Preparing the house for transplant

[RichardMEL]

I was told no birds and I cried thinking I couldn't date anymore!!  Oh wait, I can't get a date anyway.....

[Sugarlump]

You're so funny...
Anyone who describes us as birds doesn't deserve a date!!!!

    

[willowtreewren]

Our daughter raises chickens at her school and Carl had wanted to do that, too.

 

I guess it isn't going to happen. But we can live with that.

Richard, I have a hard time believing that with all your charm you are dateless! 

But I have to agree with Sugar, You should not be calling lovely ladies birds! 

Aleta

[okarol]

I am rethinking a transplant. We live in an OLD house and at the moment, are over run with mice. I've been away almost 9 weeks and the little mice have been everywhere. Hubby has done his best to stem the tide but as we are having a bumper season, the mouse population has exploded. This will not be good to return to after a transplant. I will be hoping my call comes in a drought, when the mice are better behaved!

Transplant or not, rodent droppings are risky.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1445-5994.2005.00954.x/abstract

[-Lady Noir-]

Getting rid of all the diayslsis stuff!! That was definitly the highlight!! 

[Cordelia]

I'd like to know about cats specifically (well, pets in general) esp litter boxes for cats, why can you touch pets/clean out a litter pan post tranpslant? I heard somewhere from somebody that I should not have a cat/clean out its litter pan. I have researched all over as to the reason why and I can't find an answer anywhere on the net.

Thanks in advance, if anyone can shed some light on this. Pun intended

[monrein]

http://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/diseases/toxopasmosis.htm

Here you go



Toxoplasma Infection and Animals

What is toxoplasmosis ?

Toxoplasmosis (TOX-so-plaz-MO-sis) is a disease caused by a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii. Most people who get toxoplasmosis do not get sick, but some people will get swollen glands, muscle aches and feel as though they have the "flu". Women who are thinking about becoming pregnant should be especially careful about toxoplasmosis because this disease can infect the fetus and cause a malformation or abortion.

Can cats transmit toxoplasmosis to me?

Yes, but not by direct contact with a cat. Toxoplasmosis is passed to people from contaminated cat feces (stool). People can get toxoplasmosis by cleaning kitty litter or touching dirt where cats might have been, including garden soil. Toxoplasmosis can also be passed to people when they eat meat that is not cooked completely, especially pork, lamb, or deer meat.

Some people are more likely than others to get sick with toxoplasmosis. A person's age and health status may affect his or her immune system, increasing the chances of getting sick. People who are more likely to get sick with toxoplasmosis include infants, children younger than 5 years old, organ transplant patients, people with HIV/AIDS and people getting treatment for cancer. Special advice is available for people who are at greater risk than others of getting this kind of disease from animals.
How can I reduce my risk of getting toxoplasmosis?

Wash your hands thoroughly with running water and soap after contact with cat feces (stool) and after gardening.
If you are pregnant or immunocompromised, try to have another person non-pregnant or immunocompromised clean out the litter box every day.
Clean out kitty litter boxes daily (not when pregnant).
If you are pregnant or immunocompromised, keep your cats indoors.
Avoid eating undercooked meat.
Do not feed undercooked meat to your cat.
How can I find out more about toxoplasmosis?

Learn more about toxoplasmosis at CDC's parasitic diseases information site.

[Cordelia]

Thanks so much! Monrein.  Well, I don't have any pets. Used to, but not anymore. And, I'm not a huge gardener. If I do end up doing a bit of gardening this summer, I'll just make sure I wear gloves when digging in the dirt

[RichardMEL]

Wait ... do not feed your cat undercooked meat?? Yet the vets say "give the cat RAW chicken wings for them to eat as it helps with their teeth" and of course I don't cook the tinned cat food, but I guess it's ok because it's processed mush.

Anyway Cordelia, I have a kitty (indoor) and this was a big concern to me as well prior to transplant. I constantly talked to the team about it and they all basically said that it would be fine. 1) indoor cat, so less likely to pick up anything nasty, 2) as long as I cleaned the tray with gloves, then used antibacterial on my hands after I was done I should be right, and 3) I got my sister to clean her tray during the first three months until my meds started coming down. I have done it since - with gloves etc and so far I think I am OK. As for handling my kitty and so on, I always try to use antibacterial and/or wash my hands with soap after cuddles, though she does like to come and snuggle up to me in bed when I sleep. I asked the team about that and their response was basically "hey you've had the cat for 7 years, any germs she has you've been exposed to for years. It's probably not an issue - just keep the common sense going of washing etc and you should be fine" - I think the real theme was common sense, and obviously don't pat my cat or have her lick my hand or something then go touch my eyes or face (!)

