I Hate Dialysis Message Board
Dialysis Discussion => Dialysis: Transplant Discussion => Topic started by: Laurie on May 15, 2008, 08:58:54 PM
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I got the call at 9:45 on Tuesday morning that they may have a kidney for me. They told me to head over to the hospital and Dallas to have blood drawn for the crossmatch and then head over to Fort Worth where the transplant would take place and wait until they called me. Before I arrived in Dallas, they called and told me when I get to Fort Worth to go ahead and register. They decided to admit me because it looked like it was going to be a good match. I arrived in Fort Worth around 1:00 and had a chest x-ray, an EKG, more blood drawn and had to shower and have an IV placed. About 3:00 they came in and said the crossmatch was negative and that surgery was scheduled for 3:30. They came and got me around 4:00 and took me to a holding room. While in the holding room, I met with the nurses and doctors that would be in the operating room. They gave me some medicine and off to sleep I went. They actually started the surgery around 5:00 and were finished around 7:30. I was moved into ICU and was able to see my family around 8:00. I was wide awake and in quite a bit of pain, but not as bad as I expected. I was moved out of ICU on wednesday afternoon. My creatnine is currently at 1.4 and still going down. I should be release from the hospital on Saturday. I am currenty having to take insulin shots, but hope to stop those once my prednisone dose is lowered.
I am getting sleepy, so I will close for now.
Laurie
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:yahoo;
Yeah! It's an exciting time, isn't it? Hope everything keeps going well.
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That's wonderful!!! Congratulations!!! :yahoo; :2thumbsup; :yahoo; :2thumbsup;
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:bandance; YAY!!! Congrats!!! :bandance;
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:yahoo; Sweet!
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fantastic news :yahoo; keep on improving :clap;
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This is so awesome! I'm so happy you are doing well. Keep us updated! :bestwishes;
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:yahoo;
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Absolutely wonderful news for you. Congratulations.
Wishing you a quick recovery.
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:yahoo; Congratulations
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That is awesome News Laurie :2thumbsup; Thanks for updating us. WOW things happen fast when they do happen.
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:yahoo; :bandance; Congratulations Laurie. What wonderful news, you take care and get plenty of rest and drink lots. :cuddle;
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:yahoo; :yahoo; :bandance; :bandance;
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Woo hoo. That's amazing news.
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Congratulations !! :clap; :2thumbsup; :clap;
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Yahoooo! :yahoo;
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Great news Laurie. :bestwishes; Now keep feeling better and better and keep that creatinine on the lowering trend. Look forward to hearing updates.
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:yahoo; So glad to hear you got your transplant I am so happy for you!!!!!! Im doing a :bandance; for you!!!
Lori/Indiana
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:bandance; :clap;
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Yeahhh.........
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Congratulations for the new Kidney! :yahoo;
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Wow, that seemed quick! Soooo happy for you, pray it continues to do well and your numbers get better and better!!! If you were closer I would come visit, but don't know when I am going to Dallas next. Maybe in July. :bandance; :bandance; :grouphug;
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I got the call at 9:45 on Tuesday morning that they may have a kidney for me. They told me to head over to the hospital and Dallas to have blood drawn for the crossmatch and then head over to Fort Worth where the transplant would take place and wait until they called me. Before I arrived in Dallas, they called and told me when I get to Fort Worth to go ahead and register. They decided to admit me because it looked like it was going to be a good match. I arrived in Fort Worth around 1:00 and had a chest x-ray, an EKG, more blood drawn and had to shower and have an IV placed. About 3:00 they came in and said the crossmatch was negative and that surgery was scheduled for 3:30. They came and got me around 4:00 and took me to a holding room. While in the holding room, I met with the nurses and doctors that would be in the operating room. They gave me some medicine and off to sleep I went. They actually started the surgery around 5:00 and were finished around 7:30. I was moved into ICU and was able to see my family around 8:00. I was wide awake and in quite a bit of pain, but not as bad as I expected. I was moved out of ICU on wednesday afternoon. My creatnine is currently at 1.4 and still going down. I should be release from the hospital on Saturday. I am currenty having to take insulin shots, but hope to stop those once my prednisone dose is lowered.
I am getting sleepy, so I will close for now.
Laurie
Laurie - thank you for sharing your story and congratulations. Your story gives me hope that good things happen to those who wait. You and I started PD on the same month/year. I'm very impress that your wait after being place on the waiting list, didn't take years. I can only hope and pray that I will have the same blessing as you. I'm so happy for you and your family. I pray that God will continue to bless you with good health.
Congratulations!
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cool :thumbup; :yahoo;
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Yay Laurie!!!!! Congratulations! And RookieGirl, your time will come soon.
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:yahoo; I'm home. I was released today at 1:30. It feels soooo great to be home again. Everything happened so fast, I think I'm still in shock.
Today has been pretty rough for me. I was so excited about leaving the hospital, but at the same time, all I could think about was my donor and their family.
It's so hard to comprehend that I have a part of someone else in me. I plan on writing my donor family, so maybe that will give me some peace.
To all those on the list, don't give up. The call will come when you least expect it. :cuddle;
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:clap; Take care Laurie!
