Dazed and confused

[Michelle2016]

Right after the local anesthesis in the kidney area,  it takes about 15 to 30 min for a radiologist to do the biopsy with the help of ultrasound device.

[Simon Dog]

Right after the local anesthesis in the kidney area,  it takes about 15 to 30 min for a radiologist to do the biopsy with the help of ultrasound device.

Mine was done by the neph, not a radiologist, with cat scan.  Wish it was ultrasound (radiation)

I felt the needle when it pierced the capsule enclosing the kidney.  My neph told me this was normal since the capsule is innervated but the kidney is not.  I don't know if you still have the enclosing capsule after a transplant.   I was kept in the hospital overnight to watch for bleeding (standard procedure for this doc).  All in all not a bad experience.    Had bright red blood in the urine a couple of days later - told this was a normal side effect and not to worry.

[kickingandscreaming]

I empathize with your worry, and I hope it's a nothing burger and that you and your husband have a great trip. 

[KarenInWA]

I will be thinking of you, MooseMom. The best advice I can give is to ask your dr to walk you through what he/she is doing, and ask that they count down before the big click. You already know my story, so I won't go into the details. Just remember - my experience was rare!

KarenInWA

[cassandra]

Dear MM after I had it done on dad's kidney, it turned out to be toxicity to Tacro. So change meds. The procedure was okay, like SD and Michelle wrote.
Seriously, no joking here, concentrate on setting it out of your mind!
Go in your head, put all your worries in a small box, close it by stamping on it and throw it in a corner.
Don't waste time on worry cos it won't change nothing at all.

Really enjoy that trip to Disneyland with your husband.         


At the minute I'm in P'gal, pretending very hard that everything is fine.

My new mantra: Fake it till you make it. 

Love, luck and strength, Cas

[Charlie B53]

Anxiety, letting the little things bug us so much it becomes it's own problem.

Talk to your Dr about it.  Many people have problems with anxiety, unable to shrug off the fears.  Some turn to alcohol, or street drugs, to soften their senses. Medical Pot is the right strain can help for some.  The Dr has a whole list of anti-anxiety meds.  You may have to try and see what works best for you.

Brothers ex-Mother-in-Law has a couple of cupboard cabinets full of various 'Tea(s).  She is a true believer in the healing effect tea can have.  I suspect she is correct.

It all keeps coming back to that very old thing,  All things in moderation.

Every plant is here for a reason.  For us to use.  We have simply forgotten what each is to be used for.

[Xplantdad]

MM...worrying is not good for you 

Listen to what your body is telling you...and relax.

 Rejoice and Enjoy the gift you have been given every day. You are...doing great.

Weeeeelllllll...not so fast, there.

So, I went for my annual appointment.  And, uh, they want me to have a biopsy.


All in all, my doc is optimistic (well, she claims to be), but I'm still dazed and confused.

Holly used to have heart caths and biopsies every year. She ended up having side effects from the contrasts (dyes) that they used in the procedures. When Holly got to Mayo they said no more-unless necessary! As far as her kidney...we just had the standard protocol 4 month biopsy and everything is fine. I believe that we have another at 8 months-then one at 2/12 years. Not sure after that, but I think it may be 5 years....or if medically necessary.

I know it may be hard for you, but the worrying part is NOT good for you or your body-it will do nothing but harm-and won't change the outcome.

Celebrate your life-and have a GREAT time at the happiest place on Earth. (As a side note-as a kid I used to lay in my bed and watch the Disneyland fireworks go off ) 

[SooMK]

Most of us here are pretty experienced wait-ers but it never seems to get easier. Hopefully your trip will be a good distraction. Have a great time. I hope this all turns out to be just a small blip. I'll be thinking of you and sending you positive thoughts.

[MooseMom]

Had bright red blood in the urine a couple of days later - told this was a normal side effect and not to worry.

Gosh, really?  I was told that this would be reason to call the hospital (according to the patient instructions I was able to find on UW-Madison's website for kidney transplant patients)!  I'll ask more about this after the biopsy is done and before I leave the hospital.  Thanks for the heads up.

Anyway, thank you all for your kind comments.  I appreciate it.  No one gets through ESRD without some frightening times and long waits.  I don't really know enough about rejection in its different forms.  One thing I was told that took me aback is that if I needed high-dose steroid treatment, I'd have to sort of go back to square one and go through the usual post tx protocol like the anti-fungal mouth wash, etc.  But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Cass, I suppose it could be drug toxicity; that certainly entered my mind. 

Charlie, I do have Xanax for use "when needed", and I think that will be sufficient for now.  I think I was just in shock, and today I feel better, thanks to the wisdom of my fellow IHDers!  And I do love tea and have many varieties at hand, so I will take your advice and have a nice cuppa a bit more often.

Again, thanks to you all, and if anyone else has experience with biopsies, results and treatment you have undergone, I'd appreciate it if you could tell me more about it.

[kristina]

Hello MooseMom, just to tell you that I think of you and ... I only ever had one kidney-biopsy in 1972 which took place to confirm the diagnosis of Chronic Proliferative Glomerulonephritis. After the biopsy I had to lie still in my hospital-bed for over 24 hours, to let my body and the kidney recover from the biopsy .
I wish you the best of luck and ... I think of you and ... please take great care,
Kristina.

