OMG! Why can't they just leave me alone!

[kellyt]

I'll be in this hospital until Monday afternoon and I swear to God everytime I get comfortable or get out my computer (which takes some time because moving is a little slow at the moment) I hear that freaking knock on my door and someone comes in to either give me meds, give me a shot, take my vitals, talk to me about bowel movements, ask me where my "graft" is, as me if I'm in pain, test my glucose, give me an insulin shot, ask me if I've gotten up to walk, ask me if I want a pain pill, AAAARRRRGGG!  Don't they have a chart or something they could write all this stuff down and check before walking in?  Oh, BTW, my fistula went kaput the day after surgery.  I was shocked!  I don't want them to mess with that arm until I talk to my personal neph.  They were saying we could go ahead and do an IV in that arm or start blood pressures, but I'm not letting them.  What do ya'll think?

Yesterday I was so exhausted and I had my dietitian come in for about an hour, as soon as she left the social worker popped it for about 1/2 and hr, right after that a physical therapist came in, then the Chaplin and then the coordinator who wanted to go over meds for a 2nd time!  ALL very important, but I ran off the physical therapist, the Chaplin and the coordinator.  They are all coming back in today.  I felt horrible doing it, but I couldn't hold my eyes open.

My kidney's doing great!  They incision is looking good!  I'm producing good quality pee.  I feel so very fortunate, but I'm ready to go home!  They're taking out the foley cath. Monday morning.  I can't wait!!!!   

How's everyone else doing?

[florida.flyer]

  congrats on your kidney doing great!!! 

[willieandwinnie]

Kelly. Lord, Len knows just what you are talking about. You sure don't get any rest in a hospital. I'm so happy that your kidney is doing good. I hope you get to go home soon. You'll probably want to sleep for days to make up for no sleep. Put a sign on your door that you are napping. Hope you get your much needed rest. 

[kellyt]

Thanks Ladies!  I'm feeling good!   

[David13]

Unfortunately, the hospital is probably the last place you can expect to get some well-deserved rest.  On the bright side, at least you know the staff is keeping a good eye on you!  

Once you get home, you will finally find some rest, I hope.  Keep smiling!  

[boxman55]

You will be home soon, in your own bed and will be able to just relax. Hang in there...Boxman

[Rerun]

Just pretend you are asleep.  Keep up the good work.  Also, the prednisone if you are on any makes you "moody".  Or you can at least blame any outbursts on the Prednisone.

Best of luck with your new kidney.

[rose1999]

Just pretend you are asleep. 

Then they'll probably wake you up to give you sleepng pills 
Keep on getting well 

[okarol]

Hospitals are for sick people so when you're feeling good after a transplant you are much more aware of all the annoyances! That's a good sign that you're doing well. It's definitely not a place to get rest. As for the fistula, Jenna's quit too - read more here http://ihatedialysis.com/forum/index.php?topic=2486.0 Epoman said to get a fistulaplasty but the surgeon said no.

Sending you lots of love Kelly! 

[lola]

Kelly, I thought Otto was gonna at times he was so tired of people coming in to "check" on him. We got so worried some one was gonna mess with the arm his fistula was in he had me write with a BIG black permanent mark " DO NOT USE ARM" and everyone left it alone, little did we know he'd need it and Thank God we protected it.

[petey]

I write on Marvin's fistula arm in red magic marker every time he goes into the hospital -- "DO NOT USE"  One doctor told us one time to guard his access arm with our lives, and that's what we do.

If I were close to you, Kelly, I'd be coming in your room every 10 minutes to  oooohhhhh   and   aaaaahhhh over that bag of urine.  Hang in there a little longer, and you'll be home and away from the no-rest you get in the hospital.

[monrein]

My first fistula quit a few months after my transplant.  I actually felt sad because it had served me so well and given zero trouble.  I was very surprised by my feelings then and again now I'm surprised by how much I love this throbbing vein.  I know it's not pretty, I have to be so careful with it and it can freak some people out but I still love it for all that it does for me.  I like doing my own sticking so that I can provide more consistency for it and keep it healthy.  I love the bruit sound it makes and I thrill to the touch of its thrill.  I find it calming and soothing in the extreme and I baby my fistula arm every dialysis run by having its own special buckwheat pillow to cradle it gently so it doesn't get sore.  

When my first one quit post-transplant, following my initial grief, I was quite content to have it go flat so that only the scar was visible.  However, we never ever used that arm for blood work or BPs and I was always careful not to constrict it with grocery bags or anything at all.  