Drink your water and get some rest!
I am happy you are home! :cuddle;
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:clap;
Congratulations.
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Well, I ran into a little bump in the road. When I was released from the hospital my creatnine was 1.3. On Monday at clinic it was 1.6, so they stopped my diuretic thinking maybe I was getting dehydrated. Today at clinic it was 2.0. So, they decided to send me for a sonogram and biopsy. I will get the results in the morning. My prograf levels were a little low today, so they increased it. I'm hoping that's the cause of the elevated creatnine and not the early stage of rejection. I knew things were going too good. I just hope this gets resolved quickly.
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Hope it's just a minor glitch and things work out well for you.
Get better soon.
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Congratulations Laurie!!! Things will be up and down for the first year until you figure out your meds. You'll be fine.
It is VERY weird thinking about your donor. But, write the letter and the family will be so glad that part of their loved one lives on. You may always wonder about them. After time goes by you may want to write to them again and up date them on your progress. Yes, it is a debt that you don't feel like you have earned, but it is a gift to you so cherish it and enjoy it. If God were to tell that person that it was time to go home would they leave their kidney to help someone else they would say "yes".
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Well, it's official. I'm in the early stages of rejection. I will be admitted to the hospital tomorrow morning to start IV meds. I will be in for 3 - 5 days.
Please send some postive energy my way.
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Hoping things go your way.
I will be thinking of you.
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I'm thinking positive kidney thoughts for you.
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Wow, Laurie, that's scary. I hope they get this turned around quickly. I'm sending caring thoughts and positive vibes your way. Hang in there, okay? :cuddle; :grouphug;
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Laurie :cuddle; I'll be thinking and praying for you. Please keep us posted. :grouphug;
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Sorry for reading this late, but luckily I am replying after reading all the post. So congradulations on one end and sorry to hear what has happened to you on the other end. I hope they can help stop the kidney from rejecting so you can stay off dialysis for as long as possible.
Take Care
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I hope they take good care of you and turn this around. Praying for you Laurie! :grouphug;
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:grouphug; Sending good thoughts your way.
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Laurie, heres to positive thoughts coming your way
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Hoping and praying all gets resolved quickly and you get back on track where you belong :cuddle;
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I had my first treatment last night and ended up having a bad reaction to it. With the help of some other drugs, I made it through it. I am currently getting my second dose. It's going good so far. They gave me some meds beforehand to help with the reaction. My creatnine was down to 1.4 today, so that's a good sign.
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:thumbdown; :thumbdown; :thumbdown;
this is not the thumbs down just giving creatinine the sign where to go
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Congrats! Sorry I'm so late. I hope things continue to get better. :cuddle;
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You're a trooper Laurie! :bow; My family is pulling for you and yours!
G
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:yahoo; Belated congratulations on your new kidney! So sorry to hear of the complications. My thoughts are with you, and hoping the best for you! :bestwishes;
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Hopefully your creat stays lows. Glad it is taking a turn for the better.
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Congratulations! :yahoo; :bandance;
Yeah your creatinine will continue to go down. I'm two months post transplant and mine is 0.8.
Enjoy your new kidney and drink lots!
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I hope all is going well for you while you are in the hospital. Make sure they feed you and give you things to drink once in a while. Take care of you! :grouphug;
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Praise The Lord!!!! :yahoo;
So glad you got your transplant!!!!!!!!! I am so HAPPPPYYYYYY for you!!!!
Lori/Indiana
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Wow, I was saddened by the rejection episode news but glad that they seem to be reversing the trend. Down creatinine down!!! And stay down darnit. :cuddle;
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After spending 7 days in the hospital and receiving 7 doses of Thymoglobulin, the rejection so far has been stopped. My creatinine has been staying around 1.1.
I still have a little discomfort around the incision and feel weak when walking, but other than that I feel great.
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:cuddle; Oh Laurie, I hope you feel better and you can rest - thank you for letting us know!
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:bandance; You must be relieved Laurie and I'm glad that the creatinine has dropped.
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Laurie - That is great news, I'm praying that everything works out great. TONS of positive thoughts headed your way and to keeping that kidney for MANY years!!!! :2thumbsup; :2thumbsup; :cuddle;
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Laurie ~ Wow! You have been put through an emotional roller coaster!!! I am sending good vibes, thoughts and prayers that everything will continue on a positive track. Please keep us updated!
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It's great to hear that your kidney is functioning well again. I hope it keeps up the good work.
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My creatnine is still at 1.1 :yahoo;
I had my PD catheter removed yesterday. I'm a little sore today, but not too bad. Hopefully that was my last surgery for a while.
I'm going to clinic once a week now. I go back on Monday and am scheduled to have a sonogram of my kidneys and a bone density scan.
I have also been having problems with my right arm that I had an IV and PICC line in, so I am having a sonogram of my arm.
Other than that, I am doing great and enjoying spending the summer with my daughter.
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zzzzzzzzzz I must have been sleeping and missed this thread! Congrats on your new kidney - what a month it has been for you! Glad things are getting resolved - enjoy time with your girl!!
