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| 7 Weeks After Surgery |
Between 6 and 8 weeks my stomach started to feel normal again. I could stretch in the morning without feeling uncomfortable, and I could bend over a little and pick things up. Not heavy things, but if I dropped something on the floor I didn’t have to do the sideways-knee-bend-scoop. The swelling went down and there was only a small dip where my incision was. If I did too much that day it would swell up, but otherwise it looked alright.
I was able to go to a very gentle yoga class, which really helped with my back. I had a lot of back pain from hunching over so much in those early days after surgery. It was so wonderful to get back to the yoga studio, it really is a community. Everyone there welcomed me back, and there were lots of hugs. I told them all about my trip to Montreal and regaled them with tales of my surgery and recovery. I could really feel the positive energy in that first class. When you’re a room with that many people doing something collectively you can feel the energy. I left feeling so much stronger! That said, if you are reading this and thinking of going to a yoga class after surgery, make sure you don’t overdo it! I sat out on a few things, or had the teacher come and modify a pose for me. Know when something isn’t going to be ok for you. Your body will tell you where your edge is - you have to make sure you respect your limits. It takes a long time to recover from major surgery and just because the outside looks great doesn’t mean the inside is healing at the same rate. Some people’s bodies take a full year to heal from a kidney donation, and that’s ok! Let your body do what it needs to do.
At around the 8 week mark I started thinking about returning to work. Because my job is labor-intensive this was something I had to discuss with my doctor and really think about. My family doctor informed me he was not qualified to make that decision and I would have to speak with a surgeon. I called the transplant team in Toronto and they made me an appointment with a surgeon here (so I wouldn’t have to drive all the way to Montreal again). Due to the nature of my work the surgeon decided it would be a good idea to wait another 8 weeks or so before going back. I was still having a few problems. I would get exhausted very easily. My back hurt a lot. I had pain and swelling around my larger incision if I did too much walking or driving. Not huge pain but enough to make me feel like I wanted to lay down and have a nap. I would get uncomfortable if I had to sit in one position for a long time. Stuff like that. He said this was all normal. It felt really fantastic to hear someone say that! It can take a long time to recover from major surgery. He said to make sure I was staying active, try to do a little bit more every day, and come back to see him in a few weeks.
My advice to kidney donors considering going back to work would be this isn’t something that you can rush, especially if your job involves a lot of lifting or physical excursion. If there is any possibility that you could do harm to yourself (or others) by trying to go back to work earlier than you are comfortable with, then I would say don’t do it. Listen to your body and take it easy if that’s what you need to do. Even if you are out of work for a little while longer, and you lose some money in the process that’s a small price to pay. Everyone heals at a different pace, don’t ignore the signs that you’re not 100% yet just because the piece of paper your doctor/surgeon gave you says you should be fully recovered at 6-8 weeks.
Being home from work can be frustrating. I think all humans need to feel productive in some way to be happy. I know I do. I have learned through this process that sometimes I need to let go of what I feel like I should be doing, and just enjoy what I am doing. It’s a small change in perspective that has a big impact. Getting some free time to myself is an unexpected perk that I am trying to enjoy to its fullest potential. While I don’t feel 100% yet, I can still enjoy spending time with the people I care about, and doing things that make me happy and help me to heal.
Being a kidney donor has been one of the best experiences of my life. It has made me a stronger person, and shown me the deep connection humans have with one-another. I will always be grateful for being able to participate in something so meaningful.
I will try to keep this blog updated with new experiences and milestones. When I was going through the donation process my friend Jackie was a huge source of information and inspiration for me. Finding her blog helped me in so many ways. I hope I can pay it forward by doing the same for someone else!
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