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To vaccinate or not to vaccinate? That is the question.
Transplants | Last Active: Jun 28, 2021 | Replies (313)Comment receiving replies
@athenalee, Hello and Welcome to Mayo Connect. Congratulations on being 5 months out of your liver transplant. I hope that you are healing and getting accustomed to taking care of your new liver. I want to veer off topic for a moment to invite you to visit any of the transplant discussions that might be of interest to you. Just click and join in anywhere. That's how we operate here - all are welcome. As patients, we love to reach out and to share our 'expert' patient experiences to support each other.
I am happy that you are scheduled for a vaccine. I messaged my nurse coordinator at Mayo, and since I live at a distance from my transplant center, I will be getting my vaccine locally, when they become available. I'm currently registered on a waiting list 45 miles away, and I check my email constantly for my invitation to schedule an appointment. I thought that I was an expert on waiting due to waiting for transplant, but this is a difficult wait for me. On a personal note, I want to thank you for sharing about your vaccine appointment because it gives me hope that I will be notified.
How is your recovery going?
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Thank you for asking! It’s been a short but intense journey from being a perfectly healthy individual to being diagnosed with stage 3 liver cirrhosis in July 2019, followed in October with finding out the cirrhosis was caused by PBC. Then almost bleeding to death twice due to bursting varices, having the TIPS procedure, and then in early August getting on the transplant waiting list. It was truly a blessing to receive my new liver on August 20.
My energy is good these days, although I’m struggling with gaining weight...still only weighing in at 104 (5.5 ft. tall). I have tremendous muscle and joint aches (possibly drug side effects?), I have pretty bad tremors, and my right leg is numb (not sure why...side-effects? probably have to see a neurologist). Liver enzymes fluctuate some between normal range and being elevated, but except for a very low platelet count most of the other blood indicators are good. I’m eating healthy, being good to my liver, walking regularly, taking my meds as directed, and trying to remain upbeat despite being isolated and unemployed. All things considered I’d give it a “not bad!”
I’d love to hear from others how they progressed post transplant.