Psychosocial Appointment

Part of the transplant evaluation process is to sit with a social worker to discuss the support system that the patient has. Once the transplant is performed the recipient has to go through a very strict regimen of medicine that has to be taken every day for the rest of their lives. After the transplant the patient has to go the transplant clinic every week for at least the first 6 weeks. The patient would be unable to drive until the surgeon clears you, which is normally about 6 weeks to 3 months. So the patient would have to have a reliable transportation to a from the clinic site, which could involve some travel. They also have to have lab tests twice a week. The social worker also asks questions about your past, like whether you’ve taken any recreational drugs, the amount of alcohol that you drink or when you quit. They want to make sure they the patient is the type of person who will be able to perform the necessary things in order to live as long as possible after the transplant.

My appointment was this past Friday at the UC Davis Transplant clinic in Sacramento, CA. It was originally schedule for 11 am but was reschedule for 9 am, so my mom and I had to leave Gardnerville at 6 am. The drive wasn’t too bad. It was early enough that there wasn’t a lot of traffic to deal with. We ended up getting to the clinic at 8:30 after being worried about not getting there on time.

I finally met with the social worker and we went through the interview, which lasted about an hour. She asked me how the kidney failure happened and about my history with kidney problems. She asked me if there was someone around who would help me keep track of my medications and if someone was available to drive me to my clinical appointments and blood tests. Part of the reasons we picked having the transplant with UC Davis is we have a lot of friends and family that live in the general proximity of the medical center, so transportation and lodging would not be a problem. I told her that at the very least, my grandma and aunt and uncle live in Yuba City, which is just an hour away from the clinic, so transportation wouldn’t be a problem. Also, my mom is moving to Reno to be closer to me and would be available to transport me if necessary. And there’s always my dad. If dad isn’t my donor, then he’s going to be the one who will take care of all that.

After the interview, we talked a little about what the next step would be. The social worker said she didn’t see anything that would be a problem when my case goes in front of the selection committee this Thursday. After the selection is made, I should be contacted within the next couple of weeks. The committee will make a selection that could be more involved then just a Yes/No answer. They might say that I’m approved but need some additional tests, like a bladder test or a specific blood test. They might say that I’m not approved at this time, but if I complete some certain criteria. They could just say No. So, all I can do now is play the waiting game.

Stay tuned for the next episode, which will probably be in mid November after I receive my answer.