SUMMER/FALL 2007 VOLUME 14 NUMBER 1 TRANSPLANT CHRONICLES IS A TransaCTIon ProGram of THE NATIonal KIDneY FounDATIon. have , will : schedule, you may have to take your transplant travel meds during the flight. Unless you’re in a movie, it’s hard to get down to traveling for recipients tips the cargo hold from the passenger By Jack Fassnacht, Kidney Recipient compartment. LIKE MANy of you, I’m A TRAVELER. I want to see as much of this beautiful world as I can Click here to continue on page 3 before my time is up. And thanks to the miracles of dialysis and transplantation I have lived longer in this and enjoyed more time traveling than would issue… have been possible a mere 65 years ago.1 When I first went then you originally planned. By tak- 1 have transplant will travel on dialysis in ing more than you think you will 1989, I chose CAPD (Continuous need, you’ll ensure that you don’t 2 editor’s desk Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis) run out of your medicines. I count 4 because I thought it would give me ‘em out before I go. tips for nutrition and exercise more freedom to travel. That may or — 6 weight management may not have been true; with proper KEEP YOUR MEdicinES in planning, people on hemodialysis THEIR ORIGinaL BOttLES. 2 7 returning to work can travel just about anywhere. But Although you may be tempted to the point is I didn’t want kidney transfer your medicines to smaller 9 People Like Us failure to mean the end of my travel containers to save space, keep them in their original bottles. That traveling days. 10 way luggage inspectors will know transplant news digest Now that I have a kidney transplant, what you are carrying and be less recipient 12 recipient voices it’s even easier to “pick up and go.” likely to hold you up at airport voices But having a transplant still requires security. And having the original 13 teens & transplant a little extra planning. If you are a labeled bottles can make it easier to transplant recipient planning a trip, fill your prescriptions if you 14 e-mail support group here are a few tips to help make sure somehow run out. your trip goes smoothly and safely: facts about 15 transplantation facts about transplantation —IF YOU ARE FLYinG, KEEP TAKE A GREatER SUppLY OF YOUR MEdicinES witH YOUR MEdicatiONS THan 3 16 school days 1 YOU. Don’t risk losing your medi- YOU wiLL NEED. Due to car prob- cines with your checked luggage. lems, missed flights, or just the 18 West Nile Virus Carry your medicines with you desire to enjoy one extra day at the on the plane in a carry-on case. 19 beach, trips sometimes last longer the anniversary (poem) Depending on your medicine-taking value of a 20 value of a pharmacist pharmacist NEXT PAGE 01-70-1401 editor’s desk editor’s desk… Laurel Williams, RN, MSN, CCTC Editor-in-Chief Volunteer Editorial Board UST THE OTHER daY I HEARD A turned to Mrs. White and just smiled. Laurel Williams, RN, MSN, CCTC JTRUE STORY THAT taLKS abOUT That was all she needed to know that Editor-in-Chief University of Nebraska Medical Center OVERCOMinG adVERSitY in LIFE— this young man would be going far Omaha, NE something many of us may relate too. with his talent and commitment. Megan A. Tichy, RD It is about a seven-year-old boy in the San Francisco, CA Not too long after that meeting, the 1900s who had an amazing talent for Dean S. Collier, PharmD boy’s father lost his job. The boy had University of Nebraska playing the piano. He had a dedication Omaha, NE to stop his piano playing to go out and commitment to learning to play Jack Fassnacht and work to help support the fam- Chicago, IL far beyond his seven years. His family ily. Though he played on occasion, Joshua S. Goldberg, teen editor recognized his abilities and started him Encino, CA his dream to become a concert pia- off with piano lessons twice a week Shirley Schlessinger, MD nist had been replaced by what was University of Mississippi Medical Center with the woman next door. This little happening in his world—the need Jackson, MS boy practiced every morning at 5:00 to help his family, to focus in dif- Victoria L. Shieck, RN, BSN, CCTN am. His piano teacher recognized this University of Michigan Health System ferent directions and eventually go Ann Arbor, MI child’s talent as well and realized he to war in support of his country. Debra J. Tarara, RN, BSN, CCTC would need a different type of instruc- Mayo Clinic Rochester, MN tor to help him reach