6 month update!!

[draven]

So its been 6 months since the transplant

I must say things are going pretty good. apart from side effects from the meds my health better then its been in 10 years. my creatinine levels was 137 last time i checked a tiny bit higher then last time, but doc says it was higher due to me having the flu. i went for bloods today so will give a update soon.

the only issues i have at the moment is the cellcept which is still giving me the occasional upset stomach.
and the weight gain, which is coming off slowly. and thats it really nothing new to report.

[MandaMe1986]

Yey Draven!  That is great news.  And here is to 6 more months and many more to come 

[willowtreewren]

I find transplant news uplifting, no matter how routine the report sounds.

Yea! Yea! 

Aleta

[kellyt]

          So good to hear this!

I'm going through some medication adjustments at the moment.  Also, my weight.  It has at least stopped going up, but it's going down yet.   

[okarol]

Thanks for the update Draven - I hope your labsare good.
Jenna still takes Prilosec once a day and has had no trouble with the Cellcept.

[Romona]

The weight gain stinks! I am glad you are doing well.

[draven]

Update on the blood results: my creatinine is 122 which in my Docs words are "fantastic"
so things are going good

[dwcrawford]

Wish somebody would explain creatine levels to me.  Mine was 8.5 at the time I had to start dialysis... and you are 122 and that's good.  Does it go down when you start dialysis or up.  Haven't heard a word about it since I started.

[draven]

Hi dwcrawford

Creatinine levels are calculated diffrently in diffrent countries. i think monrein or okcarol can send u a link for a creatinine calculator

your creatinine was 8.5 when u started dialysis and mine was 980.
my creatinine is now 122 and im guessing a good creatinine level in your country is about 1.5 or 2.0

[dwcrawford]

I'll ask the doctor next week if nobody knows in here.  Why do they make all the numbers so hard for me?  Although I must admit that my weight sounds a lot better in Kilos than in pounds.

Where are you draven?   UK?

[draven]

I'm from South Africa. we use mostly UK measurements here

[okarol]

here's a clinical unit conversion :   http://dwjay.tripod.com/conversion.html
to convert from the large numbers (i.e. 120, 130, ..1200) to the small ones, use (µmol/L) to (mg/dL)
so, for example, 120 would be 1.4

[dwcrawford]

Thanks Okarol.... that'll be a useful tool... now I just need to ask if my creatine has gone down or up.  I'm really not sure what it is although it has been explained a couple of times.

Draven, Not having been much of a world traveler outside of N. and S. American and Europe, I'd really appreciate watching your comments expressing culture differences -- nothing major.  I'm more interested in day to day culture differences.  I've never had a friend from S. Africa before and you know that everybody on IHD has to be your friend.  It's a rule. 

[draven]

Hi dwcrawford

sorry if i said something offensive, I'm not actually sure what you mean by " expressing culture differences"
unless you are referring to the way countries use diffrent conversions for creatinine levels.

[dwcrawford]

Quite the Opposite Draven.  I just meant I wanted to get to know you because I think your experieces would be very interesting.  I like knowing people from different cultures than mine.   Nothing you've said was offensive.

[draven]

Ok Cool 

[dwcrawford]

Culture difference... examples and kind of silly.  What do you eat that's differenct from me?  Favorite spirts or movies, etc.  Anything political going on...  What's the weather like etc.  Nothing big, just looking forward to seeing your posts and  learning a little about you from time to time.

I'm am new to all of this.  I read all your posts but rarely respond because I am new and not so experienced as others on here.  I've had kidney problems (serious) for six months and dialysis for five weeks and most of what I know was by reading posts on here...

[draven]

Hmmm lets see

Well we eat pretty much the same as everybody. we have mcdonalds and KFC and so on. For me living in Cape Town we have a large Muslim/Malaysian  community ( i'm Catholic) so there is a malay influence in some dishes.

Sports is where we may differ. we are more into British type sports like Rugby,Cricket and Soccer.

Movies are the pretty much the same. we have cinemas all over the place and the candy and beverages all so super expensive.

Politics in this country is a very touchy subjects. we recently had a new president elected. problem is he has been charged with Fraud and Coruption on previous occasions, and no one really likes him.... yet he wins the elections.

Weather, its currently winter at the moment and it wont stop raining. our summer happens in december.

Hope this helps a little 

[Des]

So cool!

Congrats Draven,,, Did you wait on a list or did you have a live donor?

I'm also from SA and a bit more north than Cape Town.... we have no rain (very very little) and have mostly sunshine even in winter. We have summer thundershowers.

There are so many diffirent cultures here that every household in the same street can do things differently.

As Draven said.... We are sort of updated moviewise.. just a few months after its release there by you's then we get it here.... The internet and DSTV has shrunk the world ... we are all one big community now. 

[Wilda]

Don't worry about the weight, it will come off eventually. When I had my transplant, because I was on a high dose of Prednisone I was so swollen. My brother came to visit from out of town when I got out of the hospital and I was sitting on the couch when he walked in and he didn't even recognize me. My face was hugh. The swolleness and puffyness went away as they lowered my milligrams on the meds.
Congrats on your transplant. I hope you have many many happy healthy years.