There’s a reason I waited and published this section second; it was much harder to write than the post about practical aspects, and part of me worries it might be harder to read too. I know both from personal experience and from the work I’m involved in, that there are so many misconceptions about what going through a kidney transplant is like, and how recipients “should” feel before, during and after this completely life-changing experience. 

The kidney transplant assessment process involves a lot of information. A LOT of information. Written notes and leaflets, referrals to websites and external organisations, numerous conversations with health professionals, all of which are intended to go as far as possible towards preparing potential transplant recipients for what they’re about to experience. But what about the things that aren’t in the booklets, or that never come up in clinic; the kinds of things you only get