[tigtink]

I'm sorry you are going through this MooseMom. I'm hoping the biopsy goes well and provides the answer. You have done so well and hopefully it is only an issue with the medication that can easily be remedied. The anxiety is something we all struggle with and it never gets easy. Try and set it aside and enjoy your trip. You will be in my thoughts.

[Simon Dog]

Gosh, really?  I was told that this would be reason to call the hospital (according to the patient instructions I was able to find on UW-Madison's website for kidney transplant patients)!

My doc warned me this might happen after the biopsy (oem, not transplant).   I called him when it happened and he told me not to worry and call him if it happened again.

needed high-dose steroid treatment

It is not unheard of for xplant recipients to need hip replacements due to steroid induced avascular necrosis.  Been there, done that (prednisone was for something else, I have not had any xplants).

[lainiepop]

Well moosemom i really hope the biopsy gives u some positive answers please let us know how the procedure went and tue outcome when u have had it. I am thinking of you.

I am trying not to worry we r going away in a xouple weeks to malta for a few days with my parents. We have a 12 day trip to italy booked in the summer and are waiting to book flights for our big to to usa and west coadt vegas grand canyon tour. After last results i did have a cry and worry that this will never happen now but tbh since then been so busy with kids and life (currently wondering how to make medal test costumes for 5 yr olds dancing lol)

So please have a fab time at disney is it california? R u doing harry potter too?xxx

[MooseMom]

SimonDog, I do remember you discussing avascular necrosis, and I remember the unpleasant stories. 

lainiepop, I've not been to Malta, so when you've returned, you must tell me about your trip.  I hope you have fun.  It sounds like you have a year of fun travelling ahead of you!  And with kids and their projects to keep you busy, there's no time to worry, which is as it should be.

It will be Disneyland in CA.  I have been there only once, back when I was around 15 (only a few years ago, haha).  I've been to the one in Florida (and even the one in Paris) several times and enjoyed them, but I have relatives in San Diego that we will be visiting, so Disneyland in CA it is!

[lainiepop]

Well o just got a follow up letter from my consultant just outlining what he said that if if still creeping next time take me off tacro but there is a misprint on the letter instead of saying creatinine 97 it says 297  talk about the wrong place to misprint getting me stressed now!!

[cassandra]

.........  is a misprint on the letter instead of saying creatinine 97 it says 297  talk about the wrong place to misprint getting me stressed now!!

Seriously
 

     

[MooseMom]

Oh Cass, you must have stopped breathing when you saw that number in black and white!

[Charlie B53]

I guess I have a lot more to Google and learn as I am still so new to all this that there are a lot of Labs that I don't understand yet, much less know what range is  good, bad, or  indifferent.

I rely a lot on that third column that shows the normal accepted 'Range' of values.  As long as my numbers are well within those ranges I don't get the least excited.

So far, I've been Blessed.  Well, except for that pTh thing.  But we are working on that.  Worse case the parathyroids come out.  Oh, Well.  It won't kill me today, so nothing to worry about.

[MooseMom]

I rely a lot on that third column that shows the normal accepted 'Range' of values.  As long as my numbers are well within those ranges I don't get the least excited.

So far, I've been Blessed.  Well, except for that pTh thing.  But we are working on that.  Worse case the parathyroids come out.  Oh, Well.  It won't kill me today, so nothing to worry about.

 

[lainiepop]

How are u doing moosemom? Anytging to report? Well i am feel nervous and stressed as the time has come i had bloods drawn last week and see consultant tomorrow morning for results. Am more apprehensive than i ever was when i knew things were awful! Xxx

[kristina]

Hello MooseMom, just a quick note to tell you that I think of you and hope you are doing well?
Best wishes from Kristina.

[KarenInWA]

I have a weird one. I am 5.5 years post-tx. Earlier this year I had pneumonia - thankfully not bad enough to require hospitalization. Now first of all I should note that my creatinine is quite high due to a biopsy injury I suffered over 5 years ago. It settled in the low 3's, w/a GFR of 15-19. The 19 happened while I had pneumonia - a low of 2.4! It was then 2.7 for a while, and has now settled back around 3.2. I saw my tx dr earlier this month, and we repeated labs last Thursday, and will again in another 2 weeks. I feel fine, in fact, I feel better than I have in a while. I do appreciate that my tx dr is on the ball with watching everything, but both he and I are stumped that my kidney apparently likes it when I have pneumonia. Go figure! Maybe it's due to my not eating much when I was sick?

KarenInWA

[PrimeTimer]

Moosemom, Hope your vacay went well and afforded you some peace and a little fun outside the world of worrying. Surely it will all turn out alright and you'll get to enjoy the rest of summer!   

[kristina]

Dear Moosemom,
I wish you a great holiday and send you my best wishes and hope to "see you" soon again here.
Kind regards from Kristina.

[SooMK]

Hey Moosemom, Hope you are ok and hoping to hear an update from you soon.