Did you know?
Life after transplant is both exciting and emotional.The quality of your life will improve significantly. Without the limitations of dialysis, you will be able to do activities you once thought weren’t possible or were too tired to do. With a transplant, you may have an increased interest in:
- Traveling
- Exercising
- Participating in sports
- Dating
- Going out
There can also be fears. Some of the challenges of life after transplant are
- Fear of hurting your new kidney during activities
- Fear of doing too much
- Anxiety and stress about the unknown
- Creating a new identity as a kidney transplant recipient
Even though some of the pre-transplant restrictions have been removed and eventually physically you can engage in many activities you previously weren’t able to do, mentally there may be limitations that are ingrained that prevent you from engaging in activities that lead to more social contacts.
You might experience changes in relationships and friends. This is totally normal. Remember to take a deep breath, relax and pace yourself. Relationships during kidney failure might have focused on your significant other taking care of you. It may be hard for caretakers to switch roles and challenges might arise from this. Friendships may also change. If your donor was someone you knew, there may be changes in that relationship, too. There may also be changes with friends who are still on dialysis.
You might also have a difficult time letting go of the role of being sick and dependant on others. Not only you, but also your family will need to adjust to a new dynamic post-transplantation. Kidney failure was a challenging time that required patience from yourself, family, and friends. Remember, you received the gift of life – a better life. Go out and enjoy it!
- Studies show that quality of life increases after kidney transplantation compared to the hemodialysis period. As a recipient, you can expect a social life that helps you to return to your “normal life”. Recipients are more likely to join recreational clubs, travel frequently, and participate in recreational/religious activities and social events than when they were on hemodialysis.
- However, compared to the general population, transplant recipients still participate less in employment and sports.
How am I doing?
Only you can know if you are satisfied with your social life, and satisfaction is subjective! If you feel something can improve, it most likely can. Keep an open dialogue with friends, family, and significant others about how you feel. You can always talk to your transplant team if you are having trouble coping or if you have specific concerns about what activities you are able to resume after transplant.
What can I do?
The good news is you can pretty much live a normal life after a transplant! You can resume eating and drinking with some changes, going out with friends, driving, traveling, dating, exercising, and participating in sports. If you ever have concerns about your abilities, talk to your transplant team. You can also reach out to patient advocacy organizations and check available patient groups and peer mentoring linked to these organizations.
How can I do it?
There is no set pace for when you should go out and return to your normal social life. Go at your own speed and comfort! It can be scary to leave behind your identity as a kidney patient. There is no right or wrong way to process life after transplant. So many new opportunities will open themselves up once you have healed from your surgery. Here are some things you can do to help process all the new opportunities:
- Write a list of all the activities you wanted to do but felt you couldn’t before your transplant. This can open up new hobbies and avenues to explore with friends.
- Journal: journaling can provide an outlet to process your experiences. It can also reduce stress.
- Journaling: If some social circumstances seem scary, write them down so you can remember to talk about them with your family, friends, or even your transplant team.
- Find a support group of transplant patients. Getting to know others who have received a kidney transplant can form new friendships, relieve stress, and answer any questions you may not want to ask your team. Other recipients have experienced many of the same things you are now experiencing.
- Get back to the basics: get a full night of sleep and hydrate.
- If you are really struggling, seek a counselor who can help you process some of your fears.
More Information
This section was written by Amanda Grandinetti (MPH and kidney transplant recipient).And reviewed by Nicolas Fernandez (patient partner); Lloyd Mangahas (Kinesiologist, patient partner); Colin White (National Projects Manager, Irish Kidney Association; member of the Board of the World Transplant Games Federation and the European Transplant & Dialysis Sports Federation); James Myers (kidney transplant recipient); AND by our research team.
References
- Fisher R, Gould D, Wainwright S, Fallon M. Quality of life after renal transplantation. J Clin Nurs. 1998;7: 553.
- Van der Mei SF, van Sonderen FLP, van Son WJ, et al. Social participation after successful kidney transplantation. Disabil Rehabil. 2007;29:473.
- Parajuli S, Singh J, Sandal S, Liebman SE, Demme RA. Self-Reported Employment Status and Social Participation After Successful Kidney Transplantation. Prog Transplant. 2016;26(1):92-98.