Living with your new kidney

The key to keeping your transplant kidney healthy is to take your medications exactly as instructed! Read about the medications that can stop your body rejecting your new organ, prevent infections and manage side-effects. You will also learn how to stay up to date on important vaccines.

Because an organ transplant is such a major operation, it's not unusual to have some complications as you recover and return to your daily life. Find out about the different types of complications, how to keep track of your health every day and how to share any problems with your transplant team.

After a kidney transplant, you will need to follow a healthy diet and may also need to drink a set amount of fluids every day. Find out how to handle and store food safely, read nutrition labels and use diet to maintain a healthy body weight and manage medication side effects.

Once you have recovered from surgery and adjusted to your new routine, your main goal is to remain as healthy as possible with your new organ. Learn how to stay healthy through exercise, sun safety and solid travel and lifestyle decisions.

Stress is a normal part of life. Everyone experiences it at one time or another. In this section, you'll learn about different types of stress - whether from painful procedures, difficult conversations or schoolwork - and how to cope. You'll get tips on using relaxation and distraction techniques and getting support from those closest to you.

This section has information on how to prepare for transfer to adult care and what to consider when making long-term decisions about your future, including further education, work, leaving home or having children.