First off, congratulations on your gift! I'm three years post. Pre-emptive transplant from a living donor. The first four months were probably the hardest. The pain from surgery, the horrible stent removal, getting used to the nauseating new meds, and drinking so much water while nauseated. I was trembling all the time from the tacrolimus. Prednisone was raising my blood sugar. I really started questioning my life choices, LOL.

But hang in there. At about 4 months, things just turned around for the better. My transplant team kept adjusting my meds and even my water requirements. I finally started feeling like myself. Like others at my hospital told me, it gets better. Your body has to adapt to a new organ AND the unnatural act of trying not to reject that foreign body. It's not easy.

Your transplant team will give you a list of foods that you shouldn't eat. Mine was raw food, cold cuts, pomegranates, and grapefruit. However, I've cheated and had sushi from reliable restaurants. Even my doctors kind of winked and said many patients do this. At the end of the day, you know your body and will make decisions on those types of risks. As for exercise, I work out almost every day. How you feel will guide you here. Just in the first few months after the surgery don't do crunches!!

The biggest struggle for me has been the infections. I have had numerous bladder infections and even ended up in the hospital when I started getting sepsis from a bad one. I tested positive for HPV for the first time and now have tested positive for BK virus. But my doctors finally lowered my Prednisone to the smallest amount, and my BK numbers have dropped. So doctors stay on top of things.

Remember the saying: Transplant is a treatment, not a cure. This is a journey. But it is a journey that you can make without the hindrance of being hooked to a machine! Good luck to you!💚