As a family member, you can be a great support in heling your loved one find their way back into everyday life after transplantation. In this article you will learn how you can best support someone after transplantation.
As with dialysis, you can also make a big contribution to helping your transplanted family member find their way around after the transplant. It is best to ask right at the beginning how you can provide support. An honest and open offer of help often has an amazingly positive effect. A few points where you can provide assistance are presented in the following sections.
How important is social support after transplantation?
You have now learned that support from you as a family member is very important after transplantation. But for what reason is this? In this context, it is important to understand that after transplantation, a long road to normality in everyday life awaits, which can be very challenging not only physically, but also mentally. This path does not end with the operation, but begins after the transplantation. There are many instructions to follow, medications to take, and doctors' appointments to schedule.
In the past, it has been found that people with a transplantation who have a great deal of support in their circle of family and friends are less likely to experience depression and find it easier to return to everyday life and their social environment.
So you are an extremely important support for the mental well-being of your transplanted relatives.
Correct medication
After the transplant, your loved one will need to take medications regularly. These medications are called immunosuppressants and are important for the body to accept the new kidney.
At this point, you can support them by making sure that they take their medication regularly. The medication tracking function in the Mizu app can also help you with this. You can also arrange your medications for the day in a designated tray. A bit of structure will help you avoid forgetting when to take which medication.
Coordination of medical appointments
After transplantation, check-ups and follow-up examinations are important to ensure that the new organ is properly accepted by the body. In the first months after transplantation, these examinations are required once a week. Later, they are usually performed at least quarterly.
This is a huge organizational task because all these appointments have to be arranged and coordinated. So please ask your relative if you can support him/her in making the appointments. Ideally, new appointments can always be made directly during the current visit to the clinic or practice without any additional effort.
Healthy lifestyle
After transplantation, it is especially important to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Here, too, you can help your relatives to implement the various pieces of advice.
1. Sleep and rest
Sufficient sleep (at least 7-8 hours) is important for the body to recover. Your loved one's body has done a lot in the past. It has survived a serious operation and, together with the immunosuppressants, is now making sure that the new kidney can work properly. It is therefore all the more important that it gets the rest it needs through sufficient sleep.
2. Active lifestyle
Sufficient exercise and sport are also important for performance after transplantation. Make sure that your loved one does not overdo it at the beginning. Immediately after surgery, it is normal that the body is still weakened. He/she should therefore start with light walks and increase the intensity gradually and in consultation with the transplant team.
Low-intensity sports with a focus on endurance training are particularly suitable. If something feels unpleasant, it is important to shift down a gear and take a break. You and your loved one should also be aware that - shortly after a major surgery - heavy physical exertion should be completely avoided. And as always, your loved one should always talk to his/her medical team for specific instructions.
3. Healthy nutrition
In addition to adequate sleep and sufficient exercise, a healthy diet is the third building block to a healthy lifestyle. Especially after transplantation, one is at a higher risk of becoming overweight and/or diabetic due to taking the medications. Therefore, a healthy weight and the right diet are essential. A Mediterranean diet is particularly recommended.
When preparing food, it is particularly important to ensure that it is handled hygienically. This is enormously important, since - due to the intake of immunosuppressants - the immune system of your relatives is lowered. Accordingly, the risk of contracting infections is increased. For this reason, it is important to avoid certain high-risk foods in the diet. The keyword here is "low-bacteria diet". The Mizu app with its guide to recommended and high-risk foods and various blog articles on the subject of a low-germ diet can also provide assistance.
You are welcome to assist with this as well. Ask how you can help and consider the hygiene rules and food standards when cooking for your loved one.
"Return" to social life
You may be asking yourself now, for what reason is this a change? Especially the time aspect plays a big role here. Before the transplant, your loved one - if he/she was on hemodialysis - was very busy. With the elimination of dialysis, there is now suddenly much more free time available (~20 hours per week) that can be used.
For mental well-being after transplantation, it is important to get back into social life. It can be helpful, for example, to exchange ideas with other transplanted persons or relatives. Self-help groups or associations can also help your relatives to feel understood or to exchange experiences and problems. You are welcome to inform yourself about offers in your area and accompany him/her to the meetings.
However, keep in mind that your loved one has already had a long and strenuous journey to the transplantation. It is absolutely okay and normal if he/she needs some time off. Therefore, do not push him/her to do activities that he/she does not feel like doing. It is important to find a healthy balance between leisure activities and breaks for mental time-out.
As you can see, the social environment can also make a big contribution to wellbeing after transplantation. By providing support in various areas, you can ensure that your loved one does not feel alone. A gentle approach is especially important. So feel free to ask in which areas you can best support. But do not impose your help.
