The date!!!

[tamara]

Starting to get better now. He's just been so sore, with all that extra handling they had to do. He was really miserable for a while. He doesn't tell me that, when I ring and ask, but I get the truth out of mum *sneaky*

But he has been doing some walking around and getting back to normal. Still has a few weeks off work (very little income, therefore, which is a bit of a worry for them). I think he'll be just fine in the long run. He comes from tough, farming stock my dad.

We make em tough out here don't we Louise.  at least you can find out about your dad the sneaky way 

Good to see your kidney is working great!

Tamara xxx ooo 

[Hawkeye]

Glad to hear that everything is going so wonderfully.

[Amanda From OZ]

Great  to hear CB that all is going so well. 

Amanda
xxoo

[Falkenbach]

Still no word on the stent removal. I'm at the 4-week mark as of yesterday. Yesterday my routine urine sample was showing white blood cells, so they sent it to pathology to ensure I didn't have a bladder infection, and I started a course of anti-biotics just in case. But no infection showed up, so the anti biotics have been stopped.

Had a little fright today, but it turned out to be nothing serious. I was, fortunately, right in the room with one of my doctors (not one of my renal appointments) and I was literally mid-sentence telling her how great I'd been since the transplant - and suddenly I got all faint, light headed, nauseous and HOT HOT HOT. Apparently though I was cold to the touch and my pulse had gone really slow, I was also shaking badly and my doctor said I had instantly gone pale too. I had to lie down, couldn't even stay sitting up. So they called an ambulance and sent me to the hospital, because obviously you don't take any chances with a new kidney.

The renal registrar who I see at clinic 3 times a week came to see me as soon as I got in, ran various tests and everything was okay. In short, I just had what was effectively a bit of a faint spell. I felt fine by this stage, and they were happy for me to go home and rest (I had been planning to head into town to join my team for our weekly trivia night, but I guess that just wasn't to be, today!).

I have clinic again first thing in the morning, so I'll get followed up then too, but obviously everything is fine. My blood pressure and pulse went back to normal pretty quickly, though the shakes took a while to settle. Renal docs think this is due to the cyclosporin, as my levels have been high. We have just reduced my dose and will be possibly looking at reducing it again tomorrow.

Phew. That was a little scary for a short amount of time, there!

[angela515]

Glad the scare is over and your doing good hun.    I'm so happy another IHD member is transplanted and on their way to having a wonderful *normal* life.. makes me smile!

 

[Falkenbach]

I'll be much happier once the stent removal is over with. I'm all nervous about that for some reason.

[Falkenbach]

Stent is being removed on Tuesday! I might just pop a little Xanax tablet before I go in, help me relax. I'm not a pill popper, don't get me wrong. But I'm just nervous about this. So silly of me, really, considering I coped so well in the lead up to the transplant, and the stent removal is such a small thing in comparison!   

[okarol]

Hope all goes well Louise. How are you feeling otherwise?
Best,
Karol

[angela515]

Good luck

[Falkenbach]

Hope all goes well Louise. How are you feeling otherwise?
Best,
Karol

Not bad, but quite sore around the scar. A bit bothered by some medication side effects, but can't really complain about much. I have much more energy than before the transplant.

[Bajanne]

Great news!  You just keep on keeping on.

[Sluff]

Glad you are doing well CB. Congratulation!

[Falkenbach]

I forgot to take my medication last night. The info I was sent home with said that if you forget for more than 6 hours, then skip that dose and take the next dose as normal. So that is what I have done, just taken this morning's dose as normal, but skipped last night's.

Having only missed that one dose, I feel absolutely terrible. My temperature has been high all morning and I feel nauseous and shaky. I am supposed to be having the stent removed today, I guess it will still go ahead.

I called the transplant nurse very early this morning, and told her what had happened, and she said that basically what I have done was all I could do (e.g. skip the dose and take this morning's). But now, a few hours later, I'm still worried because my temp hasn't come down. I've been on the phone trying to get hold of somebody at the renal unit - I did speak to another renal nurse who I don't know, and she was going to get the transplant nurse to call me back, but I haven't heard back yet.

