To find out how to get a Hopkins transplant mentor, contact:
Linda Darrell, L.C.S.W.-C.
410-955-6024 (For liver mentors)
Terri Cook, R.N., B.S.N.
410-614-4898 (For lung mentors)
Angie Muir, L.G.S.W.
410-614-4442 (For kidney/pancreas mentors)
General tips that mentors give for managing their own healthcare:
1) Find trustworthy information on transplantation. Look for information on the physical and emotional effects of your particular organ disease.
2) Ask questions about information you do not understand. For example, ask what tests are for, what results mean, what other options you might have, etc. – but just ask.
3) Find a way to track information about your health - and track it regularly.
4) Go to transplant seminars and conferences to talk to your fellow patients and find out how they manage their health.
There is a patient-run Heart Transplant Foundation that meets monthly to provide support and camraderie for heart transplant patients. |
