Pain in back and side

For a little over a week now I have been having a very sharp stabbing pain in my left side.  It comes and goes, normally being caused by heavy breathing, how I;m sitting/laying, hiccups, etc.  On Sunday I e-mailed my coordinator, just to see if it was something I should be concerned about.  I hadn't had pain in at least a week and a half maybe 2 weeks before it started, and was feeling great.  She suggested I talk with my surgeon so we scheduled a appointment for yesterday.  

I saw the surgeon for only like 10min. maybe, he is a busy person (had just run over to see me after a liver transplant it sounded like).  After seeing where the pain was he was not concerned, said it could just be scaring on the inside and stuff, but if it gets worse or isn't gone in 2weeks or so to give him a call and discuss it further.  Maybe set up time to do a CT scan.  

So in short, sharp pain isn't bad, but its definitely not fun.  It also a jerk because it had me feeling really good, thinking about jogging and NIA before it decided to show up.   

Stupid lack of kidney....

One Month Post Op

It has been 4 weeks since the surgery and things are going well.  I went back to work last Thursday and that has been good as well.  It is not making me as tired as I expected, but I still am more tired then I used to be.  I have developed a pain/discomfort on my left side below my ribs when I cough, hiccup or move a certain way.  I am thinking this is just from being more active since going back to work.  If it doesn't go away soonish I'll give my coordinator a call to make sure its normal, but considering the pain is where my kidney was, I'm assuming its normal.

My incision is looking better too.  That was where a lot of my pain was originally but not anymore (unless I forget and lean against a counter which is perfect height.  It does have some crusty-ness too it though, which I am hoping is also normal.

Dave is doing well too.  He will be going back to work on July 7th.  He just has to do blood draws once a week at lab corp as well as meet with someone once every few weeks.

Its nice to have all this free time with him.  He also was given the okay to use pools so his parents Hot Tub is open and has been used.  He is really excited about being able to use it again after so long.

Okay, I think that is it for now.

Everything Part 3!

Okay, to pick up where I left off.  The Dr. Said I could go home but having not eaten anything since 5:30pm on wed. and it now being Friday I wanted to make sure I could handle food first.  I was unsure when the breakfast tray would be coming so I grabbed a starbucks drink from the mini fridge they had in my room and some grapes that were also in my room.
It was great to have that coffee drink there.  Yum.  I was able to handle those things well.  I became tired of waiting so I once again got up and walked down to Dave's room.  

This time we remembered to get pictures together!  I even made him walk to the wall that honors all the donors that will allow their name posted, living and deceased, to take a picture.   It wasn't a long visit but it was nice to see him. 

 I then walked back to my room where I found a delicious breakfast sandwich waiting for me.  It was nice to eat a full meal.  I then also played a game of Tokaido on the computer they supplied me.  

My room had all the perks.  But I quickly was bored so as soon as the asked if I wanted to go home I said yes!  I was feeling good with the exception of some pain, I could eat, I could move, so I felt like it would be more relaxing at home.  They said they were sending some prescriptions to the pharmacy and they would be ready in an hour or so and then shortly after the nurse came by with my discharge paperwork.  So with the help of my mom (bending over was not an option) I put on normal clothes and waited around an hour till I could head to the pharmacy.  Before I officially had the okay to go home the Social Worker I worked with stopped by and gave me a shirt, a calendar, asked if I wanted to have my name on the board (I said sure), and just made sure I was doing well.

While I was getting my stuff together to leave my surgeon stopped by and seemed glad I was going home and feeling good.  He just told me not to lift anything over 10lbs and that he would see me in 2 weeks.  It was good to see him again before I left.  I really enjoyed him as my surgeon.  

So finally I gathered all my things (by I gathered I mean my Mom and Dad Gathered and I held the stuffed dog and balloon) and told the nurse I was leaving.  She kept asking if I wanted a wheel chair, but we decided against it so I could walk over to Dave one more time.  I saw Dave, and we said a quick goodbye, us both being tired and in some pain meant we would just have to talk more later when we were both more up to it.  As I was leaving Dave's roommates wife kept telling me how awesome I was.  I just said thank you and went on my way.  It weird having people thing I did something awesome/heroic mostly because I don't see it that way, but I think that idea could be a whole post on its own, so another day!

We went down to the pharmacy where they had not even received the prescriptions yet.  I was tired and sore and the benches by the pharmacy had no backs which made it painful to sit in.  Backs of chairs were very useful in the beginning.  My mom went back up to the floor I had been on quickly to see what happened and they said they would send them down again.  It was 4 things, Percocet, Ranitadine, Senna, and Dosculate Sodium.  Mostly just percocet and then drugs to help with side effects of percocet.  We waited about 10-15min. then stood in the drop off line to see if they had made their way down yet, and they gentleman said they had them and was working on them right away, I think he could see the discomfort I was feeling.  Instead of waiting for them there we went and had lunch at the food court.  When we came back they were ready, and I was treated super nicely by the tech, and was again called a hero, ick.  haha.  But then we went home!  Where I spent the rest of the day figuring out if the percocet really helped (1 tablet every 4 hours), which it did in the middle 2 hours of taking it, and relaxing. 

 It was great to be home and my mom spent that first night with me.  It was useful having her make dinner and things even if it felt very odd being waited on.  I am a very independent person.

Okay that is actually all for today.  I do have some more to say, and I want to read through these past 3 posts and add in anything I forgot.

But current time update, Dave and I are both doing well, I am trying to walk a lot, even if I am still a but slow.  The kidney is still working inside of Dave and he keeps having to go back for blood work (which is normal).  I can not wait to be 100% healed (still some incision pain and some side pain where I think I may have slept on my left side weird, as well as not having the same stamina I had before) and have Dave healed and not having to go to UMMC multiple times a week.

Once again thanks for your support!