Health Habits
During the time you are in the hospital, you will spend time learning about the routines you must follow when you go home from the hospital. Before you leave, we will see that you know everything you need to know to be comfortable at home. You will be given a book of discharge instructions with specific information written out for you.
We also hope that you will follow good health habits when you go home. These habits include getting plenty of rest, exercise, following the proper diet, and maintaining and developing positive mental attitudes. When you go home after a transplant, you are a whole person, not a "walking kidney" with all activities and interest focused upon your new kidney. You are a parent, spouse, worker, vacationer, friend, hobbyist -- all the things you were before your kidneys failed. A positive mental attitude also aids in coping with problems that might occur. Most transplant recipients are glad to have received a transplant. They have found that there might be problems involved, but they can lead an active, productive life. It is especially important to realize that after a kidney works well, you will be able to resume full time work activities. Usually, the transplant team will give permission for work six weeks to two months post-transplant.
Home Records
During the first few weeks after discharge, watching for signs of rejection or infection is a high priority. Your discharge instructions will be given to you by your transplant coordinator prior to going home. If you develop any unusual symptoms or problems, you will be told how to contact the transplant coordinator.
Activities
After your discharge, your activity will be limited for a while. You will probably be able to return to work in about six weeks to two months, depending upon the type of work you do.
Exercise is good for developing muscle strength and for off-setting one of the possible side effects of prednisone. You should gradually increase your exercise. Walking is good exercise and can be easily increased by walking a little further each day.
Medical Emergency Identification
You should wear a medical emergency information identification in the form of a necklace or bracelet. The jewelry details the fact that you have had a kidney transplant and are taking immunosuppressant medications.
Dialysis Access
After you have had a transplant, the access for hemodialysis often closes by itself. This usually causes no problem. Tenchoff catheters for peritoneal dialysis are usually removed before you go home after the transplant.
Clinic Visits
It is recommended that people who have a kidney transplant at the University of Texas Medical Branch be seen in the hospital's Transplant Clinic as an outpatient after they have been discharged from the hospital. You may elect to stay in Galveston at a motel close to the hospital for a time after the transplant. The social worker will make arrangements for this.
For the first week or two, these visits are three times a week. After that, they will be at least once a week. Then the intervals between visits will gradually lengthen until you come to the clinic every two or three months. Arrangements can also be made for local follow-up care. When you come to the clinic, you will have blood samples drawn in the morning and wait until the results of the blood tests are available before you see the doctor in the early afternoon. When the blood test results are available, the doctor may change your medication based upon the results. Bring your medicine card or medicine bottles to clinic. Between clinic visits, you may need to have blood drawn at home and the results called or faxed to the transplant coordinator. You, the doctor, and the transplant coordinator are all members of a team monitoring the function of the transplanted kidney. The transplant social worker and the transplant dietician are also available in the clinic if you need to see them.
Purchasing Medications
Transplant medication prescriptions can be filled at the UTMB pharmacy. All the medications used in transplantation are relatively expensive medications. The social worker will talk with you about managing the cost. The Texas Kidney Health Care Program is available to all dialysis patients in Texas. Some criteria for eligibility exist. You should request information about being involved in this program before transplantation. Your social worker or dialysis center can help you with information about the program.
