Robert is 49-year-old man living in a quiet neighbourhood. After two years of dialysis, in December 2018 he finally received a transplant from a deceased donor.
He works as an accountant for a large firm. He has a very supportive wife and has two kids full of energy: Catherine, 15 years old and Kevin, 11 years old.
After the transplantation and free from dialysis, he thought he would feel much better and could get his normal pre-disease life back. However, this was not exactly what he experienced.
Especially in the first months after transplantation, he felt overwhelmed as it was very difficult to adjust to a new routine and treatment plan. He had to receive high doses of immunosuppression medication and which needed to be adjusted several times, had to attend frequent appointments and undergo tests. He was also at increased vulnerability to possible complications such as infections. During this period, Robert sometimes felt emotionally distressed and vulnerable.
Things are still a bit difficult for Robert even now more than one year after transplant. Robert sometimes misses all family and friends support he had mainly during the dialysis process. He sometimes feels alone, unmotivated, preferring to isolate himself. He has no idea what to do with some problems he is facing after transplant, such as sleep issues and fatigue. He frequently finds himself too tired to do exercises, doing less than he would like, to get back to his shape.