Depression after kidney transplant.

jeff · Guest

I had my kidney transplant on October 26th of this year and so far so good, I am a little depressed but I think that is due to the fact that the buildup and anticipation of getting the transplant is over and it is time to move on with my life. I hated peritoneal dialysis more than anything in my life and I am so happy to not do dialysis 5 times a day anymore. Thankfully the hospital where I had my transplant only uses prednisone for the first 3 days, and uses thymoglobulin to wean you off of it and then no more prednisone. The prograff gives me the shakes sometimes but for the most part the drugs really don't bother me. I take Zoloft and xanax daily and I think that helps a little with the depression. Going to the hospital twice a week sucks, but anything is better than dialysis and I want to take care of the gift of life that my sister gave to me

Stacy · Guest

I had my transplant October 17th of this year and went through a period of depression. I also take zoloft and have been feeling near "normal" for the past week and a half. The doctor took me off one of the two BP meds and the swelling in my ankles and feet has finally gone away. Other than picking up too much weight and suffering from it, I haven't had any problems.

Also trying to take care of the gift I was given (from my mother)

Hi · Guest

Guest · Posted: 01/14/08 - 13:40 Post subject:

I had my Kidney Transplant in June of 07 from my awesome brother, and I thank God Everyday for it, and for the maintaining of the kidney, i was on Peritonael Dialysis for 3 years prior to this, And for all the people here who are depressed about recieving a kidney, I just don't understand you all. This is the gift of life guys, live it up, thats why we have it. Oh and I really apppreciate this movie quote after looking at my mangled body from scars, which i love, Scary I know that I would like scars. =), Scars add personality Razz

And be grateful. Our scars have the power to remind us that the past was real. Hannibal Lector from Red Dragon Wink

Tim C.

kristinkay0309 · Guest

my name is kristin and i received my new organs may 2007 I did dialysis for about 5 months. when ur about to die u do what u have to do. I am 24 years old my kidneys failed from diabetes and so i did the pancreas as well as a kidney. I hate taking all these pills i also have gained 12ilbs i hate the way my scar looks and i dont know if i really feel that much better i am still always tierd. I dont understand i am off my moms health insurance and nobody wants to hire a sick person and no private health insurance will cover me i am also depressed because 9 months after surgery my doc calls me and tells me that they just received the autopsy report from my donor the just realized he had lukemia and theres a chance that i have it i am so sick of being poked with needlels i dont know what i will do if i end up with cancer.transplants are good but sometimes i think the docs need to slow down iam very scared some advice would be great someone told me i should sue could i.

Karen · Guest

Hi Kristin,

I am just reading your post as I search the internet for health insurance! I hope you are feeling better these days. I am almost 4 years post kidney transplant and my life is great. Don't hate your medications, they are your life line. I know it's hard to see it that way, but I would swallow 100's of pills a day if it meant I could still be on this earth with my daughter and family. I gained weight too..and I'm still not adjusted to that, but I listen to what Oprah and etc..say...we now have to learn to dress this "new body". Remember this new body represents your new life.

As for the scars!! I LOVE my scars and I don't mind showing them off. If I were in bikini shape, i'd be out there showing them off. I'm not embarrassed or ashamed of them because they represent my journey. I have more than just the transplant scar, I also had a kidney removed.

I just lost my older sister a year ago to colon cancer. I was always the sickly one and she the healthy. She had something she just couldn't beat...so if I ever (which I never do) start to get down about this transplant and all the changes my life has gone through...I think of my beautiful sister and her children who are without her.
I promise you it will get better. LOVE YOUR LIFE!! you only get one.

Take care
--K

msLo · Newbie Joined: 18 Feb 2007 Posts: 30

Thank you all for posting your stories; they have truly helped me cope with this and I believe we all need a place to vent to people who understand.

More than anything in this world I want to live a full and normal life and I'm planning to do so for as long as I can. Before I felt that I wasn't a whole person and that I was damaged which led to an enormous amount of self esteem issues. I felt that no one would want me because I was damaged goods. I mean, I'm 20 now and I have never had a boyfriend. My therapist told me, "Don't blind people get married? Deaf people? Amputees? Of course they do!" That did help.

