Isn't it irksome ...

[Poppylicious]

Thanks Looney!

Kay - I was nuked last Tuesday and had to stay still for a whopping twenty minutes.  It's not so bad but they make you drink lots and lots of water in preparation and so my bladder was fit to burst by the time it was over.  And the toilet was waaaaayyyy down the corridor! 

Two stone is definitely do-able!  I think I need to lose about another stone (or just over).  Do you use anything to help you?  I'm a WeightWatchers gal myself, although I have lost a lot and it is getting harder.

Feel free to ask me anything ... I'm assuming that you'll go through the exact same process down in Sussex as I'm being subjected to in East Anglia; it will be interesting to know if there are variations in different parts of the country.

Good luck!

 

[Sugarlump]

Hey Poppy another flatland native I hail from East Anglia too.
I got told last year by the Transplant Surgeon I needed to lose a stone and stay fitter as they were tightening up the transplant list requirements.
I and a friend went to Rosemary Conley classes, diet plus weekly aerobics class. Didn't think I would but quite enjoyed it, bit of a giggle and I lost nearly 2 stone quite readily.
As you will see from my post I had second transplant in Dec10 so having a break til fully recovered and kidney working fully too.
Good luck.
 

[Sugarlump]

Also Poppy they offered me Orlistat.
Avoid at all costs has terrible side effects.
Wonder if your transplant surgeon same as mine!!!!

[chook]

Go Poppy. All the best with the weight loss and hopefully, the donation of a kidney.
My hubby tested to be a donor for me and was told he was predisposed to kidney stones and that ruled him out - he has NEVER had one kidney stone! He weighs 110kg (around 17 stone) and his neph said his weight wouldn't have been an issue. We're in Australia. However, the transplant team I see every year said the weight would have been an issue as the surgery would have been difficult for him. I still wish he had got the green light!

[Poppylicious]

Also Poppy they offered me Orlistat.
Avoid at all costs has terrible side effects.
Wonder if your transplant surgeon same as mine!!!!

Ha.  We have oodles of Orlistat in the cupboard from when Blokey was using it.  When I was first losing weight I used Alli.  I have to admit that during a recent episode of frustrating non-weight loss I used some of the Orlistat (I'm not sure it's allowed what with it being a prescription only drug; it's double the dose of Alli) and it made no difference at all.  So I didn't use it again the next week.  I don't think I consume enough actual fat for it to work.  *shrug*

If I say I'm being seen at A in C (with the neph Dr. P) does that make sense to you?  I'm being intentionally secretive, obviously.  I like to keep some things on the quiet when on a public forum!

 

[Sugarlump]

  I'll send you a pm

[Poppylicious]

I'm tiptoeing back into this thread to announce that Blokey and my left kidney will become very intimate in the middle of October. 

I'm now tiptoeing back out of this thread because I don't want a fuss.

 

[Pam]

Congratulations!!!!! That news deserves a big fuss!
Pam

[jbeany]

Okay, fine, Poppy.  None of these, then...   Or these...   Not a single one of these....   Not so much as a cheerful little drinkie in your honor, like these.... .

We keep it low key and not fuss then!

 

[MooseMom]

oh, that is so ab fab!  You know, the wonderful thing about this is that you BOTH will have vastly improved lives!  Not only will he be able to live without dialysis, but YOU will get to live without dialysis, too!  You can both just get on with having a normal life together, so you BOTH have won the lottery!  Well done you!!

[M3Riddler]

... when the living donor coordinator doesn't reply to your emails?  Four to six weeks they said, when they took copious amounts of my blood ... it's been seven.  Surely the tissue has been typed by now? I want to know if I'm a friggin' match! I wouldn't mind but it's either knowing I'm compatible with Blokey so that we can get on with it, or knowing I'm not so that we can start trying for a baby.  Either way, our future is in their hands.

  < angry-ish face.

Of course, she might just be on holiday this week, but even so ... tsk.

(Just needed to rant in a quiet space.)

