Q: What might a post-transplant patient expect to gain from one of the Renal and Pancreas Transplant Center support groups?
A. Different support groups and educational programs have been customized to meet the needs of our patients during different phases of their post-transplant care. The Transplant Recipient Support Group is primarily educational. Every month we have guest speakers come in and cover a variety of educational topics. It also helps recipients who were transplanted a long time ago, and their family members, to remain updated about current transplant issues.
The Pancreas Transplant Support Group has a different purpose: to support one another. There’s a tremendous benefit for pancreas/kidney transplant recipients and their families to share their common experiences as well as provide emotional support for one another. One of our patients, Doug, has participated since 1995. Others come and go, depending on their needs.
Marcia Krupit, M.S.W., Transplant Social Worker
Q: Do family members and loved ones benefit from these support groups too?
A: Absolutely. One month in our Transplant Recipient Support Group, we separated: the caregivers in one room and the patients in the other. Each group was led by a social worker. This environment allowed caregivers a chance to speak openly without their partner and vice versa, offering participants a chance to discuss topics that might be hard for them to bring up with their partner, such as body image issues, financial concerns, communication and intimacy, depression and moodiness (due to the side effects of some medications). Our participants appreciated this opportunity to identify with one another and validate their experiences.
We always tell our patients and their families: “Tell us what your needs are. We’re here for you.”
Adriane Shaw, M.S.W., Transplant Social Worker
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