What Every Patient Needs to Know - UMC

Every transplant candidate has a dream ofwhat life will be like on the day after transplantsurgery. Those dreams can be both thrilling andfrightening, so it helps to know what youmight expect.Transplant recipients will tell you two truths:no two transplants are alike, and a transplant isnot a cure. Even after your transplant, you maystill have a serious chronic illness that must beclosely managed.Immediately after TransplantAfter dealing with the effects of long-termillness (lack of energy, shortness of breath),you may feel euphoric when you awake aftersurgery to find those symptoms gone. Anesthesiaoften protects you from post-surgical pain for ashort time. Follow your team’s pain managementinstructions to make the overall experience ascomfortable as possible.Transplant is major surgery. It may take time toget back to eating normally, moving around, andmanaging your own care. Don’t be discouraged.Most recipients report feeling much better justafter transplant. Others take longer to feel better,move around, and manage their care. Rememberthat you now have a functioning organ, whichgives you a new lease on life.We do not defeat death with atransplant; rather, we gain an extensionof life. So the real question becomes,‘What are we going to do with thedays, months, and hopefully years ofextended life?’…the same questioneven the non-transplanted face intheir own lives.– Heart recipientGoing HomeThere is no set time when people go home aftertransplant. These factors can affect how soon youwill be able to go home:• The organ that you received; recovery for eachorgan is different• Your overall health status and ability to takecare of yourself• Your lab results• Other chronic health problems• Availability of support at homeAfter you are discharged from the hospital, hereare a few things to expect.MedicationsImmunosuppressants, or anti-rejection medications,“hide” your new transplanted organ from yourbody’s immune system to protect it from beingattacked and destroyed. Take these and othermedications just as your doctor prescribes.Talk to your transplant team before making anychanges. You will take immunosuppressants forthe lifetime of your transplanted organ. Visitwww.transplantliving.org (click on After theTransplant>Medications) for more information.You also will take other medications to help theimmunosuppressants to do their job, or to controlside effects. You may need medications for otherchronic health problems. In the beginning itseems like you are taking lots and lots of medications,but this likely will change as you recover.35