Kidney Day +1 month

Since my last post, I have continued to do well. I had a minor setback, which included a fever and an infection, but nothing that a 14 day antibiotic couldn’t take care of. Previously, due to some rashes, I had thought I was allergic to sulfa and cipro, but since the transplant I have taken both without any problems, so maybe I don’t have any allergies after all! Also, after raising my Prograf dosage (one of my immunosuppressant drugs) over the last few weeks, it finally got to the point where it was too high. This drug is the reason I’ve had to get lab tests so often because if the level in my blood is too low, it is not protecting my kidney from my own immune system, and if it’s too high, it is actually toxic for my kidney. It reached that latter point, which caused my creatinine to go up to 1.4 (eek!). As a result, they lowered my dosage from 22 pills to 16 pills per day, and I’ve been feeling a lot better. For several days, I was lacking all energy and motivation and not sleeping well, but I think I am back to normal now, so hopefully I’m a little closer to the right dosage.

In other news, I went in this morning to have a stent leftover from surgery removed from my bladder, so now it all feels officially done. To “celebrate”, we stopped by the dialysis center to turn in my dialysis machine. (We were supposed to do this two weeks ago, but forgot and then the tornado happened last week so we couldn’t get there, so this week it was!) It was a great reminder of how much I like NOT doing dialysis!

Kidney day +16

It’s been 16 days since the transplant and I am so thankful for how well my recovery has been going. I think I took pain meds once after coming home, but really didn’t need it after that. Of course, I have been and am still very sore where the incisions are, but the first few weeks of dialysis were way worse than any pain I have felt since the transplant. Each day, there is something new I can do like stand up straight, sleep on one side, then the other, cough or sneeze without holding a pillow to my stomach, etc.

On the day of surgery, I got to my own room at about 5:00PM and 48 hours later, I was home. Compared to my 12 day hospital stay in Nicaragua in January of 2011, I felt like I was barely even there, especially since the entire time was filled with visits from friends, nurses, doctors, pharmacists, and social workers, all with important, detailed information about life with a transplant. I even left the hospital the day before Amy, my donor, which I think is pretty rare.

Life with a transplant is very different from life with kidney failure. It’s amazing how much a working kidney can change your life.

Kidney day + 5

We'll blog more in-depth in the near future, but we just wanted to let you know that things are still going well. Julie is experiencing normal post-transplant discomfort that comes with healing, but already has seen a lot of kidney-failure problems go away! Amy Whyatt is also home and is doing well. We saw less of her in the hospital than we anticipated since both she and Julie spent a lot of time sleeping and talking with doctors, but Julie has been texting her during their mutual "house arrest," and she seems to be getting better each day.

In my post a few days before the surgery, I mentioned that we would be unavailable for communication for a short time. That time is pretty much over, so don't be afraid to call, Skype, or email if you'd like to talk to us!

Thanks so much for all of your prayers and your encouragement. We are really thankful!