Dear Friends,
7:40 am waiting with fingers crossed for the surgical team to tell me that I can go home
9:55 FREE AT LAST. GOING HOME.
12:05 Still waiting for paperwork to get done.
5:00 Arrived in Blacksburg, safe and sound. Thanks to Ed Valeev for driving
Well, I guess I am going to sign off now.
Thanks to all of you who were praying for me. I do think it was a cruel trick to all stop praying at 5 pm on Sunday though. :) Thanks for starting again.
You are all welcome to come over and visit, provided you aren't sick or in recent contact with anyone sick. Please no kids for now. If you'd like to call ahead, my cell number is (540) 998-0136. I will probably not be going anywhere before next Wednesday so for the most part, you can just drop by.
It's good to be home.
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Day twenty one
Dear Friends,
Bummer, but it could be genuinely worse rather than just inconvenient. The story: Saturday's blood cultures showed infection (bad) but Sunday and Monday have both been negative. (good) Maybe a false positive; infections don't clear in a day. But they want three consecutive days of negative cultures. Better to be safe than sorry with so much on the line. Bottom line: can't go home today, but very likely tomorrow. It'll be a day of walking, antibiotics, resting. Edward will be here soon to help get me home , but it won't be until tomorrow.
PS The food has gotten better. It's not that my taste buds are back. The cooking has improved.
Overall, my vital signs are all normal and Molly's (now my) kidney still continues to kick a__. I'm disappointed that I'm not going home, but in the grand scheme for things, it's only a day.
Bummer, but it could be genuinely worse rather than just inconvenient. The story: Saturday's blood cultures showed infection (bad) but Sunday and Monday have both been negative. (good) Maybe a false positive; infections don't clear in a day. But they want three consecutive days of negative cultures. Better to be safe than sorry with so much on the line. Bottom line: can't go home today, but very likely tomorrow. It'll be a day of walking, antibiotics, resting. Edward will be here soon to help get me home , but it won't be until tomorrow.
PS The food has gotten better. It's not that my taste buds are back. The cooking has improved.
Overall, my vital signs are all normal and Molly's (now my) kidney still continues to kick a__. I'm disappointed that I'm not going home, but in the grand scheme for things, it's only a day.
Monday, July 29, 2013
Day twenty
Dear Friends,
Bizarre update: Molly's kidney is working so well, they are having to give me phosphorus. This after years where it was my principal concern for being too high. Can't I just drink a Coke?
Woke up feeling normal again. Vital signs as they should be. They removed the Foley catheter. More comfortable now. Managed to get myself out of bed without help.
Other biological functions getting back to normal. (if you know what I mean)
They're not going to let me go home because of the infection. They want to know what it is and have a good plan in place to treat it. Maybe Tuesday. So it's a day of antibiotics, sitting around and being forced to eat terrible food.
Well, now I'm a surgeon. I accidentally pulled on my JP drain and almost completely pulled it out. They were going to remove it eventually anyway, but I'm Jason Bourne. Hurt like hell. Except for piddling little IVs, I am free of plastic tubes for the first time since May 15 of last year.
m a surgeon.
Bizarre update: Molly's kidney is working so well, they are having to give me phosphorus. This after years where it was my principal concern for being too high. Can't I just drink a Coke?
Woke up feeling normal again. Vital signs as they should be. They removed the Foley catheter. More comfortable now. Managed to get myself out of bed without help.
Other biological functions getting back to normal. (if you know what I mean)
They're not going to let me go home because of the infection. They want to know what it is and have a good plan in place to treat it. Maybe Tuesday. So it's a day of antibiotics, sitting around and being forced to eat terrible food.
Well, now I'm a surgeon. I accidentally pulled on my JP drain and almost completely pulled it out. They were going to remove it eventually anyway, but I'm Jason Bourne. Hurt like hell. Except for piddling little IVs, I am free of plastic tubes for the first time since May 15 of last year.
m a surgeon.
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Day nineteen
Dear Friends,
A good news / bad news kind of a day. The good news was that early this morning, I had a highly successful 1 hr operation to remove some clotted blood (sorry Aa) and clean up the incision. They probably didn't even cut anything and told that I would feel better afterwards (less bloated.) Anyway, went great and I was starving for lunch.
