2 Year Follow up with UMMC

So I know that our 2 year Kidneyaversery was a while ago, but about a month ago is when I finally had time to go do the lab work.  I took a day off and went down to the University of MD for my last follow up there.  After 2 years you no longer have any follow ups with them and are supposed to monitor your own kidney function with the help of you primary care doctor.  Everyone was super helpful and I was in and out quickly, which gave me plenty of time to go get copies of our marriage certificate (but that isn't important here).

After a few days the coordinator e-mailed me to say that my protein/creatinine levels were elevated and that she would like me to re-do the test because she things the results are wrong.  This immediately made me anxious because what if the test wasn't wrong and I was actually having issues with my solo kidney.  I didn't post here right away about this because I didn't want anyone else worrying about it till I knew what was up.  So I silently worried to myself while googling everything I could.  This is always a bad idea.

As soon as I could I went to labcorp and re-did the test.  Within a few days the coordinator e-mailed me again to say everything was normal!  This was great news and good to know.  So my one kidney is still doing its job!

Dave, also had an apt. recently where the Dr. said he was doing well.  He also mentioned how great it was Dave was on so few medications!   This is because transplant patients are normally on medications to control the disorders that caused their kidneys to fail in the first place, and Dave doesn't have to worry about that because he is healthy!

Well, I think that is all for now.  As always if you want to know anything else about my experience feel free to ask! 

Last minute stuff....

As I mentioned before Dave had an MRI Monday, this showed that the main big tumor on his kidney is a angiolipoma which is fine, but there are other tumors that they can not make out.  Because of this they are not sure if they will be able to take out and put in a kidney at the same time (the are definitely taking them out because they are big and such).  This would mean he has surgery sometime soon to remove the kidneys, then he heals up a bit for 3 months and we proceed with the transplant at this time.  We are waiting to hear back from the surgeon who is going to remove the kidneys to see if it can all still happen on the 7th.  I believe we all hope it can happen at the same time so Dave does not have to go through 2 separate surgeries and so he can be off of dialysis ASAP!  But I also don't want any increased risk of rejection, and I don't know if removing the kidneys at the same time would increase that risk or not?  Something to think about... But what this means is I still don't know whats going on and we are still playing the waiting game with only 10 days left till possible surgery.  Blah!

Check and Check

I have officially completed my responsibility of the next step, which was the 24hour urine collection followed by blood work.

The 24 hour urine collection wasn't that fun.  More annoying that anything but it did give me an excuse to stay in and have Video Game day.  11 hours of Skyrim played this weekend because I didn't want to tote around my urine jug. ick.  But I finished that at  6am this morning and am glad to be done with it.

Having finished that this morning I left early for work in search of the labcorp that opened at 6:45am hoping to get there when it opened.  But I drove by it the first time without realizing it (I think all labcorps have bad signage) making me get there at 7am.  Walking in after calling work to mention I'd be late I found a packed waiting room, and this isn't even the part of the office that does all the employee drug screens.  So I had to wait 45min to be seen.  But then I gave my blood and was told I would have to give another urine sample.  I found this ironic because I had given them a whole container and been told not to eat or drink anything that morning because of the blood work.... I don't know where they expect it to come from???  But I gave it to them and left with the tech there wishing me good luck as I walked out the door.

They told me that UMMC should have the results in 3 days but to give them another day or two to look at it, so maybe by the end of this week I'll have all the results.  UMMC has been doing things fast so hopefully everything turns out okay and its on to the next step.    Progress.

Kidney in 2014, is the goal of this year.