Posts by Laura Bailey

@ Douglas Fowler

His kidneys started acting up when he was only 28. He went straight onto dialysis and eventually had a transplant, and honestly, looking back, we’re pretty happy with how everything turned out. It’s been a struggle, sure, but the transplant happened when I was just three years old, and now I'm 25. Even though doctors wrote him off back then, he’s still right here with us. It’s actually quite rare for a transplanted kidney to hold up this well for so many years. These days, you just don't see it much... Dad is back on dialysis now, which is tough, but he's hanging in there... he refuses to give up...
Every illness is a battle, but with the right meds and making sure to actually enjoy life... you can still find those good days...
I'm really glad to hear you aren't dealing with those kinds of issues anymore—hopefully, it stays that way.

@Douglas Kim59
My dad was on Sandimmune for 18 years. Since he had a kidney transplant, he had to manage his immune system to make sure his body didn't reject the organ. It’s true that he was more susceptible to viruses, but nothing ever felt too extreme. You just have to be careful—if he caught a cold, we’d head straight to the doctor immediately. If a fever popped up, we dealt with it right away. The key is staying consistent with the timing of the doses and making sure everything is precisely managed by his physician. The manufacturer matters quite a bit, too; there's a noticeable difference between Sandimmune from India and the version from Switzerland. Eventually, after 18 years, his kidney gave out, so he had to stop taking Sandimmune, though he definitely would have kept going if he could... we don't really have a choice in these things. That medication was his lifeline, regardless of any side effects.

Go see an orthopedist; they're really the experts on this stuff. It might also be a good idea to get some bloodwork done—maybe check your ESR, CBC, AST, and CRP levels—and probably grab an X-ray of your arm too. Don't stress too much, though; there's always a way to fix things if you just stay on top of it early enough.