Getting Closer

Today Dave has an MRI and I am going to LabCorp to do some of the last blood work!  Things are getting closer and it will be here before we know.  Since my last post they planned my prep-center visit for Tuesday, March 4th  at 3pm so at least something is planned.  This just includes meeting with the anesthesiologist mostly.  Dave has this scheduled for the same day at 2:30, he also has a meeting with his surgeon on Tuesday Feb. 25th, I still don't know when I will have that done.  I am just going to have to trust the testing center to fit it all in before the 7th!

Overall, I am pretty calm thinking about the whole thing.  If Dave would finish looking into Medicare (they cover donor post op complications I believe) I would feel calmer but he said he was going to be doing that today.  I can only hope that everything continues to go smoothly and that before we know it it will be over and life will be getting back to normal.  

Mini Update

The University of Maryland wants Dave to do the CT-angiogram.  I haven't heard anything about the results from my full day of testing yet, but I am going to take this as a good sign since they didn't ask him about it until after I had my appointment.

Going to try to not get my hopes up though, don't want to be disappointed in the future.

Schedule for Thursday!

Received my schedule for Thursdays appointment.  A lot of back and forth between two buildings (google maps says its a 2 min walk outside), and the temperature is supposed to be in the teens that day.  Burrrr I better dress warm.  Its going to be a long day with the first thing starting at 8am and the last thing scheduled for 2 pm.  Plus I can not eat 4 hours before the CT angiogram, which is scheduled for 9:45 am.  That means no breakfast before hand I'll have to bring a banana for after or something.  Also, I think I have this blood pressure thing under control.  Just taking it at home makes me nervous a bit because I don't want it to be abnormal.  But within 5min I can lower my blood pressure by just relaxing and trying to get rid of my nerves.  It worked here at home so hopefully I can remember not to stress out on Thursday and it will all be okay.

Welp, off to enjoy my afternoon off because of the snow. :)  (schedule listed below for those interested)

Holy kidney Batman, that was Fast.

So I did all the blood work and urine testing yesterday and most of the results are already back!  Talk about FAST!  So far everything looks good.  :)  My kidneys are working fine, my cholesterol is fine.  The only 2 things were some white blood cells, I'm nor sure why they were there but they are not concerned about it and my blood glucose was high for having fasted for the blood work.  But after doing some googling it turns out levothyroxine (the medication I take for my Hypothyroid) can cause an increased glucose level, and I took that tablet before getting blood work done yesterday.

So next step is an all day appointment at UMMC.  This can be any Thursday but after talking to my mom (I want her to go with me so she can ask all the questions she wants) we are thinking the 16th.  This is very soon, everything is going so fast which is exciting but also nerve racking.   I want to give Dave my kidney I want everything to work out, and the sooner the better its just kind of hard to process everything so fast.   I think that I am going to make sure to write down any questions I come up with between now and the 16th so I remember to ask them.  I think keeping track of all my thoughts will make me less anxious about it all.

Okay, so that is all.  I will keep everyone updated and possibly write all my thoughts and questions here too, great place to keep track of them.

EDIT: Thursday is set up for Jan. 23rd.

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.  

Dealing With A Needle Phobic recipient Part 2

I WAS ABLE TO MAKE HIM GET BLOOD WORK!!!!!!

Okay, I don't know if it is that exciting but it is exciting.  After taking him out for a Chic-Fil-a Breakfast and trying to actually find the lab corp, Dave gave blood pretty easily for him.  I made him lay down and just stood by him while the guy did his thing.  It was kind of cool because the phlebotomist was a dialysis patient who had had a transplant as well as tried peritoneal Dialysis(PD).  PD is something Dave may be looking into considering his dislike of needles(but we are all hoping for a transplant instead).  The phlebotomist apparently didn't like PD, so who knows?  He also mentioned how he had a transplant from his Aunt that lasted 7 or 8 years (lets hope Dave's will last longer!) and that it was odd because before the transplant he hated celery, and his aunt loved it, then after the transplant he loved celery.  Weird?  Maybe if I give Dave a kidney he will like tomatoes?

On another note I think he is getting a lot better with his fear of needles and being stuck.  He did awesome.  Which is a good sign for the future after transplant when he has to give blood frequently to get his kidney function checked.

While at lab corp I picked up my HUGE urine container.... fun... But the lady who gave it to me said I could keep it outside to keep it cold which I feel is a great idea.  YAY more refrigerator space!  Hopefully I will get that done next Sunday, then return it Monday and do some more blood tests to find out more info about be being able to donate.  I'm wondering how long it will take UMMC to get the results after I drop off the container and do the blood work?  Hopefully quick so I can know whats next!

Thanks for reading!