I am due at the hospital for the stent removal in less than 2 hours anyway, perhaps I should just go in early and try to find a doctor to check me over? I could always head in to the emergency room, I guess, though they tend to keep you waiting for many hours anyway.

[okarol]

How high is your temperature? Jenna's surgeon removed her stent, and if she had felt as you do I believe they would have examined her vitals before going forward.
I hope everything works out.
 

[Falkenbach]

It was 37.9 C when I woke up. Now it's around 37.7 C - not overly high, but still too high.

Heading to the hospital now, I'll probably get there an hour or so early and that will give me time to drop in to the renal ward and find a doctor or somebody before the stent removal.

[angela515]

Hope it all worked out for you hun. 

BTW: My experience with going to the ER after a transplant is a lot less wait time when you tell the triage nurse you have had a transplant, they seem to move you along faster, at least in my own experience.

[Falkenbach]

I was held up and didn't get to the hospital early enough to visit the renal ward or ER first, so I went straight to the day surgery area for my stent removal appointment, but spoke with the nurses and doctor about this morning's situation. By then my temperature had come down, and they didn't seem concerned. The doctor was the surgeon who operated on my dad, and I have plenty of faith in him. So, since he was unconcerned, I am not going to worry. My temp has remained down (enough, anyway) this afternoon and this evening.

The stent removal went fine, though it was a pretty horrible process imo. Not necessarily overly painful (though it did hurt a little bit) but certainly extremely uncomfortable and seemed to take longer than I thought it would, and although I was trying to keep my breathing relaxed etc, I was clinging onto the edges of the stretcher, white knuckled and very unhappy! This whole process was followed by a particularly painful anti-biotic needle in my thigh. I'm usually okay with needles, but this one really hurt, and the site is still very sore now.

But at least it's over with!

[Hawkeye]

Well even though it was a bit painful I'm glad to here your fever went down and everything went well with the removal.

[Rose From OZ]

Hello Cycobully, Is the stent a new thing they use? When i had my transplant I am pretty sure they did not use it. So glad Everything is going good for you. 

[angela515]

Hello Cycobully, Is the stent a new thing they use? When i had my transplant I am pretty sure they did not use it. So glad Everything is going good for you. 

Not everyone needs a stent after transplant. I never had one either of my transplants.

[Roxy]

If I remember correctly from when my doctors explained it to me, the stent is placed to reduce urological problems that can occur after transplant.

[Falkenbach]

Hello Cycobully, Is the stent a new thing they use? 

I have no idea! I just assumed it was routine. All the patients who had a transplant around the same time as me had a stent also (the stent goes into the ureter). It stays there for 4-6 weeks before removal. That's all I know. 

[kitkatz]

Major urological complications (MUCs) after kidney transplantation contribute to patient morbidity and compromise graft function. The majority arise from the vesico-ureteric anastomosis and present early after transplantation. Ureteric stents have been successfully used to treat such complications. A number of centres have adopted a policy of universal prophylactic stenting, at the time of graft implantation, to reduce the incidence of urine leaks and ureteric stenosis. Stents are associated with specific complications and some centres advocate a policy of only stenting selected anastomoses.

http://www.cochrane.org/reviews/en/ab004925.html

Basically it is to help the connection between the bladder and the ureter from the new kidney.

[okarol]

A stent is a narrow, hollow plastic tube that runs between the kidney and bladder, inside of the ureter that normally carries urine between those organs. The stent holds the ureter open and allows drainage of urine.

Patients who have had surgery involving the ureter have a stent placed to allow the ureter to remain open while the normal postoperative swelling resolves and it can heal.

The stent is held in place by its design, which incorporates "pig tail" spiraling where it is located in the kidney and bladder.

Usually, before removal, a cystoscopy (look into the bladder) will be performed. The end of the stent will be grabbed with surgical forceps and the stent will be removed.

[Falkenbach]

Thanks for all that info, very useful! You guys are great, as always!