On Tuesday, April 21st, we’re hosting “Living Donation: How to Start the Conversation and Navigate the Journey.” Maribell Costell, a Living Donor Facilitator, will share tips on how to begin the conversation, what to expect along the way, and how to feel more confident taking the next steps.

Maribel turned her personal experience as a donor into a passion for helping others and guiding them through the process! We are so excited to have her join us for this webinar.

Please share this information with others who may benefit and feel free to share your questions before Tuesday! There will also be a live Q&A during the webinar!

Go to the Education tab and click "webinars" to register :)

Over the weekend, I followed those instructions and spent most of Saturday and Sunday sleeping, as I had very little energy.

On Monday, April 6, 2026, when I woke up, I felt significantly worse. I had almost no energy, could barely sit up, and needed to lie down even more than during the previous few days. On top of that, my fever spiked very high—to about 102.7°F (39.4°C) on another thermometer.

I immediately called my transplant coordinator. She recommended that I go straight to the emergency room and said she would make all the necessary arrangements. Because I felt so weak that I could barely sit in a car—even if someone else were driving—we decided to call an ambulance.

The ambulance arrived, took my vitals, and transported me to Hackensack ER. My biggest fear was that I might be experiencing a serious rejection episode. However, after running several tests—including blood work, an ultrasound, and a CT scan—the doctors discovered that I had pneumonia.

They admitted me to the transplant floor and told me that I would likely stay there for a while. The medical team wanted to determine whether it was respiratory bacterial pneumonia or viral pneumonia, which required waiting for some lab results. Based on my symptoms, the doctor believed it was most likely viral.

During this experience, I also learned something new about my kidney transplant journey. The doctors temporarily stopped one of my anti-rejection medications, Myfortic, to allow my body to fight the infection more effectively. The medical team explained that pausing the medication for a few days in a severe situation like this is safe, but it should never be skipped casually or simply because I forget to take it.

This journey continues to teach me something new every single day. Even through moments like this, I’m reminded how grateful I am—for the incredible medical team watching over me and for the strength our bodies have to heal.

Every step of this transplant journey brings new lessons, challenges, and appreciation for life. I’m taking it one step at a time, learning along the way, and feeling truly blessed to keep moving forward. 💙

I'm not sure if this has already been discussed but I was wondering if we could compile our best tips for people new to CKD. What are the most helpful tips in your opinion that you would give to someone who is new to CKD?

I am new to your forum. I got my kidney transplant 4 weeks ago! I am feeling amazing. I was super lucky since I was 95% antibodies before transplant and they found a diseased donor for me. My creatinine is .09 now and everything is good except they found antibodies they are currently giving me ivig and plasmaphoresis. I just wanted to know if any of you have gone through this and how are you right now also my native kidneys were still working before transplant and I had started dialysis 2 months prior to the surgery but I’m still spilling protein which I would think make sense since the old kidneys were doing that before. Has any one had an issue with this as well? Hopefully I get some answers from you guys.

Those of you with Atrial Fibrillation, would love to hear what meds you're taking to control it that's been safe for a recipient.

Much appreciated.

Thanks for any replies in advance.

Kim

Just an update as I begin my 2nd month with my new kidney (RC) Its been an interesting ride and I had to put in a wound vac because my incision became slightly infected, was put on on an antibiotic called levaquin. Did a 10 day regiment of that. Just completed it yesterday. Last night around dinnertime I was having some burning sensation while i tried to urinate thought it was a uti, but i saw my urologist to get my stent removed, and he said thats pretty normal when you have a stent in for over a month, so we'll see if the sensation does subside today or tomorrow afternoon, so again never quite easy, but overall the kidney itself is waking up and doing well. creatinine is at 1.7 and my tac levels are at 9.8 so i take 3 in the am and 3 in the pm. I have a visiting nurse that comes once a week to do my wound change for my vac, it does look like i'll be here in the NYC for a bit longer as i completely recover from the vac and wound heals up completely.

end of stream of consciousness.

Thanks for everyone who continues to keep my spirits up with calls and texts.

-Alex

Our friend and fellow community manager, Alex was recently blessed with the ♻️ Gift of Life ✅️ that he'd been waiting for since ages. He's an inspiration to us all, and an amazing (now) 2-time 🧡 kidney 🧡 warrior. Alex managed to stay positive throughout the grueling waiting period while on nasty dialysis. I wonder why his infectious smile is more prominent since 5 days ago. 🤔😊 . Alex was transplanted at NYU Langone in New York city.

Please send Alex and his loved ones lots of love, best wishes, positive vibes, and prayers for smooth and complete healing.🙏

💙 #DonateLife 💚 It saves lives.

#OrganDonation + #Transplantation = #Miracles 💯 (like Alex)