Neat little stocking stuffer Amy found.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Get yer Transplant On
OK one more try at this, seems I found a way to delete entire blog posts with out even trying.
So back to the transplant story. On Nov 8th - yes the very next day - the phone rang again. At 0500 UW Madison caled again. They had anohter set of organs. Now keep in mnd that I got the fist call 15 days after getting on the transplant list. Thats pretty quick. I knew that I wasthe number one candidate in the Ablood group. So when I got sent home I was not too disapointed because I had not been waiting al that long. I figure another couple of weeks I might get caled again. I never expected les than 24 hours.
We repeated the fire drill we learned on Saturday morning - finding someone to watch Will - we never unpacked so we were ready to go - we called the gang of friends and family again - we drop at top leagl speed+ to Madison.
Once we got there we started thepre op prcedures again. I felt a differance right away, everything seemed to be hapening with a greater sense of urgency. They insert 2 IV lines, drew yet more blood, made certain I was "empty", had me shower with special soap to wash my belly,and met with a parade of Doctors and Nurses. I actualy had the same Nurse assigned as the day before.
We arrived at UW Hostipal around 8am and around 1230 I was wheeled down to the Pre Op room as opposed to being in my assigned room. Last I remeber here is that they were going to give me something for the anxiety - Well it knocked me out. Amy was not ready for this. Like me she thought that it would just take the edge off. Shortly after that I was wheeled into to surgery. Game On!!
The surgery took just over 5 hours. The team called Amy with regular updates. They installed the kidney first. They calad Amy and let her know that as soon as it was hooked up it started producing pee. No Lazy kidney here! Next was the pancreas. Again as soon as it was hooked up it started working.
So back to the transplant story. On Nov 8th - yes the very next day - the phone rang again. At 0500 UW Madison caled again. They had anohter set of organs. Now keep in mnd that I got the fist call 15 days after getting on the transplant list. Thats pretty quick. I knew that I wasthe number one candidate in the Ablood group. So when I got sent home I was not too disapointed because I had not been waiting al that long. I figure another couple of weeks I might get caled again. I never expected les than 24 hours.
We repeated the fire drill we learned on Saturday morning - finding someone to watch Will - we never unpacked so we were ready to go - we called the gang of friends and family again - we drop at top leagl speed+ to Madison.
Once we got there we started thepre op prcedures again. I felt a differance right away, everything seemed to be hapening with a greater sense of urgency. They insert 2 IV lines, drew yet more blood, made certain I was "empty", had me shower with special soap to wash my belly,and met with a parade of Doctors and Nurses. I actualy had the same Nurse assigned as the day before.
We arrived at UW Hostipal around 8am and around 1230 I was wheeled down to the Pre Op room as opposed to being in my assigned room. Last I remeber here is that they were going to give me something for the anxiety - Well it knocked me out. Amy was not ready for this. Like me she thought that it would just take the edge off. Shortly after that I was wheeled into to surgery. Game On!!
The surgery took just over 5 hours. The team called Amy with regular updates. They installed the kidney first. They calad Amy and let her know that as soon as it was hooked up it started producing pee. No Lazy kidney here! Next was the pancreas. Again as soon as it was hooked up it started working.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
A whole lot has happened
So as you all already know I am not the most prolific blogger. A lot has happened since my last update. Namely I got my transplant!! I'll step you through it. The whole experience has been pretty amazing.
The process started Saturday Morning November 7th. The phone rang at 530am. It was the on call transplant nurse at UW Madison Health services. She said that they had some organs and that my name came up on the top of the list. Was I interested? Well duh...She explained that I needed to find my way there ASAP to get ready. SO having nothing packed Amy and I started making calls to get Will taken care of. Amy's brother Dan came over right away for the first shift of Will watching. Her folks were to arrive a little later and take him for a day or two after that. SO we pack and off to Madison we go. Along the way we are busy call friends and family with the news.
Once at the hospital we get checked in and shown to my room. The room is pretty tiny but it will have to do. The team starts getting me prepped. blood work, BP, IVs, gowns etc... The explain the events that will lead up to the actual surgery. Somewhere in the middle of this Amy who has not yet had breakfast or lunch ducks out to find the cafeteria and grab a bite. It is at this moment one of the doc pops in and tells me that itm is Game Off. Seems the donor pancreas is not viable.
