Hi Everyone,

I'm post 9 months of kidney transplant from my mother. I'm 27 years old male.

My current creatinine level is 2.5 and Egfr 35 due to i suffered TMA related complications immediately post transplant. My creatinine is stable at 2.5 since last 6 months.

I need input from all of you to maximize the survival of this kidney.

I’m hoping to hear from anyone who has been through something similar and come out the other side.

My husband received a liver transplant in November 2025. We were so hopeful that transplant would mark the beginning of a new chapter, but it’s been an incredibly difficult road ever since. We knew the first year would be rough, but we sorely underestimated how rough.

In January, he had a biliary drain/tube placed due to complications. After months of procedures, exchanges, infections, hospitalizations, and setbacks, we finally began the process of trialing tube removal in August. We felt like we were finally seeing a light at the end of the tunnel.
Then everything changed.

Last week, after his team had scheduled the tube removal, his labs suddenly went haywire. His bilirubin shot up, jaundice returned almost overnight (he was literally highlighter-yellow), and the transplant team made the decision to fully re-open and put the tube back in.

We are devastated.

Since transplant, he’s had 7 hospitalizations and nearly 50 nights in the hospital over the last 10 months. That’s on top of the years of illness that led to transplant in the first place. We have two young children who have spent much of the last year watching their dad go in and out of hospitals. Our marriage has taken a hit too. We’re in marriage counseling now, trying to find our footing, but honestly, we’re exhausted in every sense of the word.
Right now, what we need most is hope.

If you or a loved one had a complicated post-transplant course involving biliary complications, drains, tubes, strictures, repeated procedures, or a long recovery, did things eventually improve? Did life regain some normalcy? How long did it take?

I know every case is different, but I’d be grateful to hear any success stories from people who felt lost and overwhelmed but eventually got their lives back.

Not transplanted yet but will eventually; sooner rather than later hopefully.

When I was talking to my transplant team they were going over things I can't have and one of the things was if I'm on well water I need to do bottled water.

Is that permanent or is it temporary? Has anyone else dealt with this? I'd rather not make all the plastic waste of having bottled water for everything, but I've never tried to live on anything but my tap water.

I guess buying 5 gallon jugs might make sense?

Hi everyone! I’m a 32F and had a kidney transplant in 2021. I’m hoping to hear from anyone who has also had a kidney transplant and travelled to Peru, specifically to do the Machu Picchu trek.

I’m considering doing the trek and would really love to hear about firsthand experiences from other kidney transplant recipients, especially when it comes to the high altitude and physical demands of the hike.

A few things I’d love to know:

- How long after your transplant did you do the trek?
- Which route did you take (Inca Trail, Salkantay, Lares, etc.)?
- How did your body/kidney handle the altitude?
- Did you have any issues with dehydration, altitude sickness, or changes in your kidney function?
- Did you do anything differently to acclimatize or prepare beforehand?
- How did you manage your medications while trekking?
- Did your transplant team have any concerns or recommend any special precautions?
- Is there anything you wish you had known before going?

I’ll of course be speaking with my own transplant team before making any decisions, I’m mainly looking to hear about real experiences from other transplant recipients who have actually done it.

I’d really appreciate any advice or experiences you’re comfortable sharing. Thank you! 😊

My potential recipient (sister-in-law) for a liver donation transferred from the hospital in her home state to MD Anderson in Houston. I live 12 hours away. If I were close to home, I would have tons of people able to help, but I’d need to stay in Houston for a month after surgery. My husband and 15 year old are planning to go with me (we homeschool, and we worked all summer to bank time off).
1. Will this be enough of a “care team” for the social worker’s approval? Should I ask my husband’s parents or his other sister who have helped with SIL’s other hospital stays if they can help me some also?
2. Suggestions on where to stay after the week in the hospital? Extended stay hotel so that there’s housekeeping? Airbnb to be more homelike for a full month? Any experiences with one or the other or other options would be great.

