day to get an update, but do know he made it home safe and sound yesterday. It's so good to have a week behind us! I cringe when I think about what we were doing at this time last Tuesday...I am feeling like a new person today. After being plagued with ongoing nausea for the past week, the Med Center changed my pain medication and ordered in some anti-nausea medication. That really seems to have done the trick. I'm even starting to feel hungry, which means I can start enjoying all the wonderful food my co-workers have been bringing in.
During this update, I thought I would share a few questions and answers I've heard alot during this transplant process. Here we go:
1. Which kidney did they take? They took my left kidney, which is customary as it's easier to access.
2. What restrictions/changes will you encounter now that you've lost a kidney? Actually...very few. One thing the doctors are adament about is that I don't lift over 10 pounds for 8 weeks. Lifting something heavy could cause a hernia in the area where they did the surgery - and they emphasized that the surgery to repair it is actually worse than the kidney removal, so I will follow that rule diligently - even if it means not vacuuming for 8 weeks, darn it!
Also, I am to avoid Ibupropen for the rest of my life as it's hard on the kidneys, and am supposed to drink at least 60 ounces of water every day for the rest of my life. That's it!
3. Did they remove Delmer's kidneys before putting the new one in? No. The existing kidneys typically stay unless they are hugely enlarged or infected. So Delmer now has three kidneys in his body!
4. When will they know for sure that Delmer won't reject the new kidney? I'll have to let Delmer expand on this, but from what they told me, the first three months are the most critical. After that, there is always the chance for rejection, but will know Delmer will take very good care of Patty K. The first signs were extremely encouraging. When they attached the new kidney, it immediately "pinked up" and gave a healthy squirt of urine. In the hours afterward, Delmer's "creatinin" level dropped which was an excellent sign! (creatinine is a substance found in blood and urine; it results from normal body chemical reactions; high blood creatinine levels are a sign of depressed kidney function .)
5. How did you come up with the name "Patty K" for the new kidney? About a week before surgery, Delmer and his wife Lesley came over to my house for dessert. Somehow, during conversation, I mentioned that as a child, I went by "Patty" instead of "Tricia." (I made the change in 6th grade. :-) My maiden name is Keeley, so I guess that's how we came up with little Patty K. Is that how it was Delmer?
Okay...that's enough Q & A for now. If you have questions, feel free to post them in the comments section.
As always...thanks for your ongoing support and prayers!!!
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