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Hospital stay after transplant?

Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2018 6:27 am
by Beespatellas
Hi all. I've got a transplant coming up, and while delighted to be going to be fitted with new parts, i'm naturally concerned about the pain/discomfort/not feeling myself aspects. Anyone got any helpful 'war stories' to put my mind at rest/prepare me?

Re: Hospital stay after transplant?

Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2018 6:49 am
by rheaybou
While everyone is individual I would say this.

99.9% chance you will be euphoric, well medicated for pain and eager to get up and about. Was sat out of bed morning after, was shuffling round by the following day. Find your own pace, plus a rolled up towel to help moving by holding over surgery site.

Good luck/wishes to you. I assume a living donor?

Re: Hospital stay after transplant?

Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2018 8:37 am
by Beespatellas
Thanks for that Rheayboo!! I dont know anyone who's had this op, and hospital staff are so careful to cover legal/possible downsides, its sometimes easy to focus more on the down sides than the up! Your comment has really eased my worries. Thank you!

Re: Hospital stay after transplant?

Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2018 5:30 pm
by Dixie1
I received my transplant last June and, as rheaybou says, I was euphoric at first and very comfortable as I was hooked up to a self administered IV pain killer. 48 hours in I was eager to get up and shower etc. Day 3 though I went down hill quite badly for a couple of days, really suffering with nausea/sickness. I believe it was partly because my body was trying to adjust to the new drugs but also I am certain it was because of being constipated. Watch out for this. I didn't realise I was constipated because I had managed to pass something reasonable (hope this isn't too graphic!!) by day 2 and, because I was feeling great on day 1 and 2 I ate normally. In hindsight I really wish I had taken my reintroduction to food much more slowly and avoided bread/toast all together. I was really unwell for a few days (days 3-6 inclusive) until my bowel had settled down (it gets a bit of shoving around during surgery) and then suddenly, as fast as the nausea and sickness had come on, it left. I would HIGHLY recommend rheaybou's suggestion of using a rolled up towel. It is a life saver if you sneeze, laugh, cough or, in my case, vomit. After I left hospital on day 8 (if all goes well, they often send you home on day 5) it was plain sailing from there on as far a pain etc is concerned. Obviously it takes time and you have to really take it easy for a while, but I was quite comfortable.

Re: Hospital stay after transplant?

Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2018 8:00 pm
by Beespatellas
Thanks Dixie 1! I must admit, after my caesarian the moving of the bowels was one of the most painful aspects to it! I'll remember to go gentle with the food afterwards! These tips are so useful!

Re: Hospital stay after transplant?

Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2018 9:09 pm
by Chris Wright
I was transplanted at about 5.30/6.00 in the am. At about 8.30 the medical registrar, now an eminent Professor at a London teaching hospital, so will remain nameless, looked at my notes and then just said "Get out of bed and get some clothes on by the end of the day".

I made it the next am. Had to dialyse once more but about 4 or 5 days in, some friends came to see me and i asked if i could go to the pub with them. I was given a mobile catheter bag with i strapped round my thigh and went and had a pint with them.

10 days post tx, i was running up the stairs (now gone) from Guy's to London Bridge station, to go home.

But i was quite young when i had it and had only dialysed for 6 months so my general health wasn't bad.

Best of luck, hope it goes well and lasts a long time.

Re: Hospital stay after transplant?

Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2018 9:16 pm
by rheaybou
You are entertained in hospital, given little tasks such as fluid balance to pass the time between meals and I was educated on medication on three occasions.

You may have the delightful removal of any neckline/PD catch to have done, took my PD catch out at same time as transplant but had tunnelled neckline out a few days after surgery.

The towel is a life saver even after discharge. One word of warning after getting home, carry a plastic jug with you at all times. After 18 months of not peeing and being very thirsty you find bladder capacity is zero. So a walk to the kitchen can end in an accident, it did for me on a few occasions.

Be prepared for some very vivid dreams, night sweats and insomnia as medication kicks in. Massive mood swings due to steroids and spits that make a teenager look good.

But if you have a living donor, the best part by far is when you or your donor shuffle round to see each other. Without a doubt the best moment after my daughter being born. (Her uncle is my hero)

Re: Hospital stay after transplant?

Posted: Sat Mar 24, 2018 2:00 pm
by JMan
Have a good read of the 'Top Tips on transplants at the top of this forum' Pretty much covers a lot and you can add or reply to Q's there too:)

Good luck

From what I remember I was out and about pretty quick post tx.. Its always a shock!

Re: Hospital stay after transplant?

Posted: Fri Apr 05, 2019 10:20 am
by Beespatellas
I'm almost 12 months post transplant now, and my new kidney's doing really well - going from egfr of 8 the night before the transplant, to 63 now. The hospital stay was quite unpleasant for me personally, though I'm sure this was just an unlucky experience. I found that as morphine didn't really help with the pain level, I stopped using it day 3, and just stuck to paracetemol every 4hrs. Which didn't erradicate the pain, but sooner you can manage without, the better really. The ward I was moved to after a few days on HDU was seriously understaffed, and I had to wait 2 hrs for a kamode, which wasn't pleasant, and there were so few nurses on, although I was high risk for collapsing, due to blood pressure issues, no one was available to help me to wash/toilet facilities, and I had to struggle there alone. That having being said, the nurses there were, were all lovely and helpful. And the doctors were fabulous. Just be aware those that have family who are able to visit, you may have to ask them to do most of your nursing needs!

Re: Hospital stay after transplant?

Posted: Fri Apr 05, 2019 12:57 pm
by Notso
Thanks for all the replies. I am having a transplant on 29 April and starting to get a little nervous.

Re: Hospital stay after transplant?

Posted: Sat Apr 06, 2019 10:50 am
by Thumps
63! Wow, that's great. I've never got above 50 :lol:

Re: Hospital stay after transplant?

Posted: Sun Apr 07, 2019 8:06 am
by Notso
I have a post transplant question regarding how I'll be on release from hospital, about a week post op.
I'll be away from home and am looking at places to stay. Will I be able to walk up one flight of stairs after a week?

Re: Hospital stay after transplant?

Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2019 2:37 pm
by Beespatellas
Re notso... walking upstairs after only 1 week is really ambitious, although not impossible. Staying on 1 level immediately after coming out of hospital would be more advisable for a week or two. Especially as the anti rejection meds can play havoc with your bowels for several days. I needed a bedpan in my bedroom, a raised toilet seat on toilet (as wound site will be agony for quite a while when sitting/standing) and got a kamode for when i was downstairs and caught short! Unpleasant topic i know, but i think stuff can be said amongst friends!!

Re: Hospital stay after transplant?

Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2019 2:45 pm
by Beespatellas
Thumps wrote:63! Wow, that's great. I've never got above 50 :lol:
It took a long while to get to 63... I ended up developing pneumonia 6 months after the transplant, and it was only after i'd recieved treatment for that, that my kidney function shot up!!! But it's 1 year tomorrow (13th April) that I had the op, and all seems well!

Re: Hospital stay after transplant?

Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2019 11:45 pm
by Notso
Thanks Beespatellas. I have found a unit block with a lift so the problem is solved.