It turns out that I don't react well to general anesthesia, but the reaction is sometimes delayed for hours after surgery. Happened on Thursday where I start uncontrollable shaking for minutes and can't catch my breath. Usually it resolves itself, but not today. Lasted for an hour and required drug intervention. Called rigors (pronounced with a long I). Anyway, instead of stepping down to a lower care unit on the way to getting out of here, I'm stuck for now. Maybe Tuesday. Kidney is still working great.
A good news / bad news kind of a day. The good news was that early this morning, I had a highly successful 1 hr operation to remove some clotted blood (sorry Aa) and clean up the incision. They probably didn't even cut anything and told that I would feel better afterwards (less bloated.) Anyway, went great and I was starving for lunch.
It turns out that I don't react well to general anesthesia, but the reaction is sometimes delayed for hours after surgery. Happened on Thursday where I start uncontrollable shaking for minutes and can't catch my breath. Usually it resolves itself, but not today. Lasted for an hour and required drug intervention. Called rigors (pronounced with a long I). Anyway, instead of stepping down to a lower care unit on the way to getting out of here, I'm stuck for now. Maybe Tuesday. Kidney is still working great.
Saturday, July 27, 2013
Day eighteen
Dear Friends,
Molly has been able to check out of the hospital and go home!
I, on the other hand, have faced a little bit of a setback. Had a terrible night. New roommate had alarms going off all night long. He's also hard of hearing, so they were yelling at him. Didn't get good sleep. Woke up with a headache and significant fever. May have an infection. Maybe just a side effect. Also have hematoma that needs to be fixed.
This morning was the worst and things are better now (5 pm). Couldn't eat breakfast.
Just as soon as Molly's kidney was transplanted into me, it set about cleaning up my mess. In 12 hours, it apparently made two gallons of pee, reducing my creatinine level to near normal.
I am mostly off of narcotics for pain now and relying on Tylenol. Ate a normal dinner, so for now, at least, things are looking up. I do have to go back to the OR for a tune up in the morning.
Molly has been able to check out of the hospital and go home!
I, on the other hand, have faced a little bit of a setback. Had a terrible night. New roommate had alarms going off all night long. He's also hard of hearing, so they were yelling at him. Didn't get good sleep. Woke up with a headache and significant fever. May have an infection. Maybe just a side effect. Also have hematoma that needs to be fixed.
This morning was the worst and things are better now (5 pm). Couldn't eat breakfast.
Just as soon as Molly's kidney was transplanted into me, it set about cleaning up my mess. In 12 hours, it apparently made two gallons of pee, reducing my creatinine level to near normal.
I am mostly off of narcotics for pain now and relying on Tylenol. Ate a normal dinner, so for now, at least, things are looking up. I do have to go back to the OR for a tune up in the morning.
Friday, July 26, 2013
Day seventeen
Dear Friends,
The old urban legend is that Molly woke up in a bathtub full of ice this morning with an incision in her back, missing a kidney and with no recollection of what happened.
More later, but I feel fine this morning, except for pain. Fentanyl is my friend. Irene has stopped by to tell me that Molly is feeling better today, too.
Up and out of bed. Running laps around the hospital ward. LOL NO. But the getting out of bed part is true. Also ate solid food for lunch. Terrible food though. I might have to get someone to sneak me inn some real food.
Interestingly, from now on, no more "uncooked" lunch meat. Meaning no more subs unless they are toasted. No more eating at salad bars or chinese buffets. No more sushi. No raw oysters. No steak tartare. Small enough sacrifice for a long life.
Going to start waling in a little bit. That's my physical therapy for now. If I can, I will go see Molly. Getting intravenous drugs to knock down my immune system some more. Trying to take less pain reliever.
More later.
The old urban legend is that Molly woke up in a bathtub full of ice this morning with an incision in her back, missing a kidney and with no recollection of what happened.
More later, but I feel fine this morning, except for pain. Fentanyl is my friend. Irene has stopped by to tell me that Molly is feeling better today, too.
Up and out of bed. Running laps around the hospital ward. LOL NO. But the getting out of bed part is true. Also ate solid food for lunch. Terrible food though. I might have to get someone to sneak me inn some real food.
Interestingly, from now on, no more "uncooked" lunch meat. Meaning no more subs unless they are toasted. No more eating at salad bars or chinese buffets. No more sushi. No raw oysters. No steak tartare. Small enough sacrifice for a long life.
Going to start waling in a little bit. That's my physical therapy for now. If I can, I will go see Molly. Getting intravenous drugs to knock down my immune system some more. Trying to take less pain reliever.
More later.
Thursday, July 25, 2013
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