liver disease tight rope walk

hi,
     since being diagnosed with end stage liver disease i have accepted that each day a walk a tight rope.  i can't lean too much one way or the other to maintain equilibrium to stay on the high wire.  can any of you people relate?  Today's question has to do more with my present status.  on december 18, 2009 i was lucky enough to survive a liver transplant and i am so grateful for this miracle.  now that i am in my recovery, i find myself searching and working hard to find my new tightrope.  so much is familiar yet somehow everything so new to me. i'm up for the challenge, but asking you people with experience, "do i sound like a nut or does what i describe make any sense?"  PLEASE RESPOND and THANKS for taking the time to read my longwinded question.

bill b

[gilmane]

You are not alone; there are many people with Liver transplants who know exactly how you feel. I had a living donor liver transplant 10 years ago at 52 years old and am now doing fine, but with a modified life style. The first few months and even the first year after transplant are very complicated. There is no straight line recovery.  You need to keep in close contact with your transplant coordinator. Typically in the beginning, you will take a few steps forward and then a step back. Remember it took YEARS to this point and it will take a while before you feel better.  Follow the instructions on taking your meds. It is amazing how many people do not take them as prescribed.  Try walking, in a mall if it is too cold outside. Be careful not to do strenuous abdominal exercise. I ended up back in the hospital with a hernia from doing a few sit ups too soon. Keep a positive attitude, depression can be a problem. Think about all the things you will be able to do again, don't dwell on the few that you can't.  Be careful what you eat and drink, diabetes is a concern for liver transplant patients. Remember you have been given a second shot at life, make the most of it.
By the end of the first year you will be amazed how well you feel. I didn't realize how bad I felt in the years leading to the transplant until I started feeling so much better.
If there is a TRIO (Transplant Recipients International Organization) Chapter near you, contact them. Even if you can't make it to all the meetings, you can meet many people in a similar situation who are happy to discuss their experiences. If there is no TRIO chapter, ask you transplant coordinator if there is a transplant support group that they know about.
Good luck and keep positive, if it were easy they wouldn't have picked you for the job!

[Thomas D Schiano, MD]

i agree with the above comments.  hopefully you will be back to a normal lifestyle soon.  Remember though that transplant is trading one set of problems for another, ie side effects of immunosuppressive medication.  You must remain vigilant regarding your medical follow-up and not forget that you need to see your internist and have the appropriate cancer screening. Congratulations on your transplant.