18. At-Home Recovery

Recovery Timeline

Day 1: You’ll be able to walk and stretch.

Month 1.5: You may resume driving a car, upon authorization from the transplant team.

Month 2: Simple aerobics (jogging, swimming).

Month 3: Lift 20 to 30 pounds.

Month 3 - 6: Upon approval from the transplant team, you may return to work or school.

Month 6: Lift 40 pounds.

Month 12: You may pursue a pregnancy without risking damage to internal organs.

Activities to Avoid

There are a few things you may never do again after getting a kidney transplant:

• Do not play rough contact sports, as impacts may cause injury to the new kidney and its delicate reconstructed tissues.
• We urge you not to consume grapefruit, since they will counteract the effects of your medications. The dietician will explain this in detail when you meet.
• You will not be allowed to smoke since you’ll be taking medications that will reduce your immune system’s efficacy. Smoking will make your lungs prone to infection.

Exercise

When you return home we recommend you exercise daily by walking 15 minutes, and increase time as your body allows. This will help you improve your circulation, lower blood pressure, strengthen your cardiovascular system, and reduce stress. Eventually you’ll be able to take part in more strenuous cardiovascular exercises, but you must get approval from the transplant team first.

Women

• Have an annual pap-smear and mammogram.
• Perform a breast self-examination once a month to check for breast cancer. The recommended time to do this is 1 week after your period.
• Do not breastfeed. Immunosuppressant medications are carried through breast milk, which are harmful to newborns.
• We recommend you delay pursuing pregnancy for 12 months after transplantation. This is to avoid damage to the surgery area, overstressing your body, and premature births. Talk to your transplant team before pursuing pregnancy; some anti-rejection medications may be harmful to a developing fetus.
• We recommend you use a diaphragm with spermicidal gel, or a condom for birth control. Birth control pills are not recommended until a few months post-surgery. Talk to the transplant team for the appropriate time to use birth control pills.
• If you use tampons, use the smallest size needed, change them frequently, and don’t use one overnight to avoid infection.
• If you are over 50, you may need to have a colonoscopy with your doctor.
• Some women may have stopped having periods due to their disease. Their periods may return after receiving a transplant. Be aware that you'll need to take birth control if this is the case and you don't want to become pregnant.

Men

• Perform a testicular self-examination once a month to check for lumps, which could be simptoms of testicular cancer.
• If you are over 40 years of age, have a physical examination once per year, and ask to be screened for prostate cancer.
• Talk to your doctor before planning to conceive a child, since some medications might lead to birth defects.
• If you are over 50 years old, talk to your doctor about having a colonoscopy performed.
• There’s a rare possibility that erectile dysfunction may occur. This may be due to diminished blood-flow to the area after surgery, but is usually self-correcting. Ask for a visit to our urologist if you are concerned.