I suppose everyone's different but so far I think my cat situation has not been a real problem in relation to my transplant, and the benefits she gives me in terms of love and support are totally positive...

[Cordelia]

Hi Richard

I'm so glad! I really wondered about this. I really appreciate your input Your kitty sounds really cute! I totally understand, you've had her for 7 yrs, why would you part with her now? I'm glad the transplant team was really supportive to you also, that is awesome!!

[kellyt]

I was told no "new" pets for the first year.

[RichardMEL]

I think the no "new" pets theme jives with what my lot were saying - that if you've had pets for awhile their germs and anything they have already are in your system and your body is used to it, so probably not a big deal but introducing new ones could definitely be an issue.

It was a concern for me because at first I thought I may have to give her up for 3-6 months (or more?) while kidney settled, but all the docs laughed that idea off and said no way (and half the team know about my cat for various other reasons, mostly because she visitied dialysis a number of times to cheer everyone up ). I think they wouldn't have wanted to say no to me because they know she's all I really have.

I'm so glad to help put your mind at ease a little more about this Cordelia. i think Celeste understands that things have had to change a bit, as in I don't cuddle her quite as much as I used to, and some of the things I would allow her to do before are no no now (ie: licking my nose is sweet, but you come near it with that tongue now.. bad karma!). I think she's just happy that we're together and there's not been a massive impact on her life. It's funny how they seem to understand these things and take it in their stride and modify their own behaviour appropriately. As it gets colder though she's way more snuggly and makes it known that she doesn't like it when I get out of her bed in the morning (truth be told - neither do I!!). It's so cute though. I wouldn't have it any other way.

[Cordelia]

I really appreciate the help You all are so helpful and understanding here

[bleija]

Wait ... do not feed your cat undercooked meat?? Yet the vets say "give the cat RAW chicken wings for them to eat as it helps with their teeth" and of course I don't cook the tinned cat food, but I guess it's ok because it's processed mush.

Anyway Cordelia, I have a kitty (indoor) and this was a big concern to me as well prior to transplant. I constantly talked to the team about it and they all basically said that it would be fine. 1) indoor cat, so less likely to pick up anything nasty, 2) as long as I cleaned the tray with gloves, then used antibacterial on my hands after I was done I should be right, and 3) I got my sister to clean her tray during the first three months until my meds started coming down. I have done it since - with gloves etc and so far I think I am OK. As for handling my kitty and so on, I always try to use antibacterial and/or wash my hands with soap after cuddles, though she does like to come and snuggle up to me in bed when I sleep. I asked the team about that and their response was basically "hey you've had the cat for 7 years, any germs she has you've been exposed to for years. It's probably not an issue - just keep the common sense going of washing etc and you should be fine" - I think the real theme was common sense, and obviously don't pat my cat or have her lick my hand or something then go touch my eyes or face (!)

I suppose everyone's different but so far I think my cat situation has not been a real problem in relation to my transplant, and the benefits she gives me in terms of love and support are totally positive...

i have figured it out
i have 2 theories on why ur dateless
1) ur the crazy cat lady, just not a lady

2) u already have a loving female in ur bed... shes a cat but she gives u all the love and affection u could want...lol

im just kidding

[ImaginaryPixel]

Well, in my experience, my mom cleaned the whole room (my room), bought a new bed, new curtains, new bedspread... then she painted with an anti-bacterial paint. no plants, no animals inside, even sprayed Lysol all over the place.
The house... well, clean, but not sterile, we had plants, even a little canary, but I didn't spend much time on the living room or the dining room, 3 months almost isolated in my room, and if I had to leave for some reason, I wore a surgical mask.
I guess we need to be exposed a little bit to the environment outside, you know... baby steps...

[natnnnat]

We just got the house cleaned, and the showers, but I must go home and look for the filters in the taps now, thanks for that reminder Monrein (even if you made it a long time ago now)(the joys of an old archived thread).

To add to the list of things to do before a transplant (if you have time).  MomoMcSleepy just described how she made loads of food and froze meals before she went in.  Now they don't need to cook at her house, which is a wonderful thing, even when its not you with the transplant, transplant time is so mad that there's no time for cooking.

My father in law lives with us.  Yesterday, he got up early and made shepherds pie.  We took it out of the oven, wrapped it in towels and took it to hospital.  Stuck it in the fridge down the hall.  At teatime, instead of hospital food, I stuck the pie in the microwave and Gregory, Don and I enjoyed a home cooked meal.  G ate more than he had for days, he didn't have much appetite till then. 

