Recovery Tips for Kidney Transplant Patients

After returning home, you want to resume ‘normal living’. If you feel like going for a movie, or any social occasion, DO IT! If you’d like to have friends visit you at home, that’s OK too! Try as much as possible to return to your normal routine.

However, the key is moderation and measuring your limits. Initially, you might have less energy but with time your body will heal and adjust to your new medications. There are also many things you should consider in your life after kidney transplant surgery that involve taking care of your new kidney.

Diet and exercise

If you were on dialysis before your transplant, you will notice a difference in what you can eat and drink once your new kidney has been transplanted. You will still need to eat foods low in salt and fat to prevent high blood pressure, and if you have diabetes, you need to watch your blood sugar. Exercise can help improve your heart and lung health, prevent weight gain, etc.

Anxiety, depression and mental health

Getting a kidney transplant isn’t a cakewalk, it’s normal to undergo all kinds of emotions afterward. If you’re experiencing feelings of anxiety, depression or guilt, please don’t consider yourself alone, many transplant patients experience these feelings at first, for many reasons.

• Mood changes may be a side effect of the immunosuppressant medicines you are taking.
• You may also feel stressed or anxious about your new lifestyle.
• Your family members may also have emotional changes as they also have to adjust to your new lifestyle.

Returning to work

If you are planning on going back to work, your transplant team may advise you to wait three to six weeks after your surgery. You will also be given certain limits on what you should do.

Keeping your new kidney healthy

To keep yourself healthy, and to make sure your new kidney works well, follow the below points:

• Take your immunosuppressant and other medicines exactly how your doctor will advise you.
• Know the signs of infection and contact your kidney transplant doctor immediately.
• Avoid being around people who are sick.
• Drink plenty of water to keep yourself hydrated.
• Consume foods that are low in salt, fat and cholesterol.

Consult at NU Hospitals because it offers one of the best kidney transplant surgeries in Bangalore.