Got my transplant surgery date today

[pelagia]

Makes my heart sing 

[Normie]

       Wonderful news. 

       Best wishes for a quick recovery for you both.

Normie       

[Sluff]

Hurry Back soon Monrein the virtual bar is going broke without you. 

[nursewratchet]

How exciting!  Waiting for the photos

[rose1999]

  can't wait for you to be back here and posting Gail.  Love to you and Kathy 

[Yvonne]

  I have only just found this thread, I am so pleased for you Gail, what a wonderful sister-in-Law you have, wish you both well on the road to recovery,
    Love John and Yvonne from the UK

[susie q]

 

[circleNthedrain]

This is the best news ever!!  I hope you both have a very speedy recovery.    Waiting anxiously for pics!

[okarol]

  More news today from Gail's hubby Lee on caringbridge:

Hi Guys. I got to the hospital at 1pm and was amazed to see Kathy all ready to come home. She was walking around just like it was a regular day. Apparently the combination of a catheter removal and a meal of solid food gives Kathy a lot of get up and go. In fact she had so much go that she came home. As I type this Kathy is walking around and making phone calls. I think I will inquire about a paper route to keep her out of trouble.
Gail is also doing well but last night and this morning she was miserable. She even said she wished she was on dialysis. The problem was that her catheter was not draining and her bladder was in danger of bursting. They took out the catheter and 2 litres of pee later Gail was her old self. When I arrived I expected to see Gail in a lot of distress but was pleasantly surprised to see Gail all packed up and being moved out of ICU to the normal transplant floor. They want to put another catheter in but I think Gail will put them on notice not to screw it up. Really this was just a little bump on the road back. Bottom line is Gails new kidney is really working great. See you tomorrow  Lee

[kellyt]

It sounds like they're progressing well.

I liked to keep my hospital bed high so that my catheter drained with no problems.  But everytime the nurse would come in they would freak out that "the bed was too high" - like I was going to fall/roll out - and they would lower it.  It was a constant battle.  When the bed was low I would feel my urine backing up and it really hurt!  I would raise the bed and adjust the tube and I'd be fine again.  I can't imagine the uncomfortable pain Gail was in .  That's a horrible feeling.

I'm so glad you two are doing well.   

[okarol]

 
New update from caringbridge:

Hello to all...this is Kathy or KD!!! It is my turn to update the Bridge, as I am home now and need something to do!!! Jim and Syd took off this Am to visit Gail and take in a museum and Lee is on his way to pick up Lyla and head on to see Gaila! I phoned Gaila this AM and she was fabulous!!! The catheter is back in, but placed correctly and mostly doing its job. The issue there is two fold: The new ureter needs to heal in place on the bladder, so a stent has been put there. The bladder must stay empty for this stent to work and for the ureter to heal....but alas, Gail is being pumped with lasix to perfuse (sp?) her new kidney, and this creates tremendous diuresis, filling the bladder!!! A goofy cycle, but necessary to make the kidney wake up and work out!!! The best news of all is that Gail's latest creatinine is 87!!!!! Yikes, I gave her an overachieving organ!!! My own level was only 90 yesterday...and so we compete! Her pain level is good and she got much better sleep last night. We both have decided oxycontin is overrated! We enjoyed the oxymorphone pump much more! So, today she is good. Her electrolytes are low, due to the diuresis and the new kidney trying to figure things out...it actually is clearing out the toxins at a pace inconsistent with Gail's limited intake. Where last week it simply filtered my coffee and beer consumption, now it is sitting there saying, 'What the hell? Where's the beer?' Soon Gail will crave curling and hockey and baseball on TV...if not I told her to contact the surgical nephrologist immediately for testing!!!

Gail and I want to thank you all for your thoughts, prayers and well wishes. It is amazing what a community of people can do for one another. If only we could generate this type of caring and compassion in the broader world!!!

We are doing just about as well as we can. Gail of course has daily issues to deal with, and will always have to look over her shoulder. For today, she has her new kidney, it is a good one, trust me, and we are both sailing along!!! The resident surgical neph told Gail I was a 'stud donor'. We laughed. Gail is the true stud, let me tell you. She is an inspiration to me, today, as she has been for the last 24 years. I was lucky enough to meet Jim, her brother, 24 years ago on Super Bowl Sunday. Gail had just received her cadaver kidney that morning I met him, and it was a most exciting day. Jim and Gail have another sister Trish, who is equally amazing. These three are the most productive, intelligent, kind, hardworking, fun-loving people on Earth! I hit the jackpot that day.