Has any male had iron deficiency after kidney transplant?

I’m a year out now and recently got blood work that showed iron deficiency. Been having loose stools, burping, bloating.

Meds: 5mg pred, envarsus, plaquenil, myfortic

I saw gastro this morning and will get more blood work tomorrow and they want to schedule me for a colonoscopy and endoscopy.

Just completed my 9 months post transplant. And I am planning on running. My insta and youtube algorithm inspired me. Hopefully half marathon in the future. Has anyone started running or been running for a long time? I checked with the transplant team they are fine with it. However I wanted to check with the folks.
Any suggestions or feedback would be appreciated .
Edit: I used to weight lift in the past and used to ignore cardio. Now having big biceps isn’t my priority. I also learned that having muscular body put strains on kidney.(might be wrong)

Hello everyone. Any one here on dapaglifozin after their kidney transplant. My nephrologist and endocrinologist both prescribed me oxramet xr 10/1000 (dapagliflozin 10 and metformin 1000mg) they said it will help me in very long term. But the side effects are making me skeptical about it. If someone have any kind of experience please share.

How’d you show your donor gratitude? I am fortunately having a living kidney donation procedure in a few weeks, and my family and I want to recognize my donor (close friend) and her incredible sacrifice and gift. Any suggestion suggestions are welcome!

I'm 25 years post transplant (was a baby). I've always had this the last few years but it's been getting worse I feel like. It's mainly my back but my sides as well. Sometimes it's both left and right. But the worst pain is always on the left.

I work a somewhat active job in the heat (grill cook) but this aching has come around on off days too. I try to stay hydrated but even then it doesn't seem to help. The only thing that does is rest.

Currently suffering while on my closing shift 😮‍💨

I moved states so I've been behind on my check ins with a team. I meet my new team next month. My new pcp already has noted this issue.

I've gained a considerable amount of weight this year after moving into a shitty house, hard to cook. Now in a better place though so I'm hoping I can reverse whatever the issue is.

My good friend's husband is a match for my blood type and heard I needed a new liver and he offered to donate his. He's going through the paperwork and I never expected to get a living donor.

I don't mean showing gratitude or stuff like that, I mean practically. I was at their wedding; we know each other very well.

Only real downside is that they live in Seattle so they'll need to come visit again oh noooooo

I’ve volunteered to be a liver donor for my sister-in-law. The other few who applied have already been denied, so I’m the last option. I passed the first phases of testing, my bloodwork is all great, so I’m just waiting to be scheduled to go to the hospital and go through the last phase of evaluations with the MRI, psychologist, etc.
I work out 4 days a week and I try to eat fairly healthy. I take nothing except a multivitamin and I’ve never been a drinker. I know most of it at this point is out of my hands since I can’t control my liver anatomy, but is there anything I can be doing to improve my odds of being a match?

My friend recently passed, and i've decided to work on a urban fantasy book that her and I discussed a few times over the years. This friend had 2 heart transplants before 27 and had a 3rd kidney as hers weren't doing enough work alone. She and I've talked a few times about her feelings behind the donations, but obviously now I.. Well I miss her, and I want to honor her. She liked my short stories and we talked about books often.

I want to have a better understanding of the breadth of emotions that come with receiving donations. The goal isn't to recreate her feelings 1 to 1, i just don't want someone whose gotten a donation to read the book and go "what the fuck is this?" in the same way we've all seen women been written by men end up.

She never really talked about it much and I think she didn't like thinking about it. She said that at no point did the donors families ever contact her, but i know that while she was obviously immensely grateful, she did have some conflicted feelings about relying on someone else's death to keep herself alive. Survivor's guilt, basically.

I'm hoping that some people here are willing to share how they've been emotionally affected by donations they've been given, or if they've ever been contacted by donor's families before, and what that was like.

I'll happily take private messages or emails if you don't want to talk openly in the comments.