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Your posts are wonderful - they certainly give me hope. Is it true that you feel wonderful after the transplant, that you didn't know how bad you felt before? I've heard that, but wonder if it will really be that great. I am trying to get on the list here in Florida. They say the waiting list is 13 months which is relatively short compared with other partsw of the country. How are you adjusting to the med regime? Did you feel you had adequate pain meds after surgery? What can you suggest to improve the process? Anything you wish you would've done differently?
Please keep us posted and prayers and best wishes are with you....Noel
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:clap; Yes - enjoy your life Laurie!
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:yahoo; :yahoo; :yahoo;I'm so excited for you, you'll be back to normal in no time!
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:yahoo; so glad for the great news!!! :yahoo;
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Does it ever end? I'm back in the hospital >:(
It turns out the pain I've been having in my arm is from a blood clot. I was admitted yesterday so they could start IV heparin and coumadin. I will be in here until they get the heparin to a "therapeutic level" and then I will be released and have to take coumadin for a couple of months.
My kidney is still doing great. Creatnine is 1.1.
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Laurie, I am so sorry to hear about the blood clot and hope that's resolved soon with the coumadin. No it doesn't ever end is the bad news but the good news is that there can be some sweet interludes in between the far-too-many dips in the roller coaster ride that is ours to endure.
Hope you're back on track very soon.
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Thinkin of ya xxx ooo
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Does it ever end? I'm back in the hospital >:(
It turns out the pain I've been having in my arm is from a blood clot. I was admitted yesterday so they could start IV heparin and coumadin. I will be in here until they get the heparin to a "therapeutic level" and then I will be released and have to take coumadin for a couple of months.
My kidney is still doing great. Creatnine is 1.1
Sorry to hear about the blood clot but at least it can be fixed without danger to your kidney. Your creatinine level is outstanding. Hope you are out of the hospital soon.
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Hope all is going well!
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Is it true that you feel wonderful after the transplant, that you didn't know how bad you felt before? I've heard that, but wonder if it will really be that great. I am trying to get on the list here in Florida. They say the waiting list is 13 months which is relatively short compared with other partsw of the country. How are you adjusting to the med regime? Did you feel you had adequate pain meds after surgery? What can you suggest to improve the process? Anything you wish you would've done differently?
hashim50 -
I think right after the transplant I felt great just knowing it was over and things were working like they should, but it took a while to physically feel better because of the recovery and getting used to the meds.
I expected to have a long wait due to a high PRA, but was on the list for 1 year and 3 days, and was so shocked when I got the call. The med regime is fairly easy to adjust too. The side effects, are not. The hospital makes sure you understand everything before you are discharged. They also give you a checklist of your meds, so that helps alot. Yes, I felt I did have adequate pain meds. I was on a morphine drip for the 1st day after the transplant and I actually did not push the button very often. Even after getting off the morphine, I still did not take a lot of pain meds, but then again I have a high tolerance for pain and hate taking pain meds. The whole process for me went very smoothly. I wish I would have made a list of things I wanted to take with me to the hospital. It was very hectic the day I got the call and I was not able to get everyting together. I also wish I would have better prepared myself for the emotional rollercoaster after the transplant. It's alot to deal with and takes time for things to settle down.
I hope you get on the list soon and have a short waiting time. :grouphug;
No it doesn't ever end is the bad news but the good news is that there can be some sweet interludes in between the far-too-many dips in the roller coaster ride that is ours to endure.
You are so right monrein. I just hate having to be away from my daughter so much. It has been really hard for her. I also worry about my husband. He has been going to work all day and then driving an hour to the hospital to see me and not getting home until 10:00 or 11:00. It's starting to wear him out.
Sometimes I wonder if getting the transplant was the right thing to do, but then I know in the end it will all work out and things will get back to normal.
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Thank you for answering my questions, I sure hope you get better on the coumadin and get rid of the clot problem. My prayers are with you. Its sad that you have to be away from your family, but it will soon be over and you'll be together again, if you aren't already now.
Best of health to you with your new kidney!!
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:yahoo; I get to go home.
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Thank you God
you have a most wonderful life
so happy for you and your family
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CONGRATS!! All of our prayers and wishes worked for you!! Good going and enjoy.
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Sorry you had problems with blood clots! I am soooo glad you got to go home tho!!!! YAY!!! :clap; Hope you have a LESS eventful time of things!
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Yay!
Home sweet Home. Glad you are doing better.
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How are you feeling Laurie? :waving;
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I'm feeling good. My labs are great. My creatnine has been 1.1. I'm still trying to get used to the hand tremors and constantly being hungry, but other than that I'm not having any problems. :yahoo;
I will be going back to work on Monday. I have really enjoyed my time off and am not really excited about going back.
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Glad to hear that you are doing well :yahoo; My husband has the hand tremors too. I recall reading here on IHD someplace that they diminish with time.
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So glad things are better Laurie. :cuddle;
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Awesome news Laurie!!!!! :bandance;
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Yay Laurie! I am glad things are going smoothly now. I think of you often. :clap;
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Glad to hear some good news! :bandance;