OK, so Lee will fill you in with more medical details tonite. He is attending to all of my needs. Syd has been the best little trooper, emptying Gail's pee bag on demand and generally handling the rigors of visiting two less than lovely post surgical gals in hospital!!! The kid actually sat through two surgical holdings, watching them prep each of us in turn to be wheeled away. That astounds me. Of course, as always, Jim is the rock. He is the medical man and gets all of our questions answered immediately. He has cooked some lovely meals and set me up completely. I am totally comfortable right this minute. My time is up, sorry to be so long..perhaps its is the colace and senocot working on the wrong end...Take Care. Thanks Again....KD
.........

[pelagia]

That's a great post!  

[pelagia]

Here's a new post to CB by Lee:

Hi guys.I have decided not to get Kathy a paper route.No,instead she will be the assistant to the chief scribe.This is of course an important position since the chief scribe is awol.She will do all the work of chief scribe except sit on my lap while taking a memo.
Gail as Kathy mentioned is very good today.Not much to add except Gails pee is a beautiful golden yellow.This means the sutures ect are healing nicely.THe catheter is supposed to come out tomorrow so it shouldnt be too long untill Gail comes home.They are zapping her with a different drug to keep her immunity low which should reduce the swelling so all is good .Take care Lee

[jbeany]

Fabulous news all around!   

[Romona]

  Go, Kidney,Go!"

[Ang]

gold  is  the  colour  of  the  day.

[okarol]

  Yay Gail! Yay for good news. 
      Kathy - you're a goddess!

[Zach]

 

[G-Ma]

Kathy, I do believe you are just as fantastic as Gail and all the others.  I hope you all are healing well.       

[Wattle]

    Whooohooo


Now we just need a pic of her and her golden overachieving pee!!

[pelagia]

We would sure love to see a picture of the Baroness with her gold! 

[kimcanada]

I am so happy for you and your donor Gail...  Lee you sound like an amazing person also!

Way to go team Gail!!

[Jill D.]

I've not be on in a few days, but have had Gail and Kathy on my mind and in my prayers. I have had a smile on my face as I read the posts - great job Kathy and Gail!!! So happy surgery went well and you are both on the road to recovery. Kathy, you are an angel donor and God bless you for giving our good friend Gail such a wonderful gift!!!!

[RichardMEL]

I LOVE the updates from Lee & Kathy - they are so well written and paint such a picture. I think I have a thing for Kathy now.. is she single? 

I also think when Gail returns the virtual bar will run out of STOCK now that she's able to eat, drink & be merry!!! 

good stuff!!!

[pelagia]

Gail I hope you are peeing like a race horse (sorry, I just can't resist  ).  Kathy says that you may soon have internet access.  That's great because we miss you and can't wait to hear from you! 

 


******

another post from this morning on the Caring Bridge site:

Greetings from KD again. Jim reports that Gail may have internet access soon. You may soon receive direct info from the head honcho!!
Yesterday afternoon Gail's neph told her that her current creatinine (87) was better than his!!! Just now, on the phone Gail reports that is it now down to 71!!! Gail rocks! Also, officially, THE CATHETER IS OUT!!!! Nights are tough for both of us...I was in my oxycontin haze this Am and I hate it. It is difficult to sleep without it though. Gail is reporting the same. We are a little swollen and sore internally. Gail is currently taking the chemicals that will help her keep her new kidney. This delicate mix is now what they are working out. It is a bit techinical and I am totally sure you will be getting a discourse in all of it in due course! Study your terms!!!!
My first full day home yesterday I layed around and watched TV. I felt good enough to go out, but the temp. dropped like a rock and giving a kidney seemed like a good excuse to lay around a bit. It might sound crazy, but I have mentally framed this time as a "mini vacation". SO, watching curling in bed with a soft blanket is ok.
I just got off the phone with Gail and she is right on course. She was told she had 6 hours to pee on her own or the catheter would be reinserted....WELL...the girl drank 1.5 liters during the night and peed 3 times already! Her appetite is good and she has lost 3 kg of fluid. She is walking well. Today our friend Petrina visits from Ottawa and we will all meet up at the hospital. We will stop at Lyla's for lunch and Jim and Syd will say goodbye to her. They leave tomorrow and have had a great time this week...crazy as that sounds! They went to The Royal Ontario Museum yesterday and really enjoyed their day there and with Gail. They fed the black squirrels also....we do not have them in Florida and they fascinate us!!!
Lastly, I went out to eat last nite!!! Syd and Jim begged me to got to a Korean restaurant we all love, the Ichiban Fish House and I just could not disappoint! I found my largest pair of pants and just strolled right in. I had the Love Bento, which has a green salad, sushi, sushimi, maki, and the extras. We ate well and shocked the owners, who had seen Gail and I last week prepping for surgery by loading up on raw fish!!!! I promised them Gail would be in soon!!! Jim and I stayed up past mid-night watching curling!!!! AAHHH, the Canadian lifestyle!!!!
Again, thank you all for thinking of us. What a thread of good tidings....Gail will be back in control soon. Enjoy your day and keep your kidneys flushed!!!!!!!!! KD