Day fourteen

Dear Friends,
Temperature normal this morning. It appears that the slight fever I was running yesterday was nothing. Very happy about that.

It's moving day. Mom and I are switching to a regular hotel within easy walking distance of the hospital. Right after dialysis this morning, we will make the move. I will probably walk to my surgery on Thursday. Today is potentially my last ever full dialysis treatment, which is exciting. I have a short dialysis treatment tomorrow.

A bit more technical information: in some ways, I think my operation is less invasive than Molly's. This is because they don't have to put my new kidney in a"kidney" spot. It isn't like an oil filter that has to go where the oil filter goes. They just find a convenient spot to connect to blood and the bladder, in this case in my abdomen, but outside of the peritoneum. Part of the reason why they won't be removing my bad kidneys (at least for now) is that it is a complicated surgery because they are so big. In Molly's operation, they have to go in and get her left kidney.  

Had my first protein drink for breakfast this morning. Palatable, but definitely not as satisfying as sausage, eggs, home fries, biscuit and Mom's most excellent home-made apricot jam.

I finally got of picture of Wonderful Brigid Wonderly. She has been an angel through all of this. She's usually smiling a lot more.

Some interesting math: when I am doing IVIG (immunoglobulin), I receive 400 mL of fluid. If there are 20 drops in a mL, then this represents ~8000 drops. Roughly speaking, each container (of which I've received 7) cost on the order of $8000. So each tiny drop costs a dollar.