Before/After

Before the transplant happens, both Hilary and I will check into the hospital on a Thursday. I guess there's a lot of last minute work that needs to be done before the transplant. They do the transplants on Tuesdays.

I always have to go in early due to my Leiden Factor 5...my blood clot mutation. Because of that, surgery is more dangerous for me. They have to wean me off of my coumadin (blood thinner pills) and put me on a heparin drip (blood thinner IV).

Apparently, there's a lot of last minute work to be done. They'll have to put in the IV, make me repeat ALL of my vast medical history to them, and I'll lay around for a few days. I'm not sure what else is to be done.

The transplant will happen on a Tuesday. One surgeon will take the kidney out of Hilary, and the other surgeon will put it in me. We'll both be unconcious for this. WHEW!!! Hopefully, they'll knock me out before they insert the cathiter too. ;)

According to the surgeon, there's a 15 minute wait while they bring the kidney over to me. Apparently, as soon as they hook it into me, I start to pee immediately. So, by the time I wake up, I'll have been peeing for awhile.

Hilary and I are both going to request little buttons for morphin pain killer. They wanted to give me epidural, but I don't like that. I prefer the button pain killer, even though the said the epidural reduces pain better.

They say the donor (Hilary) will be in more pain after the surgery. The recipient will be awake, excited, and bouncing all over the place. You see, after the toxins are cleared from my body, I will get all my energy, both mental and physical, back in full swing. I'm excited for that. Hopefully, as soon as they see the kidney works, they'll take the dialysis tubes out of my chest. It would be great if when I woke up from surgery, everything was back to normal. Well, as normal as life can get for me at this point.

They say that both the donor and the recipient usually stay in the hospital for a good 5 days after the transplant. I might have to stay longer, but we'll see. After that, I have a busy schedule. Asides from being in isolation for at least 4 months, I have to visit the doctor a lot.

For the first month, I visit the doctor 3 times a week. For the second month, I visit the doctor 2 times a week. For the third month, I visit the doctor 1 time a week. Then I go back every few months for a biopsy.

Once Hilary is released, I believe she is free and clear to go home and lay around taking LOTS of pain medication and being waited on hand and foot by her children. :) (hint, hint, nudge, nudge)

Well, time is ticking away. It won't be long now.

Grace and Peace,

-Nat