When your kidneys stop working properly, you will go through stages of being unable to make enough urine or being unable to pass it through. This is called urinary incontinence and is a very common side effect of a kidney transplant. It is normal to feel a bit weak and tired for a few days after the transplant but once your body gets used to the …Read “How to Recover From a Kidney Transplant” to learn how to recover from a kidney transplant. But what if you don’t get a new kidney? What if you don’t want a second one?
If you have a kidney transplant in Mumbai, you won’t get another one. But what you eat and how you recover from it can help ease you back into life again. Here are some ways you can recover from the transplant.
Exercise
Exercising after getting a kidney transplant can make you feel tense and short-fused, and this is because the new kidneys need time to get used to being inside your body. It would be best if you started walking and doing stairs and push-ups as soon as you can. You should stick to low-intensity activities like walking, stretching, and doing muscle relaxers at night for the first few days. Once your body gets used to the new kidneys, you can add more strenuous exercises like running or lifting weights.
Stay hydrated
Water is the body’s primary source of energy and regulates almost everything in the body. It helps transport nutrients to and from the body and flushes waste products out of the body. Water also keeps you warm and encourages body cells to repair themselves. To make sure you are staying hydrated, you should drink 8 glasses a day. If you don’t drink enough water, you might get a headache, feel sick, or have a dry mouth.
Eat well
You should eat well after a kidney transplant to ensure the new kidneys get the nutrition they need. This means eating a balanced, healthy diet. It would help if you tried to eat as much of the same food as the person who donated their kidney to reduce the risk of Platelet Injuries (PI).
You should try to eat foods low in sodium, sugar, and fat. In addition, you should drink plenty of water and minimize the intake of saturated fat, full-fat dairy products, red meat, and refined sugar.
Do the right thing
Donating a kidney is a major sacrifice, both emotionally and financially. It is essential to think about the people who received the gift of life and donated a kidney. It would help if you did everything to be as helpful as possible to these people.
Don’t be afraid to speak to your doctor or transplant coordinator if you have a question about the process or what to expect. Being helpful is what you should do, after all.
Stop smoking
Quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do for your health. Once you stop smoking, your body will begin to produce less nitric oxide, which can cause blood vessels in the lung to contract and get stiffer. This can lead to unwanted side effects like increased blood pressure and swelling in the legs, so if you have a couple of weeks after the transplant to kick the habit, great! But don’t go on a smoking binge or end up with terrible side effects.
Find a way back up
After a kidney transplant, the natural order of things becomes debilitated. This is because your body has to fight to stay alive and healthy. Your immune system is less effective, your body’s balance is off, and you build up a resistance to certain medications. So, your body starts to reject the new kidney. For your body to go back up again, you will have to take pills every day for 6-8 weeks.
Bottom line
It is important to remember that you can still be healthy and active and enjoy a good quality of life after a kidney transplant.
It is also important to remember that recovery is a process, and you should not expect to be 100% on the first day.
The good news is that with a little bit of work and perseverance, you can get back to living your life as usual – and even better – after a kidney transplant.
