Post kidney transplant support

Posted by dhrubasen @dhrubasen, 4 days ago

How much support is needed after a kidney transplant? What do the support folks do? Is any 24x7 support needed?

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Hi, dhrubasen.

Normally a kidney transplant patient would need the same type of support as a patient who has undergone most types of surgeries. There may be things that the patient needs help following the surgery because of their incision and possible pain. The patient will have restrictioms on how thy are allowed to lift (weightwise).

For the first few weeks after my transplant I was grateful for help with household chores and meal preparation. I was up and about as much as possible because this is what the transplant team recommended. I was not bedridden and, so, I did not need that type of 24/7 help. It was also good to have a support person available to call if I had a problem or needed specific help. I was not allowed to drive for 6 weeks so I definitely needed help with grocery shopping and other errands. Bottom line, the support person is there for support and usually does not need to be present 24/7.

Here's a great link to a thread on Connect that I think you will find helpful in which Mayo Clinic confirms that 24/7 care is not necessary ...and you can read comments from others:
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/blog/transplant/newsfeed-post/what-to-expect-as-a-transplant-caregiver/?utm_campaign=hub_email&utm_source=email&utm_medium=digest_summary_highlight_link
Here's another helpful link to a UNOS article:
https://transplantliving.org/before-the-transplant/caring-for-transplant-patients/
@rosemarya may want to chime in here with some additional insights for you. She's a "veteran" liver/kidney transplant recipient and has a wealth of experience, information, and knowledge. I've learned so much from her.

Are you a potential transplant patient, or a possible support person for the patient? In either case, if you are, you have my prayers and best wishes as you pursue this journey. 🙏🏼💕

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There is a tremendous amount of homework following a transplant. Most has to be done by yourself! Hubby did as much as he could.
I was lucky to have wonderful friends and neighbors to provide food. I had a biweekly nurse and physical therapist which I didn't need. Would have much preferred a housekeeper to a nurse lol.

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