#HOME

Just got the word from my nurse that blood looks good. Still pushin' some very lo grade heat but my Amylase & Lipase levels are normal and I'm heading HOME.

                             Joy!

Transplant reality is fluid...

By that I mean it's success ebbs and flows with tests, with numbers, with observations, and yes.... with fluids too. 

This morning, the ever important fluid and the biggest bellwether of the state of this success is my bloodwork that was drawn at 5:45 am. Before that, they had already weighed me, Dr. Yang examined me, BP & heart rate were recorded and counter to yesterday - all of these things went very well this morning.

All numbers were just were they should be. And I am actually feeling better than I had yesterday. 

Now if I get back a good report from sweet Ms. Andrea, the phlebotomist, my ticket will be punched and I'll be on way way home again today. 

However, despite all other systems being green-to-go.....if the bloodwork comes back with some less than desirable results, M614 will be home for another day. Today is August 31st, and Pinnacle has been my primary residence for 27 of those 31 days.

I should know either way in a couple hours.

In retrospect, I'm sorry for all the bellyaching I was dishing out after being shut down yesterday. I need to firmly realize, as my friend Jan has told me, that

this is to be expected. This is just one element of my new life paradigm.

I tend to get a little bummed and recently even fret a little at the mention of the 

"R word", but these people here have seen it all before. They tackle the problems aggressively, succinctly, and in no time turn things around and the train is back on track again.

PATIENCE!!! Patient Bob! -  It's just never been my biggest virtue.

So thanks for ALL of your continued encouragement, comments, and texts.

I would not want to think of doing this without you all. 

Thank You.

I'll let you know when I hear the "yea or nay" of the test results.

Heaven knows if there's a ceiling....it comes so low with the kneeling....

Well here it is....another Friday and Bob is not going anywhere but crazy today.

After a semi decent night of "sleep", the crew came in this morning at 5:45 am to draw 8 tubes of blood, check my blood sugar, weight, BP, and heart rate.

My blood glucose was perfect, but my weight had gone up almost 4 lbs - Red Flag.  My BP and heart rate were extremely high - Red Flag. Then my bloodwork came back and once again my Lipase is very high (from 15 yesterday to 127 this morning) - Killer Red Flag.

So, of course, there is no going anywhere for me today and maybe not tomorrow.

Argh.

They have started me on another 500 mg of  Solu - Medrol and they are cranking up my steroid dosage in my pill allotment making all kinds of changes to try to beat this down. Dr. Yang says that this does happen and he is not too concerned. He knows how frustrated I am but he tells me just to hang in there and frankly, I really don't have much other alternative. 

They are trying to relieve my discomfort with limited Percocet.

Again Dr. Yang and Deb, my tx coordinator, Dawn, and the whole team tell me that "this happens". That the pancreas is sooooo much more touchy of an organ, that you really need to baby it along until a happy medium of meds, organs, and imuno-system are reached and this make take up to three months.

They have all been even more extra nice to me this morning because they know I'm sorta kinda bummin' here.

That's it for now. Just going to try and get into a Zen mode today and keep the lid on this additional Solu-Medrol.

Have a fine Friday. 

It's a one time thing.... It just happens alot....

After the big scare this week and the mumblings of the dreaded "R word", the seven million blood tests, blood cultures, ultra sounds, chest scans, and other CT Scans, the flood of antibiotics IV's, and the 1500 mg of Prednisone, (whew!) the results this morning were all pretty much normal with the exceptions of a few small issues such as (in a complete flip of the past 15 years) I now need MORE protein in my diet, I need more albumin, more iron, and most of this is addressable through diet. 

    My Stat Blood Lab Order on Tuesday

My white blood count is still a bit high, but no fever for the past 24 hours. There is some accumulated fluid around both of the organs but none of the docs seem too concerned about this and expect it to be eventually absorbed. As far as the elevated Amylase & Lipase levels the doctors have a few possible theories but without any one smoking gun these are only possible culprits. 

Now my tx coordinator, and my tx "Coach" Jan, whose guidance has been invaluable throughout these past three years, have both told me to expect these

occasional blips on the road to tx recovery almost to the point that they are dang near inevitable at one time or another. I'm just looking at these last two visits here as two of my blips right outta' the gate and now I'm looking forward to some smooth road for a stretch.

God willing.

The main point to keep in mind through all of this craziness is that the two new organs continue to function fantastically.

Even with all the Prednisone my blood sugar has not gone higher than the 140's

and my creatinine is .09.

Today has just been a wait 'n see day.

Dr. Yang was in first thing this morning and after explaining my tests and fielding my questions he explained that he wanted to be reasonably sure that when I leave this time that I won't be back within a few hours. So he has pulled me off all IV therapies, continued everything else, and I am being watched, monitored, and tested to be sure the fever doesn't come charging back, heart rate and BP stay in check, etc.. So I'm walking around the floor (not many steps like home) but then just taking it easy, just like home. 

Now if no ugly monsters raise their heads

even without all the IV meds and all systems stay green then possibly I may get to go home tomorrow. Maybe.

If only.

So you know what I know and the definitive word will probably come early tomorrow morning.

I'll be sure to let you know

It's been a very busy morning....

So far today I've had more bloodwork done, an ultrasound of my abdomen,

had a visit from a eucharistic minister, 

and visits from Deb, my transplant coordinator, Dr. Waybill, the chief nephrologist from the transplant team who brought 2 of her students with her,

and a visit from Dr. Diamond, the hospital's nephrologist and one of his residents.

So here's the news - my fever seems gone. My amylase and lypase levels are back to NORMAL and Dr. Waybill tells me that Yes, elevated levels of these are often the precursors of organ rejection but when that happens it takes at least 2 or 3 days of meds to bring the levels to where they should be. Because mine came back to normal in such a short time they're not as concerned with the dreaded
"R word."

So to further investigate the cause of the fever and night sweats that I've been having Dr. Waybill is ordering a CAT scan of my midsection. These folks are nothing if not thorough. I can't have any lunch today (and these dang steroids make me ravenous.) and the plan to give me a dye contrast by both IV and a drug by mouth that I need to drink that will protect my new kidney from the effects of this dye that Dr. Diamond say's is quite nasty tasting.

They have also heard a small rattle in my lungs so they are sending for another chest X-ray.

The tremors that have been pestering me have definitely eased. And with the fever gone as of right now (fingers crossed)

 I am feeling "pretty good" this morning.

Thanks for checking/caring.

I'll update here as the busy day goes on.

I Have a Dream....

Commemorating Dr. M.L.K.'s famous speech on this day and in my small slice of the cosmos -

I too, have a dream.....
 

• To beat these nagging problems.

• To make the absolute most of these 

   new organs that I've received and   

   honor my donor with the rest of 

   my days.

• To continue to cherish all the time I get  

   to spend with my family.

• To laugh in the sun with my friends and   

   to run in the rain

First bag of steroids...