Got the first call!!

[smcd23]

We were out at 830 this morning to do some labs to check Tony's calcium because he had his parathyroid out Monday. As we were getting out of the car and the phone rings - it's the coordinator. She asks "Where is your pager? I just paged you!" and of course we had left it at home because we thought he was on hold because he had the parathyroid out on Monday.

They asked him a bunch of questions about how he was doing after that surgery, if everything was good etc and said they'd call us back after she checked with the surgeon to make sure he'd do the transplant because THEY HAVE A KIDNEY OFFER FOR HIM!!!

So she called back about 10 minutes later, surgeon said it was a go! No eating past noon, pack the bag, got the updated med list and go home and relax.

So we went down to town hall and got married, I added him to my insurance (we had put that off because right now it would be more expensive monthly on my insurance with the copays, when with the medicare Part A B and D he gets extra help and stuff paid for by the AKF) and now we're sitting here (impatiently) waiting for the call. EEEEEK!

They couldn't tell us anything about the donor, but the surgeon said it was "an excellent offer" for Tony. So I assume that means a younger person who was healthy who had some sort of accident.

So keep your fingers crossed, everyone!

[jeannea]

Good luck! I hope this works out!

[lainiepop]

oh wow he got a Call So quick. Tons of Luck hope it all Works out! x

[WishIKnew]

 

Praying all goes well!

Diane

[boswife]

oh my goodness!!!!!!!!!!  and!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! congratulations on your Marriage    wow, what a day to remember  what ever else goes good today will be topping on the cake 
Prayers that this is IT for you>>  what a blessing, hope to hear soon       

[okarol]

  I hope all goes well.
Congrats on your wedding! 

[smcd23]

The donor was in their early 40s. He's 27 so I guess that's not so bad. The surgeon feels its an excellent organ. He should be going down any minute now as the kidney was supposed to arrive around 5.

We spent 3 years on the list at Mass General. We switched to Dartmouth not even a month ago and we got a kidney. Amazing....

[lainiepop]

  Great news ! Good Luck! xx

[smcd23]

He's out of surgery. He needed one unit of blood in surgery. The kidney is already making urine. He's on blood thinners so this one won't clot off like mine did. So far, so good! So happy right now. Haven't seen him yet but I can't wait!

[boswife]

this is so unbleaveabley wonderful.. Im so happy for you both in every way.  God bless this kidney and your lives together    

[Chris]

Congrats on getting the call and the transplant 

[Sue]

Oh my goodness .. Congratulations !!!! Best wishes for a long and happy future together 

[smcd23]

Alright so I just got home - it was a 2 hour drive from our house to the hospital. I am a little tired but still so jazzed about todays events!!

When I went in to see him he was in a lot of pain. He said not as bad as when they had to flush the anesthesia like they did the last time, but he ached. They had him on dilaudid which he doesn't love, gives him a headache. I asked if they could switch him to morphine and they said no because it can damage the new kidney. So I told him to suck it up and ask for tylenol etc if he starts feeling the headache come on.

All his labs looked really good. In the time I was standing there with him, the kidney was making urine. Beautiful, rich YELLOW urine!! His urine (when he pees) has been nearly clear and foamy. This was smooth, rich yellow. Never ever did I imagine that I would be so happy to see pee, and study it so closely LOL! In the time I was there he put out over 600ml of the stuff. The nurse said that was a really good sign that things would go well from here on out. He actually kept telling me he had to pee, and kept telling him he was haha.

They did blood thinners in surgery, and they were going to continue them in post-op but have to dose/check every 4 hours. The surgeon reassured me that would be okay, his levels were good.

He had an arterial line in his arm, which was new. They didn't do this the last time, but they must have learned from the other hospitals "mistakes". His veins sort of stink and the last time his arms were so swollen and puffy from infiltrations and needle sticks that they had to actually draw labs from his leg. So I guess this is the better way to go. And thankfully even with the clotted fistulas they were able to get it in his arm and not his neck like they thought they were going to need to do.

He didn't tell his mom before the surgery that we got married today. I asked Tony if he wanted us to stay, and before he could even answer she piped up and said she was going to stay, all night. I got mad - he doesn't like that. He doesn't even like you waiting in the waiting room during surgery, but he knows he can't argue that one. He doesn't want people waiting around staring at him sleep. So I said "No, I am not staying and neither are you. He doesn't like that, and what is the point? You're not going to sleep good here in a recliner. You'll be here in the morning tired and groggy and unable to enjoy him being awake and more alert. We got married today, and as his WIFE I am saying no, those are not his wishes, he wants peace and quiet and the ability to recover and sleep as much as possible. Plus I am not going to be made out to be the witch because I didn't stay and you some saint because you did" She looked like she wanted to cry, but the nurse agreed with me! Hah take that! There is some history there that plays into all of this which I won't bore you with, but she plays martyr way too much, and she's trying to get involved in his life way too late. But I was NICE and got her and my new sister in law a hotel room government rate in my name at the hotel across the street, and paid for it (hotels up there are darn expensive! $150+!! But with government rate it's only $103, not bad).

