#23 ups and downs

I just received a call from mom, who was at the hospital getting her normal tests done.  Her creatine level is still too high right now, so they have ordered another Kidney Biopsy.  On average, biopsies are done every 3 months in a transplant patient.  This will be mom's second in a week.  She should be getting her biopsy as I type this, and then she will let me know if she is being admitted or not.  All of this could be the result of her medications that they haven't found the perfect level yet, or (knock on wood it's the first possibility) that it is a sign of rejection.  Most transplant patients have at least one bout of rejection.  However even if a kidney starts to reject, it does not mean the patient will lose the Kidney.
This back and forth thing is stressful.  Sigh.

On a lighter note, mom's donor is doing great.  He had his 2 week follow up just the other day.  The doctors say everything looks great.  He has minimal discomfort in the incision sites.  The only hinderance thus far is he doesn't have all of his stamina back yet.  He gets tired easy. Normally he works on multiple projects at once, but now he just has to nap.  This will eventually restore itself.

I talked to the transplant coordinators at the hospital and removed myself from the Paired Donation Network, and switched to being an altruistic donor.  They are currently testing my blood against everyone at the same hospital.  They did not have to draw any blood from me, as Hoxworth still had my blood at their lab from about a year ago.  I've read articles about how most hospitals get wary about altruistic donors, as they are afraid people with psychological problems are donating for the wrong reasons, or there is monetary exchange going on, which in the States is Illegal.  There are plenty of organizations that can help a donor.  Some people's jobs will still pay wages, and the National Kidney Foundation has programs for financial support for those who qualify.  I guess they are afraid someone who has low self esteem problems will think donating will cure their esteem, and often they are in the same mentality after surgery.  However, the coordinators understand why I want to donate, and have cleared me.  I should hear on Tuesday (give a few days) if my blood matches anyone at the hospital.  Fingers crossed!!!

#22 A Bit of a Scare

Deep breath and a sigh of relief.   Ok, yesterday (Saturday) mom went to the hospital for her routine blood draw and check up which is common after a transplant.  I was at Music Hall watching a kiddy concert with the little girl I watch.  I randomly run into my cousin and one of his daughters.  They ask how mom is doing and I report she is doing great, and how amazing this whole thing has been, yadda yadda yadda.  I return the little girl I watch back to her father (he plays in the orchestra and was also playing in the kiddy show).  I walk outside, and call my father while walking to the car.  He informed me that mom just called and that she was still at the hospital.  There was a problem and they have admitted her.  I could hear the tremble in dad's voice and it immediately made my heart sank and all the what ifs set in.  I knew it wasn't an emergency, like she's going to the OR or ER, or anything like that.  But it immediately made me think gasp.....rejection.  

She had a mini-unltrasound and a kidney biopsy.  They normally go thru the back, but since Fred (her kidney) is in the front, they stuck the needle thru her stomach (she didn't feel it) and grabbed a sample of the kidney.  Results........Her Creatine level was waaaayyy too high.  And that was due to the amount of Prograf she was taking.  

Ok so apparently immunosuppressant drugs are kind of like anti-depressants.  There is no way to know what and how much to give someone that will yield the best results.  Growing up, my best friend had all these problems with hyper-activity and attention problems, etc.  Turns out all the meds they gave her where what was causing her behavior because it wasn't the right stuff.  So that's what happened to mom, She started out being prescribed Prograf and was instructed to take 7 pills at 8am and 7 more at 8pm.  They then dropped it to six after her first blood draw.  Well turns out that it was still too much.  It was by no means anyones fault.  The doctors didn't do anything wrong.  She is not rejecting her kidney and everything is doing great, she's great, Fred's great.  This is why they monitor so frequently after transplant.  

I'm happy to report she is back home!!