his potential. So That boy’s name was Harry S. Truman, Rebecca Hays, MSW she contacted Mrs. E.C. White who rd University of Wisconsin Hospital the 33 president of the United States. Madison, WI was a concert pianist and an instruc- Though he could have gone on to Chris L. Wells, PhD, PT, CCS, ATC tor to further this child’s education. He be a concert pianist, the challenges University of Maryland continued to take lessons and practice Baltimore, MD of his life took him in another direc- Jim Warren, MS daily and excel in his endeavors. One tion—a direction that gave him a far Transplant News day Mrs. White told him that one Baltimore, MD greater impact than he probably ever of his idols, a Polish pianist named Editorial Office imagined. I think this shows us that National Kidney Foundation, Inc. Paderewski, would be playing in a we may not know why certain things 30 East 33rd Street, New York, NY 10016 800.622.9010, 212.889.2210 nearby town and invited the boy to happen in our lives, but we should www.kidney.org attend the concert. Of course, he was embrace change, move forward in a Editorial Director: Cathy Paykin, MSSW thrilled to be invited to the concert Executive Editor: Gigi Politoski positive direction and discover what Managing Editor: and afterwards was taken backstage to Sara Kosowsky potential we have within us. TC Publications Manager: James McCann meet the Master himself. Paderewski Design Director: Oumaya Abi Saab Constituent Council Manager: Erin Kahle asked the then-teenager if he would [email protected] mind playing for him. The teen did. Transplant Chronicles is published by the National Kidney Foundation, Inc. While he was playing, Paderewski Opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the position of the National Kidney Foundation, Inc. © 2007 National Kidney Foundation, Inc. Published by the for transplant recipients of all organs and their families. be HEA VOICE RD our t y le Log on to tell us what you think! Read others’ responses... www.recipientvoices.org “What are your experiences with Last issue we asked: medications’ side effects and in what ways did you cope?” Click here to read the responses on page 12 2 Transplant Chronicles VOL. 14 NO. 1 PREVIOUS PAGE NEXT PAGE CONTENTS traveling tips Continued from page 1 —DON’T LET A CHanGE in —BEwaRE OF TOO 4 TIME ZONES THROW YOU 6MUCH SUN EXPO- OFF SCHEDULE. Your doctor may SURE. We all know, or have told you that you have a two should know, that our to three hour leeway in taking your medications can make us daily medicines. (Check with your sensitive to sun exposure doc to be sure of this.) If so, then and, for many of us, more if you are traveling to a destina- susceptible to skin cancer. tion in a time zone within two to Since vacations often take three hours of your home, you can us to sunny locations, ignore the time change and take pack and use proper sun your meds at the same clock time protection in the form as you would have at home. In of hats, sunscreen, long- other words, if you take your meds sleeved t-shirts, etc. Use common rinse my teeth with bottled water at 7:00 am and 7:00 pm like me, sense by limiting your outdoor after brushing. you can stay on a 7:00 am/7:00 pm activities during the hours of great- local time schedule if you travel up est sun exposure, usually 10:00 am —CHECK witH YOUR DOC- to three time zones away. to 4:00 pm. Take an indoor siesta 9 TOR abOUT Vaccina- during those hours. tiONS. Vaccinations, such as for If you travel farther than that, you malaria, may be recommended for may have to adjust your medicine —Eat wiSELY. Try the some destinations. If you are plan- taking schedule to a different local 7 local specialties, but eat ning to go to a place where shots time. To take an extreme example, wisely. Minimize your chances are recommended, check with your I’ve traveled 12 times zones away of getting diarrhea by avoiding doctor well before your trip about from my home and have simply uncooked foods, except for peeled whether the shots are a good idea reversed my medicine schedule so fruits and vegetables. Take an anti- for you. And tell the clinic where that I take my 7:00 am meds at the diarrhea medicine along with you you get your shot(s) that you are a 7:00 pm local time, and vice versa. just in case. (Ask your doctor which transplant recipient. Consider tak- When I get home I’m back on my one is right for you.) If you have ing mosquito repellent with you.