You are only as smart as you are educated – Unknown
I can not stress this enough about my books, my videos and my blog posts – I am not the definitive source.
Before we dive in, there are a few things I need to make very clear.
1. I am not a doctor.
I do not play one on TV, and I definitely did not stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night. (You will only get those two if you are old. LOL)
I’m simply a kidney transplant recipient sharing my personal experiences, lessons, mistakes, frustrations, and victories in hopes that they may help someone else.
Your transplant team, kidney doctor, surgeons, nurses, and medical professionals are the real experts. This book, website, and my videos are meant to be companions — not replacements for professional medical advice.
Use my experiences to spark questions and conversation, not to override your medical team.
2. Medicine changes fast.
My transplant took place in 2020. By the time you read this, some procedures, medications, or recommendations may already be outdated.
New research, treatments, anti-rejection medications, and technologies are constantly being developed.
If your doctor tells you something different from what you read here, please listen to them — not the guy typing on a laptop.
The same goes for random social media posts and “internet experts.”
3. Your medications may be completely different from mine.
I will not list my exact medication combinations or dosages because every transplant patient is different.
Your prescriptions depend on:
* your overall health
* your transplant history
* your lab results
* your medical team’s preferences
* current treatment standards
What works for one patient may not work for another. Plus research and medication improvements are constantly taking place
4. Transplant procedures vary by location.
One thing that surprised me is how different transplant processes can be depending on the hospital, transplant center, state, or country.
Some procedures, timelines, testing requirements, and recovery protocols may differ from what I experienced.
So if your transplant journey looks different from mine, that does not necessarily mean something is wrong.
It may simply mean your medical team does things differently.
5. The future is coming fast.
Artificial kidneys, improved medications, and new transplant technologies are already in development.
Someday parts of this book may sound as outdated as rotary phones or VHS tapes.
But even as medicine changes, some things remain timeless:
- fear
- hope
- recovery
- uncertainty
- patience
- learning to advocate for yourself
6. Final reminder.
When in doubt, go back to Disclaimer #1.
Seriously!!!!!