@colleenyoung, @rosemarya I read through the existing hacks and they are all good. For myself I made a top ten list of actions and attitudes while in the hospital and still live by them. Since the actions are, for the most part, repeated in the existing hacks with the exception of foot care and tracking vitals and exercise results, I will only share my suggested attitudes below.

Attitudes (Attitude ultimately determines your altitude.)
1. Ownership. You and you alone are responsible for your recovery. You must be an active participant in your care and not a passive subject. The doctors, nurses, family, friends, medications, and technology are resources available to you. Ask questions so that you understand what is happening, why it is happening, what your responsibility is; and so on. Lead the packing your pills for the week, laying them out, reciting what you are taking using the formal and informal names, how much, and why. Take charge!
2. Trust. Trust those around you particularly your caregiver and medical team but do not abdicate your responsibility for your recovery. See #1. Be confident in their competence. Communicate your physical and emotional state regularly so that those who are there to assist you can bring their expertise. You do not want them guessing at your condition. Blood tests and X-rays are only part of the equation. Ask your team “why” often. It will fuel your confidence in the prescribed course of action. When you have a “why” you can handle any “what”.
3. Gratitude. Express gratitude to everyone. You cannot return the gift to your donor, but you can pay it forward. You are here to help others. While you are responsible for your care, you must not become self-centered. Get outside of yourself and focus a little energy on others.
4. Choice. No matter how you feel today, how poorly you slept the night before, each day is a good day. Some days are just better than others. You no longer have your previous heart (or other organ) condition. All of that is gone. You have a new heart and it is yours. Refer to it as such. I like to say, “It was not my heart, but it is now, and I am giving it the best home I can.”
5. No whining. Emotion is a very real issue but there is a huge difference between crying about a lack of progress and doing something about a lack of progress. Some people value the group sessions to get “it” off their chest. Others find time with the Cardiac Team Psychiatrist valuable as you learn more about yourself. Other may find solace in their spiritual community. In any case, this is an emotional roller coaster. Do not avoid it. Ride it so that you understand what and why you are feeling the way you do. In the end, realize that however you are feeling, you can choose to feel and act differently.

With respect to continued recovery and Covid, I feel we are definitely not out of the woods and so while She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed and I are venturing out (recent trips to Sedona and San Diego, planning for a wedding on Lake Superior in the fall followed by a trip to Maui with our best friends) we do so with extreme discipline on masking, distance, restaurants, and so on. I sense frustration from neighbors who see me in a mask if we are going to be talking together in a closed room but their discomfort or judgement is not my problem. Staying healthy is my problem/opportunity. And I freely admit to using the transplant as an excuse to not see people I really do not want to see. "Well I would but my team at Mayo says I can't." (Love laying the blame on Mayo! Almost as good as blaming my parents or society.)

I do wish the posted signs in public areas would acknowledge that you might be wearing a mask because of immune suppression. Right now wearing a mask in public seems to indicate that you are not vaccinated. I actually suspect the unvaccinated are not wearing masks either. So my Anthony Fauci mask or my little heart in the corner mask are always available.

Best always,
s!
Scott Jensen

I'm 2 years post Liver/Kidney transplant. I just had an excellent check-up ( I'm 70 ) and have been fortunate that I've had very few problems. I have grown tired of the Covid lockdown and was one of the first to get the Moderna shots. The MAYO advised against an antibody test, however I had one done by my local Dr. via LabCorp. I did not have antibodies, so after watching the Johns Hopkins transplant video, I took a third Moderna shot. I now have antibodies and after my 4th shot next week, I will ask the Dr. to run a test with specific numbers. I'm looking forwards to the next Johns Hopkins update - as I want to be as protected as possible.