, grapefruit, Seville oranges. I’ve read on here that someone added star fruit. It felt so foreign to not have to be so careful. Of course they strongly recommend a healthy diet. Your daughter and caregiver will meet with a dietitian and will attend a class on healthy eating.

Thank you for your reply! I thought that reducing sodium intake to 2000mg daily would be required. I look forward to getting Moore details from her dietician.

@nkdonahue I was told to keep my sodium below 2000 mg a day after my liver transplant. I didn't use a lot of salt before my transplant so that was easy for me, and I actually try to keep it below 1500 mg a day because otherwise, I do feel it in my fingers and feet.

As @cmael commented, the major restrictions are the fruits she mentioned, plus anything that is not well washed, like fruit, or not cooked -- no sushi. I believe all post-transplant patients have those restrictions because they are based on foods that are contraindicated to the immunosuppressants, and when you are taking immnosuppressants your body cannot fight germs as well. Wash your fruit and vegetables well. I use a water/white vinegar bath on berries, you can get directions on that if you google. I started that because it helps to keep the fruit from spoiling because it kills the spores that may be on it but recently did read that it was the best way to wash berries for post-transplant patients also. Also, if you cutting a melon or any fruit, wash the skin first so if there is any bacteria on it, it doesn't get dragged through the fruit on the knife.

I am sure that after the transplant you will get information about foods not to eat and being careful about eating raw things. I don't think you really need a special cookbook.
JK