 

Poppy,

Communication is very important not only during workup, but after a transplant as well.  If you are not receiving adequate communication now, its likely not to get better unless you do something about it now... Why not give the coordinator a call?  Your coordinator more than likely gets hundreds of emails dialy. If you have a problem after your transplant, you are not going to want to let them know by email, you are going to want prompt response....Not to say you will have an association with the coordinator after. This is your right to know the results....

[Sax-O-Trix]

  Congrats to you and your DH!

[texasstyle]

That is great news that you might be a donor! Stress can keep the weight on. In my opinon, if you want to lose the little bit of weight you need to you have to really watch HOW MUCH your eating more so than excersing. That's how it works for me.

[Jean]

Oh boy Poppy, such wonderful and exciting news. I am happy for both of you. ( I am not fussing )

[chook]

Just one little 

[Poppylicious]

The Living Donor Lady rang me at lunchtime and offered us the option of having the transplant done a month earlier. This is very much open to last minute cancellation; they'd be doing two live donor transplants on one day and an emergency cadaveric transplant would (obviously) take precedence over us (as the second couple) if the operating theatre was needed.

Um, no!  I'm not psychologically prepared!  And I'd be even less prepared for it being cancelled.  No, we'll keep the definitely 100% going to happen October slot please.

Silly?  Maybe. 

 

(53 days - I counted.)

[edersham]

Its certainly you and your donors decision to make based on what makes you most comfortable. I faced a similar decision. The difference was I was doing poorly on dialysis and the surgery was scheduled to be the first of the day.  We chose the earlier date because I wanted the hell off

 of dialysis as soon as possible. The earlier date cost me several  thousand dollars of lost wages because of the periodic nature of my job but all went well medically. Your situation may be very different however so good luck to you and your decision.

Ed

[boswife]

ohhh my goodness gracious.... just chatching this and sooo excited!  (and jbeany your halarious)  And so i dont have to celebrate too loudly, i'll just jump in, or sneak in  on jbeanys post...  Im so happy for you and pretty sure i'd be on the sticking to the 'original' plan as well.... unless! they were to call and say RIGHT NOW!! then that would save the pre-stress alltogether ... 

[monrein]

Holy Hannah...no fuss intended...how did I miss this transplant news bulletin?  I'll tell you how...too much tiptoeing in.  That's fantastic Poppy and we'll be right there with you all the way.   

[Poppylicious]

I've tiptoe'd in again (I know, I shouldn't tiptoe, but I honestly don't want a fuss) to declare that I'm feeling ever-so slightly fragile this evening.  I wouldn't normally advertise but I've written a blog post about it (link below in my sig; the dialysis one) and I don't want to keep festering over it. 

I suppose I just want someone (yes, you ... the one person who's reading this!) to give me some much needed *huggles* and tell me that it's normal to feel this way, everything will be okay, and in thirty days it will all be just a memory (albeit with added pain) ...

[okarol]

Awww girl, I would be frightened too. I was a wreck before Jenna's transplant, I was in absolute agony secretly worrying something would happen to her or her donor. I cannot imagine what it would be like going into surgery MYSELF and someone I loved was too.
Will you ever be totally at ease? Probably not til the anesthesia takes effect.
You've had months to think about this and I'll bet it's stressful.
BIG HUGS for you.
 In my opinion there is no greater calling that a living donor.  I admire you and I hope the next 4 weeks go well and you can get ready and feel at peace.

[jbeany]

 

Courage doesn't always roar.  Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I'll try again tomorrow.  ~Mary Anne Radmacher

[Poppylicious]

Thank you, lovely ladies.  I feel a tad better/peaceful even though we received our letters today confirming times and wards for the actual op, plus pre-op arrangements for the week before!

I imagine I'll just get used to feeling all over the place over the next few weeks.  I'll survive!

 

[natnnnat]

You will survive but in the meantime here are many big reassuring hugs 
and some of these are in order probably, too. 

[okarol]

Thank you, lovely ladies.  I feel a tad better/peaceful even though we received our letters today confirming times and wards for the actual op, plus pre-op arrangements for the week before!

I imagine I'll just get used to feeling all over the place over the next few weeks.  I'll survive!

 

Don't hesitate to let them know you are anxious. I've even had valium prior to dental work, I get myself so worked up. Get the good drugs, early and often!