Recovering at Home
It will be vital to your success that you follow the care instructions given to you by your transplant team after transplant. You will have many responsibilities, including but not limited to:
- Caring for your incision
- Attending follow-up appointments at the transplant center
- Participating in physical or occupational therapy exercises
You will not be able to resume normal activities immediately, such as lifting heavy objects or driving, so you will need your family and friends to remain with you to help you.
Caring for Your CF
Though you will not have cystic fibrosis in your lungs after the transplant, you will have CF everywhere else. You will need to continue receiving treatment to manage your CF in your other organs. Of course, if anything comes up between visits, contact your CF care team immediately.
Readmissions
It is not uncommon to be readmitted to the hospital after a transplant. You should expect this to happen at least once. It can happen for many reasons, and it does not necessarily mean that your transplant was unsuccessful or that you did something wrong. Keep in mind that the doctors don't want you to have to stay in the hospital any more than you do. They will require that you stay there only if it is in your best interest.
Follow-up Visits
1,2
You will have to return to the transplant center frequently -- possibly every day -- for follow-up and therapy appointments immediately after you are discharged from the hospital. Some of what you can expect at these visits includes:
- Pulmonary rehabilitation
- Physical therapy
- Blood tests
- Pulmonary function tests (PFTs)
- Chest X-ray
-
Bronchoscopy
-
Lung biopsy
Equipment at Home
You will need a supply of masks at home. You should wear a mask anytime you are in crowded public places, such as the hospital, church, restaurants, public gatherings, and airports. If someone in your home is ill, he or she should wear a mask when you are nearby. You do not need to wear a mask in your home or walking outside. Your transplant team can give you more specific instructions about when you are recommended to wear a mask.
The most important thing you and everyone around you can do to reduce the risk of getting and spreading germs is to wash your hands.
You may be asked to wear a medical alert bracelet. This is for your safety. If you are unable to communicate because you become ill or are in an accident, for example, the information on the bracelet will tell emergency response personnel that you are a lung transplant recipient and are immunosuppressed so that they can take the appropriate precautions and know whom to call for more clinical information about you.
Watch the webcast below to hear an adult with CF who received a lung transplant and Jennifer Taylor-Cousar, M.D., discuss:
- The benefits and challenges of lung transplantation
- What you can do to stay as healthy as possible for transplant
- How your care and treatments may change post-transplant
- What to expect during the recovery process
Lung Transplantation: The Patient Perspective | Webcast