Quote Originally Posted by gilders View Post
Just a quick update.

My blood results showed a tiny 1% reduction in kidney function last week. Not happy that it's another drop in function, but it was so small drs aren't concerned. In fact I've been moved from weekly appointments to fortnightly. Unfortunately this clashes with my vasculitis appointment at Addenbrooke's, so I'm now back at the transplant clinic on 3rd June (almost 3 weeks). This seems a bit too long for me especially has things haven't gone too smoothly.

Well as it now turns out, I'll be back in clinic tomorrow. I awoke this morning with discomfort around my new kidney area. This often happens and I think it's because I tend to sleep on my side or front, putting pressure on the kidney. But this morning I had a swelling (about the size of a large fist) approximately 10cm above my kidney (just to the left of my belly button). I contacted the transplant nurses who liaised with the surgeon and they asked me to get an emergency appointment with my GP (average wait times are about 4 weeks+ for routine appointments) and it was suspected that I have an abdominal hernia (not uncommon after kidney transplant surgery). My GP agreed that I was swollen and there's tenderness and discomfort, but couldn't diagnose a hernia as it didn't move when I cough. She contacted the transplant team for advice and I need to go tomorrow morning for blood tests, an ultrasound and for the surgeon to examine me.

I still believe that it's most likely an hernia. Although it doesn't move when I cough, it seems to when I sneeze. I was told "no heavy lifting for 6months". I think I may have overdone it. My wife has been back at work for a couple of weeks and I can't just leave all the housework for her. I didn't think that I'd lifted anything heavy, but maybe doing thing like picking up a basket of freshly washed clothes is enough to cause hernia?
Any news, Pete ? Praing for you. Please let us know how are you doing....