[chook]

I think I have already said this on this thread but am repeating it anyway.
I live in a rural area, lots of dust and an old house. Post tx, 10 weeks out, I went home to a house infested with mice. I cleaned and sprayed etc, always taking hygeine into account but it was all good. We have seven working dogs plus a yard dog but no cats.
Touch wood, I've been lucky not to have caught anything.
I still boil our rain water before drinking, just to be safe.

[okarol]

Getting rid of all the diayslsis stuff!! That was definitly the highlight!! 

 

[Amiel]

Not for the house but, I was wondering about other animals? We went to Sea World in San Diego and my son swam with dolphins. I wanted to try that out, but remembered what my doctor said about animals. Could dolphins be on the list of no no's?

[MommyChick]

Not for the house but, I was wondering about other animals? We went to Sea World in San Diego and my son swam with dolphins. I wanted to try that out, but remembered what my doctor said about animals. Could dolphins be on the list of no no's?

I was told NO birds or reptiles, But salt water is ok to swim in. So I would have gone for it, but that's my opinion  If you really want to be sure you could always call your doctors office to see what they say.
Good Luck!

[tigtink]

I wanted to add my 2 cents to this thread since these things have been forefront in my mind lately since I got on the list in Wisconsin.

Thinks I have already done or are working on currently:

1. Cleaning out old paperwork, destroying old hard drives and floppy disks with sensitive data on them, and organizing both my personal and business files.  In case something does go wrong after the transplant or I am incapacitated for a long time, I don't want the people I care about to find boxes of paperwork they do not know how to dispose of properly.  Also, scanning most of my client files and business data to reduce future paperwork (I already have multiple hard drive and online continuous backups for these).

2.  Storing important papers in a readily accessible fireproof box, things such as medical power of attorney, insurance papers, car title, and financial information.  I want my loved ones to be able to find theses in a hurry and I want them protected.

3. Throwing away junk I do not need so in case I need to move or my relatives need to clean out my house, there isn't so much stuff to handle.

4. Disposing of at least some or most of my many many books--the ones that don't have much personal significance or ones I'm not likely to read again.

5. Thinking about things I want the people I love and care about to know in case something happens to either them or me.  I have been doing this verbally, in writing, and hopefully by changing my behavior in ways that make up for some of the mistakes I've made over the past few years while lost in my own emotional stuff.  This includes talking to them about some (but not all) of my feelings and fears about the process so they can better support me before and after the transplant.  The scariest thing for me is being bipolar and knowing I will probably need at least some steroids.  I am working on strengthening my support system so it is there when I need it most.

6. Buying a laptop and arranging to have remote access to my home computer and email while I am recovering from the transplant.  If it happens during tax season, I will make arrangements to have a backup person my clients can contact for help.

7. Learning how to forward calls from by home number to my cell for times when I leave the house for anything but a short outing.  Also programming doctor and transplant center numbers into my cell phone.

8.  Figuring out how to pay most of my bills, including rent, online so I have a way of paying these remotely.  I want to leave instructions for someone to handle these matters if I am unable to do so.

9. Giving extra love to all my cats daily so they will forgive me for being gone for a while.

Things I still need to do:

1.  Find a secure place to save all my online passwords so my loved ones can get into my accounts if need to be.

2.  Writing up instructions on what to do with my online backup files, Facebook account, hard drive files, and physical personal and client files if something happens to me.

3.  Making up some kind of will that leaves instructions on what do with my personal belongs and car.  I don't have much in the way of assets to deal with, but I need to be clear on that process, and also my wishes about what to do with my remains.  I've been on the receiving end of those kinds of end-of-life matters that come after a loved one has died, and I want my wishes to be clear.

4. Having my friend come and do a thorough cleaning so that I can try to keep up with things and be able to come home to a clean house after the transplant.

5.  Making clear plans on how to get to the transplant center in a hurry, contact people who will be helping me, and have someone update family and friends about my condition.  I believe Univ. of WI has a web page I can set up for updates.

6.  Stocking up on cat food and litter, and writing out instructions for the people have promised to care for my cats when I am gone.

That's all I have thought about so far.  I guess that's more than 2 cents worth!!  I certainly am not planning on leaving this life anytime soon, and I still have LOTS of fight left in me, but I want to be responsible about things and well-prepared.  Right now I have the time and energy to deal with these things, and doing so is my way of showing my loved ones that I don't want to make their lives any harder than need be in supporting me in this journey.

[SooMK]

What an amazing amount of work. You've tackled most of the things that we should all get done. Moving helped me do most of this stuff and it does feel good to have it nice and tidy. No one plans on a speedy exit but I think it's up to each of us to be ready. The greatest gift you can give to those left behind is to have everything clear. Good work!