muppy Posted March 16 Posted March 16 @Wacka I think this news merits a thread title revision! what do you think? 1 Quote
Wacka Posted March 16 Author Posted March 16 All vitals in normal range. Creatinine level (kidney health) headed down (right direction). Had a week of PT. Staples (35) should come out Monday. Incision was 10 inches measured on my skin surface. 1 6 Quote
Wacka Posted March 22 Author Posted March 22 Got home Tuesday afternoon. 5 weeks. A week in ICU, two week on the renal floor at ECMC (Erie County Medical Center) whee the transplant center is. 10 days at the rehab center/ nursing home attached to ECMC. Did 6 days of PT there to start building up my stamina and strength. Staples (35) and central line came out Tuesday. Have to record my BP, fluid input and output, O2 level , weight and pulse rate myself. Have ton go to renal floor weekly for a while so they can monitor my med levels. To answer some questions, they keep the original kidneys as long as they are not cancerous or actually deteriorating. The dialysis doesn't hurt at all. If you are active it is a BIG inconvenience. You have to remain in one place for 3 hours, but can eat or take a nap or watch TV for 3 hours. After the transplant, I had to ave dialysis 6 times, 3 in the ICU and 3 times on the renal floor. The "new "kidney has to "wake up" and it did after 2 weeks. Started peeing like recehorse after that. I'm 67 Monday and the kidney was from a 40 year old from out of town. The age of the donor is all I know. It was from out of town because I was supposed to have the transplant at 8 PM but when that rolled around, they told me it would be the next morning. It happened at 7:30 AM. 5 1 Quote
muppy Posted March 22 Posted March 22 46 minutes ago, Wacka said: Got home Tuesday afternoon. 5 weeks. A week in ICU, two week on the renal floor at ECMC (Erie County Medical Center) whee the transplant center is. 10 days at the rehab center/ nursing home attached to ECMC. Did 6 days of PT there to start building up my stamina and strength. Staples (35) and central line came out Tuesday. Have to record my BP, fluid input and output, O2 level , weight and pulse rate myself. Have ton go to renal floor weekly for a while so they can monitor my med levels. To answer some questions, they keep the original kidneys as long as they are not cancerous or actually deteriorating. The dialysis doesn't hurt at all. If you are active it is a BIG inconvenience. You have to remain in one place for 3 hours, but can eat or take a nap or watch TV for 3 hours. After the transplant, I had to ave dialysis 6 times, 3 in the ICU and 3 times on the renal floor. The "new "kidney has to "wake up" and it did after 2 weeks. Started peeing like recehorse after that. I'm 67 Monday and the kidney was from a 40 year old from out of town. The age of the donor is all I know. It was from out of town because I was supposed to have the transplant at 8 PM but when that rolled around, they told me it would be the next morning. It happened at 7:30 AM. the technology to do transplants at all is amazing to me. I know a guy who had a heart transplant. His name is Brad Ellis a well respected musician who was the accompanist for the TV show Glee. He is doing great now. It sounds as if you are well on your way to recovery too. Keep it going! It's a great message . Be a organ donor it saves lives in the unfortunate circumstances you are in that position. Quote Ellis has also waged a very personal crusade to raise awareness for organ donation. Fourteen years ago, he received a heart transplant after going into congestive heart failure due to a childhood virus. He uses his Hollywood clout to get the message out. Quote
CowgirlsFan Posted March 22 Posted March 22 3 hours ago, Wacka said: Got home Tuesday afternoon. 5 weeks. A week in ICU, two week on the renal floor at ECMC (Erie County Medical Center) whee the transplant center is. 10 days at the rehab center/ nursing home attached to ECMC. Did 6 days of PT there to start building up my stamina and strength. Staples (35) and central line came out Tuesday. Have to record my BP, fluid input and output, O2 level , weight and pulse rate myself. Have ton go to renal floor weekly for a while so they can monitor my med levels. To answer some questions, they keep the original kidneys as long as they are not cancerous or actually deteriorating. The dialysis doesn't hurt at all. If you are active it is a BIG inconvenience. You have to remain in one place for 3 hours, but can eat or take a nap or watch TV for 3 hours. After the transplant, I had to ave dialysis 6 times, 3 in the ICU and 3 times on the renal floor. The "new "kidney has to "wake up" and it did after 2 weeks. Started peeing like recehorse after that. I'm 67 Monday and the kidney was from a 40 year old from out of town. The age of the donor is all I know. It was from out of town because I was supposed to have the transplant at 8 PM but when that rolled around, they told me it would be the next morning. It happened at 7:30 AM. Best wishes for continued progress 🎉🎈🎊🏈 Quote
Wacka Posted March 22 Author Posted March 22 9 hours ago, muppy said: the technology to do transplants at all is amazing to me. I know a guy who had a heart transplant. His name is Brad Ellis a well respected musician who was the accompanist for the TV show Glee. He is doing great now. It sounds as if you are well on your way to recovery too. Keep it going! It's a great message . Be a organ donor it saves lives in the unfortunate circumstances you are in that position. He might have met someone I met through my hobby. But maybe not the way they record nowadays. Her name is Elin Carleson. She sang some of the scat that led in and out of the commercials on Glee. She is a professional opera singer and was in a Malcom in the Middle episode where Dewey wrote an opera. She did the opera part in Mr. Blue Sky for a BMW commercial and most famously is the ah aaaaaa on the remastered ST:TOS DVDs. Quote
Doc Posted March 22 Posted March 22 Great news. And just yesterday surgeons in Boston transplanted a gene-edited pig kidney into a living human (they did one last year in a brain dead person). 1 Quote
