The kidney started producing urine before it was secured completely in place. My friend, the recipient, has become stronger and stronger in her health from the get-go. It is common for the recipient's body to try to reject a kidney at least once, and possibly a few times, before the first year post-op is complete. This never happened with her. As a matter of fact, she was given the go to get pregnant, and one year and 3-4 months post-op, she did, having never experienced a single rejection! Three months later, her body recognized the intruder we know as the transplanted kidney, and it tried to reject it for the first time. (First time at a year and six months post-op! Incredible!) The hospital got the situation under control, and the baby and mother are both doing fine.
My friend is now four months pregnant. I think I have picked up that she is closely monitored by her doctors and has been admitted into the hospital a couple of times, for a couple days each, because the body is trying to reject the kidney. Again, this is normal even when not pregnant. It was a miracle the body took as long as it did to reject the kidney the first time. A miracle, because if it had tried to reject it before she got pregnant, she wouldn't have been allowed to get pregnant as soon as she was, and maybe not at all. P.S. It is a baby girl!
(My restaurant friend who is the recipient of her brother's kidney had desires to become pregnant sometime after the transplant, and her doctors told her that she cannot do that because she will die.)
My own recipient friend's husband got a new job in a town six hours away. They move next week, after only three weeks to pack, put their house up for sale, and make new living arrangements in their new location. Amongst all her hospital visits and packing, she has had to let people walk through to look at her house.
On Facebook, yesterday morning, she had had filled out one of those "getting to know me" list of questions. One of the questions was, "What's your favorite dessert." She said, "Right now, huckleberry ice cream," then mentioned where she gets it, which happens to be where I work. I knew right then that I really wanted to get her a quart of it.
When I got to work I realized that I had no time to get the huckleberry ice cream to her before it would melt in my car, so I said a prayer asking God to send someone who could deliver the ice cream to her for me. I laughed at myself for such a silly request, because we have very few common friends, and I have never seen one of them during the hours I worked. I figured if it were important, someone would show up. I was surprised and delighted when two such "someones" showed up a couple hours later!! Coincidence? I don't think so! I knew as soon as I saw them that they were on an errand for the Lord!
This morning I got a text from my friend that said, "You were an answer to my prayer," then it went on to explain that yesterday she was really feeling down. She prayed and mentioned to God that she could really use some help and huckleberry ice cream. Later that day her mom showed up as a surprise (from another state) and then a little later the huckleberry ice cream was delivered!
This reminded me of her mom's and my roles in her life, in general. This friend of mine has had medical problems her whole life. Her mom was there by her side laboring with her, raising her, teaching her, all the dedication moms do. I had something my friend needed. My role was insignificant in comparison and was only for a short time period in both cases. First, I was keeping her kidney safe in my body until she needed it, and when she did, I gave it to her. Yesterday I had her ice cream. In both cases the item came from me, but someone else delivered the item from me to her, and in both cases her mom was with her when it was received and enjoyed. These similarities are what hit me hardest with warm fuzzy amazement!
I am also deeply touched with how important each of us is to God. He (and in my opinion, angels) arrange and coordinate several of us to let one of his daughters feel His love. I don't know how I got lucky enough to be part of this, but I feel so blessed that I was somehow invited! I love watching his gifts of love unfold in our lives!
Wednesday, September 7, 2016
Monday, January 4, 2016
One Year Post-Op
Here it is ... one year post-op.
Since April, I decreased another pants size, down to a 3/4. While that is happy, I had promised not to lose weight for a year, so at my 6-month check up I asked the doctor about it. He asked what my pre-op weight was and what my current weight was and said that I was fine. It is normal for the donor to lose some weight for the first year. "But don't worry," he said, "you'll probably gain some of it back at the year mark."
My pooch below my bellybutton is hard for me to explain how it feels. It doesn't hurt. It's more of a sensation. If I press hard and firm it could feel a bit like pushing firmly on a bruise, but with no searing pain, just a pressure discomfort. If I press or rub with my fingers over the skin, I feel like I can feel it both on the surface and underneath, maybe because I am feeling the skin moving around it or maybe because the "numb" part is between. Most of the time I don't feel anything and it doesn't feel "numb" or "tingly", just nothing, unless I am trying to move it around and describe it. The best I can come up with is that it feels like a numb lip after a shot at the dentist. It's that "nothing" sensation, like it's not even there, just a mass. I could do sit ups, no problem, and I'm sure it would tighten it right up, but I don't, so the pooch just sits there like a bag in front of me, probably looser than if it wasn't numb, but who knows, since I'm not doing sit ups, but I do walk!
In the past few months I have been without a vehicle quite a bit. I live in a town where the farthest point is 3 miles. It's amazing how much you can fit into just 3 miles! There is a fantastic bus system that I use often, but I also walk around town a lot, because the farthest I walk (to work) is only 1 1/2 miles, so why not? I have plenty of energy for all the walking. What is always surprising to me is that when I get home and sit for a minute, I almost immediately fall asleep! My adult son asked if it was possible that I was still recovering on the inside. Oh - yep. The exercise is important. So is rest. I love that my body is so willing to do both, as needed.