For the past couple of months I've changed my thinking. I began listing all the good things that I had in my life and slowly (and I mean at molasses pace) I began to feel better and all my problems didn't seem as profound as they were. I would recommend to you all to try to change your thinking and that may help (with anti- depressants).

Also, I got all these tips from watching 'The Secret' and I do recommend it highly!!

RASHIA · Guest

PLEASE, THOSE THAT ARE DISCOURAGE ABOUT THE TRANSPLANT DON'T BE. I WAS TOLD THAT THE LIFE EXPECTANCY IS 7 YEARS ON DIALYSIS. I WAS ONLY ON DIALYSIS FOR A LITTLE OVER A YEAR AND I SAW MANY PEOPLE DIE. SOMETIMES JUST FROM A TECH NOT GOING THEIR JOB CORRECTLY. AS FAR AS THE WEIGHT GAIN EXERCISE A LITTLE MORE AND PRAY, PRAY, PRAY GOD WORKS!! THE PREDNISONE MAKES YOU THINK CRAZY ALSO.

jondeere85 · Guest

Im 22 years old and am on my 2nd transplant. The first one last 20 years and i had my 2nd march 7 2007. As far as wanting to die i feel sorry for you not because you are having problems but because you dont respect life enough to be thanking the ground you walk on. How you ever got a kidney i will never know. My life hasnt been all peachy keen. I have a scar from six inches below my neck to my penis. I havent been able to pee on my own since i was 8 and have had to catheterize for 15 years. I never had a problem with weight gain because i was normally active and i was on the same meds you were on. I stopped taking my meds when i was 16 and didnt take them for four years before i went into failure. I spent nine months in dialysis with noone in the same decade in age as me. That was depressing. I never ever though wanted to be dead. I take xanax now and had no idea that prograf caused the shakes. Oh well.
Dude get a life and realize you are lucky to be alive because there are alot of things left on this earth for you to do or you wouldve never gotten a transplant.

linda gee · Guest

I really don't know what to say because I know I should be the most thankful person of anyone I know. But, just a big but, I had my live doner give me his kidney out of the goodness of his heart.
But there aren't very many days past that I don't feel the way you do. I am 60 and vain and I guess selfish at times. I had kidney failure 2 years before my transplant and I refused to go on dialysis, I would have rather died first. My creat was 9 when I had my transplant. I had lost 45#s and was at that weight 6-8mos. I felt tired but not to bad some of the time. The last few months I realized I was harder for me to push my self. I was not in any pain.
Then come the surgery- I walked into the hospital not feeling bad. For 3 days after the transplant I was fighting for my life the doctor overdose my with something and my blood pressure went extremely low, I stayed in a coma in and out for days. After all the usual doseages of prenisone and thymugoblin and constantly fight for my life I came out of it and I was pissed, I felt betrayed by the doctors and the transplant foundation.
The next 3 weeks I was in and out of the hospital 3 times with dehydration and a severe kidney rejection which was caused by the incompetents of the doctors.
After surviving all of the additonal round of treatment. I finally came home. Physically I got some what better just to have all the medicine that I had to take a)gain weight rapidly b)shake to the point of could not be still c)Could not sleep d)feel like I wanted to die E)crying uncontrollably
My husband was very helpful but could not understand what was going on.
I could go on and on about how I feel but I know no one wants to hear all of it. So I will cut to the chase. I feel the transplant foundation and their doctors lied to me and all most killed me. Did not inform us enough about what would acually be like after the transplant. All I ever hear out of them is about how great their transplant team was and how great things would be after the surgery. What LIARS they are.
I am told that I should be greatful and thankful that things turned out the way they have. WELL I am not. How about that?
The last few years of my life I will be fat, fatigued, mentally scattered, shaking like I have the DTs, and now bald headed. I have allways been a strong person, over achiever, and some what successful. I don't feel I deserve this, if it wasn't for my grandson whom I love dearly I would not go on. THanks for reading.

Depression after kidney transplant.

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