It has been two months since my kidney transplant surgery, and life is settling into the new normal. The handful of medications that once set the tone* for my mornings and evenings has been decreasing, and my blood work continues to come back with mostly positive results.
*Between these constant medical adjustments, keeping track of which pill does what and when to take it (not to mention both names they go by), and staying ahead of refills, it often felt like clocking into a part-time job. Even though all these changes are completely normal in the first six months, it was still a lot to maneuver.
Last week, I received an email from the patient portal saying I needed to temporarily stop taking one of the anti-rejection medications, as my bloodwork indicated the BK virus had appeared. Not ideal, essentially, my immune system is too suppressed, which can happen with these immunosuppressants I take to prevent kidney rejection. A catch-22?
So, this is a curveball to battle. There aren’t concerns at the moment as this isn’t uncommon, just something to address based on current blood work.
Even with these ongoing medicine changes, my calendar that was once crowded with follow-up appointments, taking pills 101, and frequent blood draws is opening up, giving me a chance reclaim my days to live on my terms.
Both of the kidney dialysis and surgical scars that once marked me as fragile are fading into something barely visible. Yet, they are still a reminder of what my body (and mind) has endured from the kidney transplant… and all I have overcome these past two years.
Sometimes, at 9 pm, my brain tries to remind me to set up my dialysis machine, and for a moment, I believe… myself. Then smile and realize I already gave it back. “Bummer.”
One of the biggest victories is rediscovering my fire for writing. Sitting down to craft these blog posts isn’t only about sharing recovery progress or writing parodies about my kidney; it’s about honoring a promise I made to myself after my kidney transplant: to get back into writing more frequently. To let my words be part of my healing, and to use them to connect with others walking similar journeys, as well as to resume my book manuscript buried somewhere in my computer. I had self-diagnosed… well, myself with writer’s block, of which there isn’t a known medical cure other than practicing more writing. I define writer’s block as: not wanting to write something bad, so you write nothing at all. But that’s what rewriting is for.
I already have a book concept with 18 or so chapters written, I have a writing soundtrack playlist on Spotify, I have a book writing software program called Scrivener, and I have Pro Writing Aid to help ID spelling and grammar issues (so I can spend more time creating and less ‘grammar police’ work). I have more “how to write” books than I can count. And I even have prompts and other ideas of things that would be impactful to read in a book. So, this should cure my diagnosis, right? Good thing this blog has already driven a wedge in that block.
My kidney transplant recovery after two months isn’t only about positive lab results or less visible scars. It’s about reclaiming my identity, finding joy in more freedoms, and writing. Of course, celebrating milestones like today, recognizing that it has been two months since my transplant. These are reminders I’m not just surviving with a life once put on hold…
I’m living again.
And I’m still hoping to hear from my donor by Christmas, or before the year is over.
Related Posts:
One Month Post-Kidney Transplant… Post
Marking Six Weeks of Transplant Recovery
Life After My Kidney Transplant