My scarring. The incision which my kidney was brought through is located at the bikini line. It is so tiny, you can only see it if you know it is there and are on purpose looking for it. It is as fine as a cat's scratch scar. The only exception is less than a half inch in length and located on the right corner. I've never seen it there. It looks tender, but isn't. I am wondering if I have a tiny infection. I am watching it. I just saw it this morning. (Update: It was only swollen and pink that day. Now that part of the scar looks the same as the rest of the scar. No difference.)
My scar at the top of my bellybutton is, again, fine as a cat's scratch and located within my stretch wrinkles, so in order to see it I have to stretch my belly button skin tight, and then have to look really, really closely to find it.
The scar highest, by my diaphragm, is easy to see, but looks more like a discoloration, like a chicken pox scar that is disappearing.
The scar I call my "button" is located about 3 inches above my belly button. It was the most irritating and the thickest from front to back. A blind person would probably feel it and guess it was a mosquito bite. The reddish scar is actually about a half an inch long and runs up and down. I am amazed that even my "button" is melting away! It just looks like sometime in my life I got scratched pretty good and left a scar. Nobody would, on their own, guess that I have had surgery!
For my one year post-op check up, all I had to do was go to my local hospital lab with the orders, pee in a cup, get a couple vials of blood, and have the results sent to the kidney donation coordinators. I called the coordinator to ask a couple questions, but there was no actual doctor appointment. Apparently all of my test scores are within normal range for 1 year post-op.
I just talked with my recipient. She had great news for me. Next month the doctors are changing her medication, and she will be able to try to get pregnant!!! This is extremely good news! I am so excited for her! Not every recipient gets this opportunity. It just depends on how they are recovering. Apparently she is doing very well!!!
And, this ends one wonderful adventure of a lifetime!
Since April, I decreased another pants size, down to a 3/4. While that is happy, I had promised not to lose weight for a year, so at my 6-month check up I asked the doctor about it. He asked what my pre-op weight was and what my current weight was and said that I was fine. It is normal for the donor to lose some weight for the first year. "But don't worry," he said, "you'll probably gain some of it back at the year mark."
My pooch below my bellybutton is hard for me to explain how it feels. It doesn't hurt. It's more of a sensation. If I press hard and firm it could feel a bit like pushing firmly on a bruise, but with no searing pain, just a pressure discomfort. If I press or rub with my fingers over the skin, I feel like I can feel it both on the surface and underneath, maybe because I am feeling the skin moving around it or maybe because the "numb" part is between. Most of the time I don't feel anything and it doesn't feel "numb" or "tingly", just nothing, unless I am trying to move it around and describe it. The best I can come up with is that it feels like a numb lip after a shot at the dentist. It's that "nothing" sensation, like it's not even there, just a mass. I could do sit ups, no problem, and I'm sure it would tighten it right up, but I don't, so the pooch just sits there like a bag in front of me, probably looser than if it wasn't numb, but who knows, since I'm not doing sit ups, but I do walk!
In the past few months I have been without a vehicle quite a bit. I live in a town where the farthest point is 3 miles. It's amazing how much you can fit into just 3 miles! There is a fantastic bus system that I use often, but I also walk around town a lot, because the farthest I walk (to work) is only 1 1/2 miles, so why not? I have plenty of energy for all the walking. What is always surprising to me is that when I get home and sit for a minute, I almost immediately fall asleep! My adult son asked if it was possible that I was still recovering on the inside. Oh - yep. The exercise is important. So is rest. I love that my body is so willing to do both, as needed.
My scarring. The incision which my kidney was brought through is located at the bikini line. It is so tiny, you can only see it if you know it is there and are on purpose looking for it. It is as fine as a cat's scratch scar. The only exception is less than a half inch in length and located on the right corner. I've never seen it there. It looks tender, but isn't. I am wondering if I have a tiny infection. I am watching it. I just saw it this morning. (Update: It was only swollen and pink that day. Now that part of the scar looks the same as the rest of the scar. No difference.)
My scar at the top of my bellybutton is, again, fine as a cat's scratch and located within my stretch wrinkles, so in order to see it I have to stretch my belly button skin tight, and then have to look really, really closely to find it.
The scar highest, by my diaphragm, is easy to see, but looks more like a discoloration, like a chicken pox scar that is disappearing.
The scar I call my "button" is located about 3 inches above my belly button. It was the most irritating and the thickest from front to back. A blind person would probably feel it and guess it was a mosquito bite. The reddish scar is actually about a half an inch long and runs up and down. I am amazed that even my "button" is melting away! It just looks like sometime in my life I got scratched pretty good and left a scar. Nobody would, on their own, guess that I have had surgery!
For my one year post-op check up, all I had to do was go to my local hospital lab with the orders, pee in a cup, get a couple vials of blood, and have the results sent to the kidney donation coordinators. I called the coordinator to ask a couple questions, but there was no actual doctor appointment. Apparently all of my test scores are within normal range for 1 year post-op.
I just talked with my recipient. She had great news for me. Next month the doctors are changing her medication, and she will be able to try to get pregnant!!! This is extremely good news! I am so excited for her! Not every recipient gets this opportunity. It just depends on how they are recovering. Apparently she is doing very well!!!
And, this ends one wonderful adventure of a lifetime!
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