What happens after a heart transplant?

Recently I've been talking to a lot of transplant patients about how it is after transplant. I have heard a recurring theme that people in their lives thought they were all better when it took awhile to get back to normal. I want to share some of the things I have learned about how life is different after transplant. After I have my transplant I will have my own observations but for now here is what I have learned.

A body's natural reaction is to reject a foreign body. This includes a transplanted organ. In order to prevent this, a transplant patient must take immunosuppressant drugs for life. These drugs will weaken the immune system and prevent rejection.  Patients are monitored with biopsies to check for rejection. This is done weekly, then every two weeks then every month. Eventually they will be done less frequently. If there is evidence of rejection it is usually treated with medication. Rejection is not as scary as it sounds and is usually easily treated.

The immune system is weakened from the anti rejection drugs. Because of this there are precautions that the patient must take. They are encouraged to wash hands frequently and use masks when in crowded areas. A transplant patient is more likely to get sick, especially in the first year after transplant. There are different comfort levels around this. Some patients just go out and live their lives and try to be careful and there are others who are hypervigilant. Each patient is different and will find their own comfort level.

Food safety is important to a transplant patient. They must be very cautious when eating out. Buffets and shared food should be avoided. Meat must be throughly cooked and fruits and vegetables should be washed before eating. Most of the food safety guidelines are common sense that most people should follow but they are especially important when you have had a transplant.

The anti rejection drugs can have a lot of side effects. Everyone's tolerance is different and some have a very hard time with them. They can cause cancer and kidney damage. A lot of heart transplant patients go on to develop kidney failure.

Heart transplant patients are cured of their heart failure but have a new set of limitations. As long as they take their medications and stay on top of their care they can go onto live long healthy lives.