The donor had suffered massive head trauma and was determined to be brain dead. After the family says their goodbyes the donor is taken off life support. The expectation is that life ceases and the procurement process begins. This did not happen in a timely fashion. After 30 minutes off life support the pancreas is no longer viable. This is what happened. This donors kidneys however were still used so there were still 2 kidney transplants that day. For me it was a false alarm.
So they sent us home. On the way home we re-call everyone we called on the way to pass on the update. We were disappointed but since I had only been on the list for 2 weeks we were pretty certain that the next wait would not be too long.
The process started Saturday Morning November 7th. The phone rang at 530am. It was the on call transplant nurse at UW Madison Health services. She said that they had some organs and that my name came up on the top of the list. Was I interested? Well duh...She explained that I needed to find my way there ASAP to get ready. SO having nothing packed Amy and I started making calls to get Will taken care of. Amy's brother Dan came over right away for the first shift of Will watching. Her folks were to arrive a little later and take him for a day or two after that. SO we pack and off to Madison we go. Along the way we are busy call friends and family with the news.
Once at the hospital we get checked in and shown to my room. The room is pretty tiny but it will have to do. The team starts getting me prepped. blood work, BP, IVs, gowns etc... The explain the events that will lead up to the actual surgery. Somewhere in the middle of this Amy who has not yet had breakfast or lunch ducks out to find the cafeteria and grab a bite. It is at this moment one of the doc pops in and tells me that itm is Game Off. Seems the donor pancreas is not viable.
The donor had suffered massive head trauma and was determined to be brain dead. After the family says their goodbyes the donor is taken off life support. The expectation is that life ceases and the procurement process begins. This did not happen in a timely fashion. After 30 minutes off life support the pancreas is no longer viable. This is what happened. This donors kidneys however were still used so there were still 2 kidney transplants that day. For me it was a false alarm.
So they sent us home. On the way home we re-call everyone we called on the way to pass on the update. We were disappointed but since I had only been on the list for 2 weeks we were pretty certain that the next wait would not be too long.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Playin' Bikes in Blue
I journeyed up to good old West Bend to Ride bikes with my ol' biking buddy Steve. We hit Glacial Blue Hills and rode some laps. Since I've moved to 'Tosa I haven't taken the opportunity to ride the WB trails. I nearly forgot how nice they are.
Cool Pic Taken out on the trail
Old Biking Buddy Steve
Me
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Yet More Dialysis
So that catheter is giving us grief again today. The tech was here constantly for the for 45 minutes or so. I am finally running at a 250 blood pump speed and am running with fewer alarms. However with a speed that low I am not getting good dialysis. With my old catheter I was in the 500 range.
We just had to turn the fluid extraction off, my calves are starting to cramp. Part of dialysis is excess fluid removal. Since my kidneys are at pretty low function I tend to turn much of what I drink into excess weight (retained fluid) the machine extracts it during the the dialysis process and it seems I have reached my limit. We did take of 2.5 liters of the planned 2.9 so I will not drown from he inside.
We just had to turn the fluid extraction off, my calves are starting to cramp. Part of dialysis is excess fluid removal. Since my kidneys are at pretty low function I tend to turn much of what I drink into excess weight (retained fluid) the machine extracts it during the the dialysis process and it seems I have reached my limit. We did take of 2.5 liters of the planned 2.9 so I will not drown from he inside.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Updates
Transplant
I sent in all my paperwork to UW Madison Health system. It was reviewed quickly and Marlyn (the KP transplant coordinator) we going to get me listed ASAP. I have not received a conformation yet but expect it any day. She told me that they have done 6 KP transplants since the end of August. I am the top of the list for the A blood group. I am hopeful that I will get the call soon.
More details as I know them.
Dialysis
My catheter is not working all that well. It alarms quite often during the dialysis. Some days have been better then others. Last week it ran so poorly they have to end the treatment early as the dializer was clotting off. It becomes circular, the catheter stops the blood flow - the when the blood flow stops it clots - when it clots too much the machine stiops and the blood clots more. And so on and so on.....Today is runs OKish. not a ton of alarms and they can run the blood pump a little faster than they could before. Faster blood pump equals better dialysis.
Will
Is still cute as hell. See photo below. Will is always an entertaining little dude.
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