Liver transplant - Let's support each other

I had the privilege to meet, in-person, one of those behind the scent wonderful "names" on all of the lab orders! When I introduced myself as a transplant recipient, and he shared that he had likely worked on my labs over the years. He was genuinely happy to meet one of the patients from the transplant department. We posed for a photo!

Just wondering if you don’t mind if I ask where did you stay after you TX.
We are in Ky so we don’t know if we should buy a condo and resell when finished or not. I feel it may be a waste to rent. I figure we get a place a few months before the 6 month mark and stay until I’m finished with frequent visits to Mayo. Wondering what others have done.

@jamesduaiswamy, Welcome to Connect. I want to wish you belated Happy 4th Transplant Anniversary! I hope that you were able to do a little something special to commemorate the event.
I used to depend on lemon juice for flavor before my transplant when I had no sense of taste. Now, after 13+ beautiful years with m y transplant, I still enjoy a twist of lemon on foods, or lemon in my water or tea. I am extremely careful when dining out to ask for NO lemon because of possible germs from handling. I do enjoy lemonade in the summertime, however I have to be careful because too much lemonade makes me itch. So my mantra is moderation.

As for your question about lemon juice, I have not located any reference to specific benefits for a post liver transplant patient. I did see many lists of possible benefits that included: acne, hair care. potential for anticancer effects, antibacterial, weigh loss, managing cholesterol, lowering blood pressure, household cleaner, and insect repellant. there were two, that I saw that could possible relate to your question(?). , -prevention of kidney stones and a Hepatoprotective Effect that claimed that lemon juice can help protect the liver from the damage caused by chronic alcohol consumption. (BioMed Research International 2017 issue, the flavonoids in it aid in detoxing harmful metals from the blood)

James, I was not successful to locate resources to share here. Do you have a particular reason for opinions about lemon juice? What have you read about lemon juice for post liver transplant patients?

I am a post liver transplant patient. Surgery took place on the1/17/19
I have been reading that drinking lemon juice will be good for a post liver patient.
Any opionions please?

Just sent you a private message with my contact info. Looking forward to meeting you.

@rosemarya - thank you so much for reaching out.

I've become a big believer in support groups over the last eight-ish years, starting with my journey towards sobriety.

I'm probably at the early end of the encephalopathy scale, but even there it can be frighting and -very- disruptive mood - re: work, friends, family. I look forward to checking out the link you referenced.

I am a Mayo Clinic patient, since August 2022. I moved out to Minnesota (Northfield) in part to accept a job, and in part to be closer to Mayo in the hopes I could get in, and miraculously I did (through G.I.)

I know the docs and I would like me to be eligible for a transplant; at the moment, way before that, I need to lose about 60 more lbs (which will be about 110lbs total) to get my weight/BMI down to a level where serious complications wouldn't be a certainty. I'm doing the Mediterranean Diet, which took some adjustment but I'm doing it as closely as I can.

You all can keep doing what you're doing - it's good to be here. --Rick

Great. I’m glad you had a good experience and now volunteering. I’ll be there April 17-21. I have Y90 mapping on Monday and Ablation on Tuesday. We will be staying at Hope lodge. They had all but one night on the 18th. Hopefully that it will become available that night also. We would love to meet you.

Thank you
We are looking for a place to live. Apartments are so expensive. We have two pets we would like to bring with us.
So it’s either a home or condo first level. It needs to be under 300 thousand. Most places like that are more near south Jacksonville closer to St. John’s river. That they say is a 15 -20 minute driver.
If you got any information on something nearby let me know. Thanks again

This is GerryP’s wife. I did stay in the room the first two nights after transplant so that I could reassure him all was well when he awoke, and re-orient him to the room, as he was experiencing drug disorientation. The nurses are incredibly responsive, particularly in the early post-transplant days, and they work as a big team, in that if they hear you beeping and your nurse is busy, they pop in. Once he was more oriented, I started going home at night. There is a lot you need to learn and be responsible for in the beginning months, and you need to be rested. Mayo was great with patient education, I felt supported in my learning, and had a team to reach out to for questions. Try to find an apt close by, as in the beginning you go back and forth a lot. We are by the beach in Ponte Vedra, and it’s an easy drive. Like Gerry mentioned, we are happy to answer any and all questions offline.

I was transplanted at Mayo Jax about 1 year ago. The place is amazing. I relocated from Boston as my odds for transplant were much better here. The facilities here are relatively new (about 25 years) and immaculate. The campus is beautiful, with gardens, art installations, fountains - it embodies the Mayo philosophy of healing the “whole patient”. All patient rooms are single rooms and state of the art. I am so grateful to the care I received that I now volunteer on the Transplant floor each Wednesday as a nurse’s aide.
But my wait was complicated. I was treated at Mass General for over a year before being advised to seek treatment here in Jax. It took me just about 2 years from diagnosis to transplant - but my condition was very rare, so there were no statistics or protocol at UNOS for prioritizing patients with my condition. There are lots of local housing options here, and I found that my health improved while I waited simply by being in the FL sunshine. I would encourage you to join the weekly support group calls (each Tues at 11am via Zoom). You will meet many post & pre patients who have been down this road and can help allay your fears and answer any questions you might have about their experiences and treatment for similar condition as yours. Many patients get listed and receive the call not long after. That was not my experience. Between Mass Gen and Mayo I received 7 calls. They come any time of the day or night, so keep your phone with you and answer every unknown caller. My 7th call came at 1am on a Sunday night - and the 7th was the charm. Happy to speak privately with you or meet you and your caregiver when you arrive in Jax. We have a very large and supportive community here - so you won’t be alone.