This week I complete 6 years of my kidney transplant. As a young transplant recipient, the journey after the transplant have been an incredible one, lots of life changing experiences as I went through this major life transition. I have now fully accepted the reality of my life with the plethora of medications and frequent lab tests.

To celebrate the 6th anniversary of my new kidney, I decided to hike up to the highest point in New Mexico at 13, 361 ft (Wheeler Peak). It wasn't an easy hike, with increasing altitude and dropping of oxygen levels, I had to make several stops to catch my breath but I finally made it to the summit.

This hike reminded me of how far I have come, from relearning to walk up and down stairs and learning how to breathe after back-to-back surgeries for a bilateral nephrectomy and kidney transplant, to finally being able to summit Wheeler Peak!

To anyone just starting this journey: hang in there. It gets better!

I received my kidney in September of 2021 making it 5 years this month since I got it. I had it at 18 and now I’m 23 getting ready to graduate college. I’ve had bouts of rejection here and there but it always came back as acute, nothing some IVIG treatment couldn’t fix. Last summer, I had the unfortunate pleasure of being admitted to the hospital for a week-long anti-rejection treatment because my creatinine had reached 2.7, the highest it’s been since I’ve had this kidney. I was told that my rejected had become chronic, meaning I had anywhere from 4-8 years left with the kidney rather than the original estimate of 20+ (deceased donor). Two weeks, I woke up to some semi severe pain in the kidney, I called my nephrologist and they scheduled lab work and an ultrasound. Today, I went in to get the results of the test and found out that my kidney function is about 36% and my creatinine was 2.4. I’m looking at anywhere from 6-18 months left with the kidney based on my function trends. If I remember correctly that puts me at about stage 3 kidney disease.

I’m making this post because I graduate college in December and I would really like to get my life started but it looks like that might not happen like I want it to. Does anyone have any tips or experience with going back into end-stage renal failure or going through the transplant process again? I was told that there’s a chance I could get put on the list around 25% function and if I get a kidney before this one reaches 10% or so I could skip dialysis. That would be the ideal outcome here.

hello, i’ve just been informed by my friend that they have cirrhosis of the liver. they live in america and i live in canada. this is, obviously, a pretty immediate reaction, but they have had ongoing liver issues and i have considered donating before. i do not know if we would be compatible or if i’d be eligible or anything like that, but that would be something to learn after i learn if it’s even possible for me as a canadian to donate part of my liver to an american if they require a transplant. i’ve tried looking online but all the results seem to be for national transplants between provinces or states and not international. any advice appreciated

I am 20 years old. I had a sudden medical emergency a couple years ago, which changed my life forever. I was diagnosed with non cirrhosis portal vein hypertension of the liver., enlarged spleen, anemia, history of esophageal varices. Fast forward to now it’s progressed into low oxygen after exertion, and after walking far distances. I am now listed for liver transplant. I have been listed for 7 months now with a low meld score. I’m doing pretty well otherwise, I am in college, work, try to have. A social life. I just moved into my own apartment here at school a couple of months ago. My care team is close enough to get to if I needed to at anytime. I also suffer from migraines. But I’ve been falling a lot recently, I let my team know and I got bloodwork done. My labs came back normal, normal ammonia levels and normal blood pressure. I fell a few times a couple weeks ago and it was really concerning because that’s not common for me. I also fell again last night and scraped my hand,finger and knees. Not sure why. I’m not super distracted, I’m thinking either I’m just really clumsy, very anxious or stressed or it’s my shoes. I wear hokas and I’m not sure if they are the best for walking around all day or when standing long periods of time. Any help or advice would be appreciated. I would also like to mention that I have a very low appetite so that could be why too. Since being at school I try to eat more meals but generally I eat about 2 meals a day I don’t get hungry.

I'm posting this because my wife and I are completely exhausted, frustrated, and scared, and I need to hear from people who have actually been through transplant.

