My 3-month Kidney-versary

A photo from three months ago on Transplant Day: Superman greets me coming out of my surgery as he prepares for his.

My transplant date was May 12th.

Does that seem only three months ago?  Or should I say already three months?  Yesterday was my 3-month “kidney-versary.”  It marks the end of that crucial period after transplant when kidney rejection is most likely to occur, and when I am most vulnerable to illness.   My heavy dose of immunosuppressant drugs has been tapered.  Mr. Bean, my new baby kidney, has continued to function beautifully, with fantastic weekly lab numbers.  But I haven’t escaped completely unscathed.  I caught a virus that’s left me with a nasty cough, sore throat and other symptoms about a month ago with no sign of getting better.  My immune system, still compromised, is struggling to fight it all.  It’s been frustrating but eventually I will get well, and I have a whole staff monitoring me carefully.  

My pre-surgery chronic neck pain (due more likely to aging than bad kidneys) has returned.  It may be that it never went away; I was so heavily medicated that my body was in happy denial.  Bottom line: I have to continue to take care of myself.   My doctor sent me to a neck care class, and I’m exercising everyday.  The human body is amazing and fragile at the same time.  I’m increasing my daily steps (walking) and eating more healthily.  (If you would like to “walk” with me virtually, you can find me through Fitbit or the Human app on iPhone.  Please no marathon runners.  I can’t keep up with you.  My goal is a simple 6,000 steps a day for now, adding weights, more steps and more aerobic activity later.  We can keep each other accountable! 😊)

Oddly about a few weeks ago,  I also started to feel some of the emotional side effects of prednisone.   Sometimes in the middle of the night I would wake, sobbing with sadness;  the little everyday worries in my life seemed suddenly magnified.  Why am I so stressed when they never weighed on me so heavily before?   I’d realize it had to be that miracle drug with the wacky side effects.  Prednisone often causes anxiety and moodiness.  When I shared my experience with a friend, she told me that when she was given prednisone years ago after a surgery,  she had very stressful, frightful dreams at night.  She dreaded going to sleep because of those vivid images.  She’s off the drug now, but I’m likely to be on prednisone for the rest of my life.  The dosage is low enough that it shouldn’t be a problem, but if you ever find me feeling down, remind me it could be my meds talking.   

Interesting how the body chemistry affects our emotions.

Now that my 3-month post transplant period is up, come Monday, I will attend my “transition” appointment where UCSF transfers my care back to Kaiser, my primary health providers.  Going forward I will see a Kaiser nephrologist regularly and continue to submit blood samples (less frequently over time).  UCSF will still bring me in from time to time to monitor my kidney and health.  At six months after transplant, UCSF will perform a biopsy of Mr. Bean.  That procedure will show if there is any undetected rejection of the kidney that didn’t show up on labs.  We’ll address that when we get there.  

Thanks to so many of you who continue to support me and check in on me.  I’m pretty well and back to resuming my normal daily activities.