Controlling your immune system

Your operation has been successful, your new kidney is now alive and receiving blood from your body. This is the first hurdle; now for the second.

You have to keep your new kidney healthy by taking immunosuppressive drugs to suppress your body’s natural reaction to reject it.  Team members of the South West Transplant Centre (doctors, nurses and a specialist pharmacist) will teach you what drugs to take and when to take them.  There are about five different sorts so it is quite a steep learning curve.  But you will soon get the hang of it; everyone does.  And be reassured that there is always someone from the Transplant Centre on hand to advise you if you are not sure what to do – just a telephone call away.