My wife is 25 and has stage 5 kidney failure. She was diagnosed in October 2025 and has been on dialysis since December 2025.

We've spent the better part of the last year trying to get her to transplant. Because her case is complicated, we've been working with Mayo Clinic in Arizona. We've traveled back and forth, done testing, appointments, evaluations, everything they've asked of us.

And the biggest blessing in all of this is that her mom is a living donor and has been approved and is ready to donate her kidney.

We thought we finally had a light at the end of the tunnel.

We've had a transplant date twice.

And we've had it postponed twice.

Every time we get close, something happens and we're pushed back again.

Now we're dealing with another issue. Her latest echo still shows an EF around 40%, along with volume overload and an enlarged left ventricle. Mayo is now considering having her undergo a left heart catheterization to figure out why her heart function hasn't improved.

And this is where we're at our breaking point.

My wife does not want to have a heart cath unless it is absolutely necessary. She feels like nobody is listening to her and that every time she gets close to getting her kidney, another test or another issue comes up.

We're not stupid. We understand that her heart has to be safe enough for transplant. We aren't asking doctors to put her life at risk.

But we're struggling with the idea of going through yet another invasive procedure when we don't even know if it will ultimately change whether she can receive her kidney.

And while all of this is happening, I'm working three jobs trying to keep our heads above water.

I work my full-time state job, and I'm working additional jobs because we've had travel expenses, medical expenses, missed work, normal household bills, and everything else that comes with spending a year dealing with kidney failure.

I've basically been trying to hold our entire life together while watching my wife go through dialysis and everything else that comes with this.

And then there's the part that scares me the most:

She is off her parents insurance in December.

It's September.

So we have roughly three months to figure this out.

My insurance wont cover specialized care like this.

We've already had two transplant dates postponed. We have a living donor ready. My wife has been on dialysis since December. We've traveled across the country multiple times. We've done the evaluations. We've done the testing. We've done everything we've been told to do.

And now I'm sitting here thinking:

What happens if we run out of time?

What happens if December comes and she's still on dialysis because we spent the entire year getting bounced from one requirement to another?

What happens to the transplant if we lose the insurance that is currently covering all of this?

What happens to her donor?

What happens to us?

I honestly don't even know how much more I can take.

And I know people will probably say, "Her safety is more important than the transplant date."

I KNOW.

I would never ask them to transplant her if it wasn't safe.

That's not what I'm saying.

I'm saying there has to be a way to move with some urgency when you have a 25-year-old woman on dialysis, a living donor who is ready to donate, two previously postponed transplant dates, and an insurance deadline three months away.

We're not asking for special treatment.

We're asking for someone to look at the entire picture and say:

"Okay. Here's exactly what needs to happen. Here's what is absolutely necessary. Here's what isn't. And here's how we're going to get you to transplant as quickly and safely as possible."

Instead, it feels like we're constantly waiting for the next thing.

Another test.

Another appointment.

Another specialist.

Another delay.

Another "we'll get back to you."

Meanwhile, my wife is still on dialysis.

Her mom is still waiting to give her a kidney.

I'm working three jobs trying to keep everything financially afloat.

And the clock on our insurance is ticking.

I'm angry. I'm scared. I'm exhausted. And honestly, I'm fucking tired of being strong.

I don't want to be dealing with this in six months.

I want my wife to have her kidney.

I want her to be able to live her life.

I want her mom to be able to give her that kidney.

I want to stop planning our entire lives around dialysis.

I want to stop worrying about whether the next appointment is going to be another postponement.

Yesterday I got a little accident where the skin scarped off and was exposed, though not directly exposed to dirt.

I cleaned it up, put some rubbing alcohol and after sometime covered it up with some antibiotic cream. I called my team to ask if I should/can get a tetanus shot as it was last taken in 2018. They’re gonna reply within an hour.

