How I took control of my transplant...

When you get a transplant, tons of people are telling you what to do, what to eat, how to exercise, and what medicines to take. While they are the experts on transplantation, remember that you are the expert on yourself. No one knows how you feel and how you feel about the process you're going through like you. I learned to speak up and not hold anything back.

When you go through a transplant, you feel really guilty if you complain about anything. I mean, you've been given the greatest gift imaginable, and you tell yourself that the side effects from all the medications like the weight gain, mood swings, and facial hair aren't such a great price to pay for your life. But eventually I realized that it was OK to want to look and feel my best.

Don't get me wrong: I was thrilled that I felt so good. I could work out again, run around and play with my son, and just feel normal. But the side effects began to get to me. I didn't like the way I looked. It didn't look like me. It seemed as though I had hair growing out of every follicle in my body, and waxing constantly was a drag, not to mention expensive. In the beginning, my weight gain was enormous. It didn't seem to matter what I ate—I gained weight at the sight of food. Here I was, this young woman, a wife with a toddler, and I didn't feel feminine. I also felt as though my doctor wasn't really hearing me. Finally, my frustrations came to a boil, and I switched doctors.

My new doctor listened to my complaints, and within a few days, he changed my prescription to a small, easy-to-swallow pill. After only a few months on the new medicine, I felt like a woman again. The body hair was gone, the weight came off, and I felt great.

I went from hiding my body to wearing bikinis, sleeveless shirts, and shorts again. I guess you could say now I feel free. My friends and family say that I look pretty much like I did before I got sick. To me, that's the greatest compliment you can imagine.

“It was OK to want to look pretty and feminine again.”

And then there's the bonus of just feeling good and confident that life can go on. Before the transplant, my life was on pause. Now I can hit the play button and move forward.

When I first got my transplant, I was under the impression that all rejection medications were the same, or at least they all had the same side effects. I did myself a favor and did some research. Once I found out that there were alternatives out there, I made the move to switch doctors—which was really hard, but the wisest decision in my case. I figured it was my body, my kidney now. I better do whatever I need to take care of it. I'm glad I did.

6 months after my transplant. It seemed as though I had hair growing out of every follicle in my body, and my weight gain was enormous.

After 4 months on the different medication, I looked like my old self again.