muppy Posted March 22 Posted March 22 3 hours ago, Wacka said: He might have met someone I met through my hobby. But maybe not the way they record nowadays. Her name is Elin Carleson. She sang some of the scat that led in and out of the commercials on Glee. She is a professional opera singer and was in a Malcom in the Middle episode where Dewey wrote an opera. She did the opera part in Mr. Blue Sky for a BMW commercial and most famously is the ah aaaaaa on the remastered ST:TOS DVDs. Brad Ellis was the musical director as well as the pianist accompanist on the show Glee so he definitely knew your acquaintance. He is an interesting guy to hear speak in person. He was my daughters accompanist for a show in Hollywood and she has worked with him 3 times. My daughter is a classically trained vocalist who went to school at Boston Conservatory. He went to Berklee also in Boston. Those 2 schools are now under one musical umbrella . anyway they are both Professionals and worked together as such. 1 Quote
Wacka Posted April 18 Author Posted April 18 (edited) Went to ECMC for blood/urine lab tests today. Been home a month as of Friday. Driving again and drove myself there today. No call from the transplant center so it looks like tests are all good. Want up to the center as I was there to get my med prescriptions transferred to my pharmacy. Having experienced the joy of getting a transplant two months ago, I got to see the despair of not getting one first hand. While I was waiting, the nurse came out to tell the other person in the waiting area that the kidney they had for her was not suitable for transplant when they saw it in person. The nurse had tried to call her but they were already on their way. They do warn you that that could happen, but seeing it happen in front of you affects you. Edited April 18 by Wacka 1 4 1 Quote
Wacka Posted May 2 Author Posted May 2 (edited) More good news. 10 weeks post transplant. Went Monday for a biopsy on new kidney. Went today for labs and to see the doc. No signs of rejection. Physician's assistant said they rate the biopsy results from 0-15 with 0 being a newborn and 15 being almost dead. Mine was a 4. She said the best she has ever seen was a 2. May be able to be out in public without a mask by month's end. Edited May 2 by Wacka 8 11 Quote
\GoBillsInDallas/ Posted May 2 Posted May 2 19 hours ago, Wacka said: May be able to be out in public without a mask by month's end. Quote
NoHuddleKelly12 Posted May 2 Posted May 2 So thankful for continued good news on your odyssey OP! Quote
ExiledInIllinois Posted May 2 Posted May 2 19 hours ago, Wacka said: More good news. 10 weeks post transplant. Went Monday for a biopsy on new kidney. Went today for labs and to see the doc. No signs of rejection. Physician's assistant said they rate the biopsy results from 0-15 with 0 being a newborn and 15 being almost dead. Mine was a 4. She said the best she has ever seen was a 2. May be able to be out in public without a mask by month's end. Awesome! But... Has a "4" ever pissed in the sink @ Rich! 😉 😊 1 Quote
Orlando Buffalo Posted May 2 Posted May 2 22 hours ago, Wacka said: More good news. 10 weeks post transplant. Went Monday for a biopsy on new kidney. Went today for labs and to see the doc. No signs of rejection. Physician's assistant said they rate the biopsy results from 0-15 with 0 being a newborn and 15 being almost dead. Mine was a 4. She said the best she has ever seen was a 2. May be able to be out in public without a mask by month's end. I missed all this previously, I am glad you are doing well and hope back to new normal soon. Quote
Wacka Posted May 25 Author Posted May 25 (edited) Update on 5-25: All tests are fine. Docs keep tweaking my main anti-rejection med. No signs of rejection but my blood level of it keeps being slightly higher or lower than ideal, so they said it is best to be sightly higher. Took me off of a med to treat heartburn. Some of the other meds can have that as a side effect but have had none. Another one I was scheduled to come off of anway. I got the OK to go out in public without an mask. They also said it was OK to go to smaller events but to carry a mask if I notice a sick person. I went to a get together for my hobby last Monday with about 15 people. Last week Wednesday, I went in for a checkup and they told me I could graduate to monthly visits. Just before leaving, the director comes i ad asks yo see how my incision healed. She inspects it and that I have fluid under it. She says it needs to be drained.She does it refers me to visiting nurses for would care. Last Friday they came with a wound vac ad that I have to wear it for several weeks until the incision fully heals. They pack it with a sponge and put a waterproof membrane over it with a hose. It's hooked up to a pump that draws a slight stuction to draw the fluid out. Doesn't hurt a bit and I just have to unhook the pump to take a shower.So now I have to go every week again for them to see how it is healing. Edited May 25 by Wacka 1 Quote
Wacka Posted July 4 Author Posted July 4 (edited) 7/4 update. ~15 week post transplant. Kidney heath is still fine. All vitals are in normal range, better than before the transplant. Weight steady. Back in May, director drained fluid at incision site (not by new kidney). Been having to wear a wound vac. One side wasn't draining as well so surgeon extended incision. Well, yesterday he said vac was comming off 7/11. Have been having a barking cough and nasal congestion so they did a nasal swab for infection. No covid, but I have parainfluenza. Lowered one anti-rejection med and upped my steroid for now to help my immune system. Have to wear a mask for 2 weeks so others don't get infected. The infection is not severe. Had covid a lot worse back at Thanksgiving before the transpant. Good to keep a close eye on it. Edited July 4 by Wacka 2 1 1 Quote
muppy Posted July 4 Posted July 4 you are WINNING this battle Wacka. You've got this. The story of your healing has been very informative and interesting. Thank you for sharing More so being a Bills homey we all wish you the Very Best 1 Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.