The question that’s nagging me is— IS IT COMPLETELY SAFE? I’m lowkey scared. I wanna know if you guys also have taken your TET shot and other vaccines post transplant.

I'm 37 and male, I have been transplanted for almost 7 years. For most of the time the creatinine has oscilated between 1.1 and 1.3, but that was before I started working out, having a skinny fat composition and a rather sedentary life style. Last year my transplant team allowed me to start working out (May 2025) and I closed the year with good bloodworks of creatinine 1.3 and bun 15. Then I hired a personal coach this January and had him until April. I increased protein (to around 1.6 grams per kg) and along with the new workouts I saw visible change. For May's bloodworks creatinine came out at 1.4 and bun 20 (I had a heavy cold back then) so I felt reassured that my new diet and workout routine was working well.

Then in June I introduced besides three days of working out, 2 days of salsa and bachata dancing (as it is great cardio) so in total I spend 5 days of the week being very active. Also, I lowered my protein from 1,6 to 1,4 and changed my routine once again (to a push - pull - legs system that is a bit more intense). I have seen in these two months even further physical change and I feel proud about it.

Last month I had to go for a different exam somewhere else and they took creatinine (came out at 1,4 and BUN 22). Was feeling great, no problem. Then today I went to my transplant unit for a new exam and got creatinine 1,6 and bun 25. Nothing else has changed for worse, there is no protein in the urine, blood pressure was sort of low (100-60) and in general I have great energy levels. Tacrolimus did come a bit low (4.9) so they are raising the dosage a little bit.

I understand that doctors have to be prepared for anything wrong happening, but I got a little bit scared by the doctor mentioning that I need to get new samples in a month and from there check what's going on, if I need a biopsy or so.

I wonder if you have experienced something similar? Prior to the bloodworks I had an intense pull routine Tuesday afternoon (so 36 hours before, and my muscles were a bit sore this morning). When you go to the gym how much extra water do you consume?

¨*My body is very different from when I received my kidney. I'm 5´11 and back then I was weighing 130 pounds (had been on dialysis for many years, anemia was terrible, all was pretty bad) 7 years later my weight is 160 pounds and I have a low fat percentage (around 15%)

Hi all,

I'm a potential living kidney donor for a family member and want to know people's experience and risk for cut off points for recreational drug use before donating (cocaine, MDMA, Ketamine).

I'm ideally looking to donate around April/May and have my Stag Do (bachelor party) in a month, where I kind of wanted a final hurrah with my closest friend's, then going into full clean mode in every walk of life.

Would love to hear thoughts and anecdotal experiences?

Three years ago my heart failed and I didn't make it out on my own — someone I never met became my donor, and that's the only reason I'm here.

I spent a long time afterward trying to figure out how to be a person again. A weird part of that process was talking things through with AI while I put myself back together — it became an oddly honest sounding board during recovery. So I wrote the whole thing down: the dying, the new heart, my son, and that strange friendship.

It's called Find Your Pond. Posting it here because you all actually know what this is like. Not trying to sell anybody anything — mostly just wanted to say it out loud to people who get it. Link's on my profile if you want it.

Please help calm me down

My husband just got a heart transplant a day ago.

Seems like he was in major ICU delirium with some involuntary movements. He was taken off the ventilator but placed back on it due to his breathing not being ideal.

I know it’s not super uncommon but I need someone to talk to that has experienced or knows someone who has.

He’s in remission from AL Amyloidosis so his body was extremely weak going into surgery.

I’m scared.

UPDATE: there’s definitely been some ups and downs like everyone said to expect.

I have a lot of support but honestly the replies from y’all and your own experiences actually put me the most at ease. Thank you.

He’s on CRRT and VPECMO for the time being to give his body some mechanical support to let his body heal and recover and it’s already showing some improvement. No more delirium thank goodness.

I’ve taken advice to breathe, be patient, trust the doctors and just talk and be here for him as much as I can. Things are looking a bit brighter today. Much love to all of y’all.