So I drove 2 hours home because I am not saying with her. And tomorrow she can have all morning with him, because I am going to get up in a few hours, go to work for a bit then head up. We know things went well this time, all signs showed this was going in the right direction and life still needs to go on. Hopefully now it will just be a LOT easier!!

So thankful today, and so happy. My heart aches for the donor family, and I hope I get the opportunity to express my gratitude to them somehow.

[lainiepop]

So glad it's going well how.s your little boy doing? Is Someone Looking after him? x

[WishIKnew]

 

And, having a martyr-mother who oversteps my wishes and my husband sometime to meet her own needs, I applaud you in dealing with your mother-in-law!

May only good things come your way from this day forward!

 

Diane

[amanda100wilson]

Great news and I love how you told your M in L that you were married.   

[smcd23]

My son is with my parents - they came and picked him up from daycare yesterday (they live about 2.5 hours from us) and they took him home. Took them forever because they got stuck in traffic both ways. I spoke to him this morning and he is having a great time with them. He helped poppy go to the dump and he got a chocolate frosted donut and chocolate milk and his life seems pretty awesome.  When I go up to the hospital in a bit, I am going to ask if he can come visit, and if he can, I am going to have my parents bring him up to the hospital (it's about 2 hours North of them also) so he can see Daddy on Father's Day and then I will bring him home. It would be awesome though if they could keep him until Monday or Tuesday, but my mom works full time and I know my dad works part time only, and I am almost positive he works Mondays. So unless they made arrangements, I am pretty sure I will be getting him at some point tomorrow. Which is fine, I love him to pieces and miss him terribly, but it just makes things so much easier when I don't have to worry about where he is, if he needs to be places etc while I am dealing with getting Tony adjusted.

When I talked to Tony this morning, his creatnine was coming down, his labs all look fantastic and everything seems to be going along just fine. He was very awake and alert and asking for all sorts of food. Guess he was starving, which is awesome because he's had no appetite for SO long.

So all good news so far... Yay!!!

[Poppylicious]

Oh wow, how fabulous! 

 

And Yay! for getting married too!  It amazes me that it's so easy to just go and get married in your part of the world ... we can't do that over here (we have a minimum fifteen day notice period in England, I think!)

[smcd23]

Poppy in some states you do have to give notice and in some you have to do a blood test for HIV and syphullus. In my state you need a birth certificate if you're under 25 which I can't understand but whatever. I was just happy we were able to get it done.

[willowtreewren]

Sooooooooo wonderful!!!!!

 

Aleta

[okarol]

 
Congrats on the transplant!!

[KarenInWA]

So glad to hear Tony got the call and he has his appetite back! Here's hoping he's in one of those hospitals that has decent hospital food. Mine does, and I was thankful for that!

KarenInWA

[jbeany]

   Congrats on the wedding and the kidney!  Fabulous news!   

[smcd23]

Oh yes, he said breakfast was good (forget what he said he ordered) and he had macaroni and cheese for lunch (something he's not had in a very long time) and for dinner he ordered the chicken pot pie and said it was good. I saw the pie and thought it looked decent too. And he devoured it. After dinner I got him to get up and take a walk around the hall with me. He's sore and slow but getting up and moving they said is very good for him, but I don't think it's the incision that is sore as much as it is his bones/joints from all the calcium leaving the soft tissue from the parathyroidectomy he had on Monday.

When I left tonight they said they were impressed - they didn't expect him to make this much urine, especially not in the first 24 hours. I guess cadaver kidneys are generally "sleepy" for the first 24 hours or so. And then they only anticipate and look for 300ml of urine per hour during the first day, and he had been making double to triple that amount when I was there. And it's a great color!! Haha.

They also now have his clotting factor on the heprin where they wanted it to be before they start the switch over to coumadin. He clotted off my kidney within hours, so the blood thinners are necessary and they have a plan, and he was sort of behind on their plan, but now he's where they wanted him, and it appears there has been no damage to the blood flow to the kidney because it's been producing urine all along with no changes. Yay! And his creatnine as of the last check which was at 5pm was lower than the morning, so it's still declining as it should. The rest of his labs, except the calcium which is unrelated look good, too. 

I am staying cautiously optimistic on the outside, but inside I am jumping for joy because things are going so well. It seems so surreal. Keep sending the positive vibes, thoughts and prayers because nothing with him has been simple and easy, and this is a well deserved break from the bad news and complications every other kidney related thing has brought.

Sunday is Father's Day, and I really wish he was home and spending it with our son - Thursday night we were trying to figure out our plans for Sunday (which is normally our family day anyway) and I am so glad we didn't plan anything big, but I do wish he'd get to see our son.

[okarol]

  Great update!
Just thinking about the future Father's Days that you'll be able to spend together make me smile!