Kelly, I'm very happy you're so irritated by the normal hospital in-your-face-all-the-time stuff because that truly is the best indication of just how very well you're doing.  I'm hoping to get my sis-in-law's kidney too (she arrives here tomorrow for her testing) and I'm praying for a similar experience to yours.

[kellyt]

You will, Monrein!   Good Luck with your Sis-in-law testing!

[paul.karen]

I guess everyone that see's you gets a little taste of your insurance.  I hear that stuff taste good so im not surprised you have so many people dropping by for a quick nibble.

But thats the least of it all.  You have enough strength to sit there and write us so that is the GOOD NEWS>
And Monday will be a great day for you.  No more Foley (im guessing thats a pee tube?) And you will be home in your own comfy bed sleeping on your own schedule.
So only two more days of frantic sleepiness hell.  Then you have your new life to lead ...  No use  them.  Soon it will all be a vast memory, and the good times will take over.
Hope you get some rest Kelly  .

P&K

PS>  Monrein Best of luck with you and your sister in law. Hope that all works out for you 

[Chris]

I wouldn't worry about that you had to chase people away so you could get some rest. The pretend to sleep idea mentioned earlier works, I've done that! Next time those people come in asking all those dumb questions, ask outloud, "Don't You Have A Chart?" That would be very annoying to me to i they kept doing that. Luckily they do use a chart were I go and it hangs up in the room so they can easy access it to write notes on it or take tags off. The vampires though, can never get away from them suckers. As for the arm, be vigilant and don't let them use it, you don't need more problems later. I guess I am lucky in some respects, the hospital I go to has preprinted signs not to use either the left or right arm. Then again some idiots don't see it (had that happen once).

Good Luck Kelly

[kellyt]

They hung a nice hot pink sign over my bed not to use my left arm, but I personally didn't think the sign was big enough or in a good place.

Actually, I found out today that I'm their first live transplant "on this floor". This floor usually deals with diabetes treatment, transplant recipients who are either sick or rejecting, but the nurses on this floor have never had a live donor transplant.  They have all been so nice and fabulous!  They affectionately call me "the transplant patient".  They come from all over to say hi.  It's funny.  When my friends were here yesterday they had to check in down on the 1st floor.  When they came up they said "you must get a lot of visitors, because they knew who you were and called you "our transplant patient".  I didn't think anything of it, because this is a small hospital.  But today they introduced me to another nurse in this manner and then they explained to me why.   They say I've been on their calendar for a few weeks and they have been real excited!  Too funny, right?

Yes, they do come in at the most inopportune times, but they have been wonderful my entire stay.  I highly recommend Christus Santa Rosa Transplant Hospital to any in this neck of the woods.

[thegrammalady]

yea kelly, i'm so glad to hear everything is going so well. 

[kidney4traci]

Checking my thrill right now - yup ok, whew!!  It's working...

K- you sound really well and the fact that you can keep us updated personally is wonderful.  I feel like I am right there with you!  How are those slippers???  I am looking at being in your shoes very soon if my donor passes her two days worth of testing next week.  I am so excited!  With all the talk on the boards going on about transplants, and praying mine comes in a month or so, well I have had some weird dreams lately.  So it helps to have you tell it like it is!  It sounds like your pain has gotten better.  Hope that's the case.  Pray you get more sleep tonight...  looking forward to Monday with you!!  No more Foley!

Monrein - Great news!  Hope all the testing passes with flying colors for you!!  What a great sister- in- law!!!!

[kellyt]

Traci, my new "addendum" to my prayers for everyone here is that they have it this easy!  (knock on wood).  Because I can be quite pessimistic, I usually prepair for the worst, but this has been a dream come true.  Once I found out Tuesday that I didn't have to do dialysis about 95% of my fear just went away.  I didn't realized how much that scared me.

This is kind-of cheesy, but when they were taking me out of the O.R. waiting area and into the O.R. I quietly said to myself "Jesus, take the wheel".  It made me laugh a little, but now that I think back that's really all you can say.  And he did! 

Good Luck!  Please let us all know as soon as you find out about your donor!!!

[kidney4traci]

Thanks, that is very sweet.  Yes, He is in control!  I am right there with ya girl!!!!  I will sing the song with you!  I have tears in my eyes now...  in a good way .....  have a restful night! 

[sickofbeingsick]

Congratulations and God bless! 

[G-Ma]

Kelly...yeah for your new kidney...
everyone..yes take care of that arm....they had a 2X2 foot sign on my door...DO NOT USE LEFT ARM....and it seems everyone looked at it and past it....I still had to remind all...and then it would be "why???"....grrrr.

[Chris]

That might be a new topic regarding that special sign no one pays attention to or wonders why it's there.