#21 Fever

Mom wasn't feeling too well last night, and into this morning.  She has a temperature of 100.1 and if it reaches 100.5 she must go to the hospital right away.  To run a bit of a fever at times is normal after transplant, the body is working hard to restore itself.  But this is scary to me as the typical over-analytical Virgo I am.  It is snowing snowing snowing outside and none of us have a 4 wheel drive vehicle.  Mom and dad should be able to get there no problem, but it's me who lives on top of the big giant mountain.  I might had to slide down 2 miles on a garbage bag to the bottom of it if worse becomes worst.  Which would be really fun normally, but not under the circumstances.
I will keep you posted as I figure out whats going on.

#20 "There's no place like home"

She's home sweet home, and she couldn't be happier.  Mom was able to come home around 7pm on 1-17-11.  She was in the hospital a mere 6 days and boy does she look and sound good.  I keep having to tell her to chill out, and just relax.  The doctors told her to take it easy, and I yelled at her that she's going to make Fred (her new Kidney) fall off.  ;-)  She was able to take a shower when she got home, which made her super duper happy.  While she was upstairs I started making a spreadsheet for her medication time schedule.  Woooweeee she takes a LOT of medications.

That's 32 pills a day, for basically the next year.  She's on antibiotics, immunosuppressants, and the list goes on and on.  She's agreed to do a drug study with the drug Velcade.  So today she had to go to the hospital at 6am.  She must go to the hospital multiple times for the next couple weeks for them to monitor how the new kidney is doing.  They draw blood, take vitals, amongst other tests.  And figured if she'd be there anyway she might as well help out and try a new use for a drug that might help pave way for future successful transplants.  This drug takes about 4 hours to administer.  Somehow though she was there for over 10 hours today.  She is happy to be back home.  

   If the donor and his wife hadn't done enough already. they brought my mom some soup, fresh fruit and muffins!!!!  She's addicted to fruit right now.  There are so many foods that she hasn't been able to eat for so long she's rummaging through everything like she was on a munchie attack.  Her other craving is for beans.  

    This has been such a crazy and emotional week that has just blown me away in every aspect.  It's fascinating how mom seems to have been shocked to life.  I had read about how the recipients feel so much better almost right away, but this is absolutely a-ma-zing!!!  And the donor is also up and about almost like nothing happened.  This has been such a cool experience to be involved in.  I want to give someone my kidney (I always have through this whole thing).  Though I know there are risks with all surgeries, the success is far greater than the failure.  

   I go to school for entertainment business, and soon will be moving to Florida to finish up my school, and one of the things I want to do with that degree is fuse it with my passions, and work on a Living Donor awareness campaign.  

#19 Down the Tubes

Sitting at the hospital, did I mention they have good food here?, with mom again.  She still is looking great!!!  She's been walking at least a mile every day.  10 laps around the floor = 1 mile.  Usually she makes about 17 or 18.  Now this is not at one time, mind you.  It is more like 1 lap an hour.  She has been taken off the IVs, which is good because her pole was really really squeaky and annoying when she walked.  She still has a catheter in, but the Dr said it will probably be removed sometime today.  Mom's bladder has shrunk, since she hadn't used it in 2 years, but it should bounce back to normal pretty soon.  Until then, short distance to the bathroom is a must.  The port that is in her neck will probably be removed tomorrow right before she is released.
So, mom is doing a drug study, with Velcade and Thymogolulin.  Those are two short term immunosuppressants to give the kidney an extra boost.  Each drug is administered 3 times, on opposite days.  Then she will have to return to the hospital Tuesday, wednesday, and friday to have her blood drawn and see the doctors.  They just want to monitor everything and make sure there are no signs of rejection.
Mr R is doing great.  He and his wife came to visit mom yesterday afternoon, and he walked all the way from the parkinglot to her room.  Impressive.  They brought mom flowers, which was sweet but mom said "Wait I should be bringing you flowers, you've already done the unimaginable".
Its amazing how well mom is.  I guess I didn't realize how sick she looked before, until how GREAT she looks now.  Its like someone shocked her to life.  I had read about how the recipients will immediately feel better, but I didn't know it would be like this.  Watch out folks, she is back and soon will be the Queen of the FRONT AND BACK nine.