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COVID-19 and Transplant Patients
As a kidney transplant recipient I have been extra vigilant/worried about protecting myself as COVID-19 spreads. Like most transplant patients I am used to washing my hands, carrying hand-sanitizer, avoiding sick people, getting flu shots, etc. The COVID-19 outbreak has caused me to take additional steps to try to remain safe but I am worried for my health. I would like to hear what you are doing to stay safe and how you are feeling.
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@almula, I understand your concern. This is a question that is not being ignored by our transplant teams.
-Click on the blue 'In reply to' at the top of this reply.- you can read and feel some confidence that we are going to receive information when it is available to the transplant patients.
You are not alone, as we all wait and wonder.
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5 ReactionsPlease do not use condescending comments, I'm a four time kidney transplant and had my first surgery when I was four years old, I know plenty.....there is nothing amateur hour about me!
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4 ReactionsMy apologies. I was not attempting to be condescending to you. The reference to amateur hour is all of us on this site, not you in particular. We are not medical professionals and hence should not be dispensing medical advice nor taking it from this peer site.
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3 Reactions@almula. At this point they don’t know if it’s safe for us because that testing has not been done.
As others have commented though, wait to hear from your transplant team. My gut feeling, along with what I have read, is that it will be well into 2021 or possibly even longer, before they know if it’s safe for us. The advice I read was to wait for “community immunity”, basically the same as herd immunity.
I realize that may not be what you want to hear, but it is what I have read. 😖
JK
Jk, I’m very sorry that things are working out this way. I’m living the same type of existence. My wife see’s many patients a day and has multiple exposures. I hate the stress it puts on her knowing how awful she would feel if she brings it home. I can say that’s a stress I’ve heard over and over again from other health care workers. From my perspective I understand the risks and support her working. If she gets it and brings it home I won’t for one second be mad or upset. In a pandemic there are no perfect outcomes. I would recommend trying not to look to far ahead. Take this challenge a day at a time. It’s important to still look for the positive things going on. Today I’ve taken great joy in watching all the videos of health care workers getting vaccinated. I learned that vaccine is arriving in Rochester and I’m really excited for all the people at Mayo getting the shot. They are so deserving. I remember all there kind faces and looks of reassurance as I felt my road narrowing. I’ve use the same strategy now that I used living with chronic condition before transplant. Every morning I make a list of 5 kind things I can do for friends or family. When I go to bed I review the list. Some days it’s not quite the same, many days it’s more. But one thing it does is keep me in a good and give a sense of worth while social distancing. Everyone in our situation needs a plan to keep attitude up. Jk I wish you the best. I will share one more article that has a little more information on why we are where we are with the vaccine.
https://creakyjoints.org/living-with-arthritis/coronavirus/covid-19-vaccines/covid-19-vaccine-immunocompromised/-
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4 ReactionsThanks for posting video!
I love “ the list!”
@almula, please see this post from @keggebraaten, a transplant coordinator at Mayo Clinic
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/covid-19-in-transplant-patients/?pg=26#comment-446964
She explains that the Mayo Transplant team is "just now getting the scientific information they need to decide if they will be recommending this vaccine for our transplant patients. Once they have a decision, we will let you all know. However, please remember that you should get the final word from the team that is caring for you. General information is fantastic to have, but every patient is unique and should rely on specific information from their current doctor. Also note – the information regarding COVID changes by the hour as the experts learn more about this virus. Something published today could be out of date tomorrow. You can get the most up-to-date information from your local health department or the CDC website.
Here is the latest general patient information about the COVID vaccine from Mayo Clinic. This is not specific the transplant patients.
– COVID-19 Vaccine https://mcforms.mayo.edu/mc3100-mc3199/mc3127-72.pdf
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2 Reactions@scottij, you're quite right that when seeking medical advice, it is best to consult with a medical professional.
However, I strongly disagree with labelling the knowledge and experience exchange of transplant patients, donors and caregivers as "amateur hour." There is nothing amateur about first-hand experience with organ transplant. Recipients, donors and caregivers have knowledge and expertise to share that only someone "who has been there" can impart. I know you know this as a heart transplant recipient and someone who is moved to share their knowledge here in this forum and in a book. Instead, I refer to you and others who contribute to the collective knowledge of Mayo Clinic Connect as experts by experience.
It is possible that you made the statement with a wink and tongue in cheek. It is good to keep in mind that without tone of voice or body language, humor and irony can be easily misinterpreted in a discussion forum where we only have the written word. For that reason, we caution about the use of sarcasm and humor in the Community Guidelines. See item 2 here: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/page/about-connect/tab/community-guidelines/
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4 ReactionsThanks a lot..