One Month In

One Month in the Books!

It is January 14th, 2023 today. For some it is an exciting day because it marks the start of the NFL playoffs. For others, today they celebrate National Bagel Day (we had bagels this morning for breakfast). For Kristin and I, today is the one-month anniversary of our kidney surgeries. In some ways the time has flown by rather quickly,  but it also has felt like we've been healing and recovering for much longer than just one month.

So, where do things currently stand with my recovery? Keep reading to find out.

The New Kidney

My new kidney continues to excel and my transplant team is quite pleased with how well it is functioning. There have been no signs of rejection nor any infections.My incisions are healing nicely and I have been pain free for a couple of weeks now. 

I forgot to mention this in my last post, but my bladder control improved quite quickly, although it took some getting used to going to the bathroom more frequently. When I was on dialysis, I only went to the bathroom 2-3 times a day; now, I probably go to the bathroom 6-8 times a day.

The only drawback to my new kidney is that it is still doing too good of a job of metabolizing the phosphorus as well as the insulin in my body. Low phosphorus can lead to feelings of weakness. Metabolizing the insulin is partly why my blood sugar numbers continue to remain high. 

Medications

For this first month I was required to go to clinic at UCLA twice a week. This was to continue to monitor how my new kidney was doing and to make medication adjustments. Over the past month, medications have been adjusted to balance electrolytes, to lessen side effects, and to try and lower my blood sugar. 

Thankfully, I am happy to report that some the nasty side effects I was experiencing have significantly lessened. My mood has improved; I don't have as much trouble with restlessness (although it can still cause a rough start to trying to go to sleep at night). The only side effect that is still giving me trouble is the shakiness caused by one of my medications. It is especially intense after waking up in the morning or from a nap. The Doctors keep lowering the medication, but it hasn't eased the shakiness.

My CIDP

While everything is going well with my transplant recovery, my CIDP has gotten worse. It has been over a month since my last IVIG infusion treatment. Each day I get a little weaker, more fatigued, and I'm even starting to experience some more nerve pain. To make a long story short, it all boils down to awaiting insurance approval. Hopefully, I will be able to finally receive my treatment this next week.

Other Things to Note

Now that I'm one month into recovery, my weekly visits to UCLA have been reduced to once a week. 

One month means I'm halfway healed. Total healing from transplant surgery is about 8 weeks.

I continue to have physical therapy and occupational therapy once a week which helps my rehabilitation.

I do miss my congregation and I miss doing the work of ministry. I know what is important right now is for me to heal and recover, but sometimes I just wish I could be doing more. Sometimes I have to battle boredom.

I continue to be appreciative of all the people praying for me and my family. It is a powerful thing to know that so many are advocating to God on my behalf. Slowly yet surely I'm being led down a path that leads to new life. Whoever donated this kidney has saved my life. It is a new sense of holy communion to know that a part of another sacred human being, another of God's beloved, is now a part of me. I plan to theologically reflect on this more as I continue to recover. 

One month from surgery!