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. 💙

All of them have a role in making sure that I'm here today. 👍

Would love people's insight

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-dialysis-center-staff-lacking-knowledge.html

"Something that came up on my timeline really resonated with me because it is absolutely true. One of the greatest blessings of being with my transplant center and this incredible team of professionals is how deeply they care—even about the smallest details. While I was in the hospital, they provided me with a pill organizer and patiently went through it with me, explaining everything and filling it out about three different times to make sure I fully understood. They also printed a detailed medication list with all the doses and instructions. I feel incredibly blessed, because I have seen how easily people can miss a dose or become unsure about whether they took their medication or not. The team you are surrounded by becomes a huge part of this battle, and having people who truly care makes all the difference. I feel very fortunate and grateful."

What have you been doing to help yourself through this journey or do you have a great team of dedicated professional assisting you?

I wanted to personally invite you to this month's webinar happening on Tuesday, February 17th at 5:30 PM EST. I will be giving a short talk on how tracking our medications and symptoms can give us a better picture of our overall health and equip us to be better self-advocates.

It will be a brief session with about 15 minutes of presentation and 15 minutes of open Q and A. My goal is to talk about the reality of being a patient and to share simple ways to stay organized and feel more confident when speaking with your care team.

I would love to see you there and hear about your experiences as well :)

Please feel free to bring any questions!

Hope you can join!

Registration: Webinars - TransplantLyfe or Webinars - KidneyLyfe

Example for non-CKD patients (during annual check up): make sure their kidney function is getting tested.

Today marks my six-month kidneyversary—an important milestone in this journey, and what a journey it has been. It all began on 7/9/2025, around 11 a.m., while I was at home having my coffee and working, as usual, when I received the call. In that moment, everything changed. I was excited, nervous, hopeful, and honestly a bit in disbelief that the time had finally arrived. I told my coworkers, gathered my family, and together we headed to the hospital to take this life-changing next step.

The doctors and staff were absolutely incredible—I cannot speak highly enough of their care and compassion. After surgery, I was home in just under a week, with my family literally by my side, even sharing the same room, as the recovery process began. Along the way, there were a few bumps in the road: a stent removal, fluid buildup that needed draining, a drain placement that led to a hematoma, a minor rejection caught and treated immediately, and even a short hospital stay due to a fever and infection. These were challenges, but I have no complaints—only gratitude. Thank God.

I was never alone on this journey. My family, friends, and everyone who prayed for me or sent positive thoughts have been an essential part of my healing. I truly could not have done this without any of you. Thank you, and God bless you all. This journey isn’t over yet, and I’m still discovering what comes next—but I am more hopeful than ever that this is exactly where I need to be, in my health, my life, and this journey forward.

🔊 ALL DONORS SAVE LIVES ✔️

🌟 Living Donors Rock ✔️

Organ Donation + Transplantation = #Miracles 💯

Register to 💙 Donate Life 💚