Friday, July 24, 2010
I've been home from the hospital for 5 weeks now! I'd have to say I underestimated the healing powers of time, solitude, peace and quiet. Not doing anything but allowing one's body to heal (all the while eating well and taking vitamins).
I probably haven't been as active as I thought I'd be but definitely in the past 2 weeks my energy has been such that I don't just sit around any more. My body has been telling me to move more. I often feel tired afterward and if I've been standing around too long, I need to sit down to rest my weary body however, I wonder if that's still just the humidity sapping the life out of me.
In any case, I'm feeling far better and life is good.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
5 weeks post-op
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Tired. Not sleeping well. I think it's mainly the humidity but it's stealing all energy from me.
Tired. Not sleeping well. I think it's mainly the humidity but it's stealing all energy from me.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
4 weeks post-op
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Despicable Me, Steve Carell's new animation movie. I'm going to see it tonight - first night out. :) And it's cheap night.
It was hot enough by noon that I had to turn the A/C back on. Outside wasn't too bad I didn't think so I weeded the lawn a bit. I got very light-headed standing up from bending down. The dizziness continued as I moved around the house so just planted myself for half an hour - I am feeling better. Hmmm, I cannot imagine I was actually hungry! :) I had buttermilk pancakes for brunch then made spaghetti for a mid-afternoon meal (4 p.m.) Yes, I guess I could have used some nourishment.
I got on the Wii Fit and gained 0.7 kg since 'last time'.
Initially after the operation, within 11 days I had lost 3.5 kg! I continued to lose 0.5 kg more but within the last 2 weeks I gained 0.1 kg each week. And now today, 0.7. That is only a total of < 1 kg and I had lost 4 in total but I would really like to slow this upward trend!
I will be more active now - it is bound to help in all areas.
Despicable Me, Steve Carell's new animation movie. I'm going to see it tonight - first night out. :) And it's cheap night.
It was hot enough by noon that I had to turn the A/C back on. Outside wasn't too bad I didn't think so I weeded the lawn a bit. I got very light-headed standing up from bending down. The dizziness continued as I moved around the house so just planted myself for half an hour - I am feeling better. Hmmm, I cannot imagine I was actually hungry! :) I had buttermilk pancakes for brunch then made spaghetti for a mid-afternoon meal (4 p.m.) Yes, I guess I could have used some nourishment.
I got on the Wii Fit and gained 0.7 kg since 'last time'.
Initially after the operation, within 11 days I had lost 3.5 kg! I continued to lose 0.5 kg more but within the last 2 weeks I gained 0.1 kg each week. And now today, 0.7. That is only a total of < 1 kg and I had lost 4 in total but I would really like to slow this upward trend!
I will be more active now - it is bound to help in all areas.
Monday, July 12, 2010
1 month post-op - Sugerical Consultation
Today is Monday, July 12, 2010 and I had a surgical consultation with my kidney surgeon, Dr. A. Ghanekar, 4 weeks after my nephrectomy. He is such a kind and down-to-earth soul. A wonderful professional who released any apprehensions we may have had. Unless something bothers or concerns me there is no reason I have to see him again and that part is sad but he is an excellent surgeon and I was so lucky to be in his care.
I am able to bathe and swim like usual now but should wait 3-4 weeks before participating in karate. Even then I need to take it slow as I have been fairly sedentary till now. I will increase walking and other light exercises but I'm still to avoid lifting and pulling.
The numbness and tingly sensation is normal but still odd to me. It is numb close to the main incision and tingly above, like pins and needles. That is supposed to indicate that the tiny muscle fibers are mending. Healing is good!
I learned from my surgeon that he kept my left adrenal gland intact! This is good news - it controls hormones and other things... important bodily functions particularly when I'm without my left kidney. :) I had read that without the adrenal gland, fatigue could be an issue. I still have some fatigue but obviously it's unrelated to not having both adrenal glands. I am completely thrilled to have had such an *excellent* Nephrologist!
Now I need to get into the right head space before I start work. I've begun to go through the 850+ emails but I'm still uncertain when I will start taking my role back. Ayron has been so great in making the transition seamless; I appreciate her help!
I am able to bathe and swim like usual now but should wait 3-4 weeks before participating in karate. Even then I need to take it slow as I have been fairly sedentary till now. I will increase walking and other light exercises but I'm still to avoid lifting and pulling.
The numbness and tingly sensation is normal but still odd to me. It is numb close to the main incision and tingly above, like pins and needles. That is supposed to indicate that the tiny muscle fibers are mending. Healing is good!
I learned from my surgeon that he kept my left adrenal gland intact! This is good news - it controls hormones and other things... important bodily functions particularly when I'm without my left kidney. :) I had read that without the adrenal gland, fatigue could be an issue. I still have some fatigue but obviously it's unrelated to not having both adrenal glands. I am completely thrilled to have had such an *excellent* Nephrologist!
Now I need to get into the right head space before I start work. I've begun to go through the 850+ emails but I'm still uncertain when I will start taking my role back. Ayron has been so great in making the transition seamless; I appreciate her help!
Friday, July 9, 2010
3 Letters of Gratitude (2001 and 2010)
Friday, July 9, 2010; it's been 3 weeks today since I got home from the hospital. I am feeling considerably better. It's amazing what time and a little Tender Loving Care can do!
I reminisced on the gifts of organ donation. I have wanted to share the first two letters {below} since I started writing over a year ago but now having with the third, I think it it's an appropriate time to post them.
On May 20, 2001, my brother Rollie never knew what was going to happen. He was 27 and generated both grief and gratitude within such a short span of time... depending on whose vantage point.
In the early hours of May 21, 2001, my brother gave several gifts of 'life' as the process of donating his organs was initiated by my father to whom two of the below letters are addressed.
The third letter is from the recipients of my living kidney donation.
St. Joseph's Hospital
130 Bayard Drive, Saint John, NB, Canada, E2L 3L6
Tel (506) 632-5541 Fax (506) 632-5573
May 24, 2001
Mr. Walter Corey
(NB address)
Dear Mr. Corey;
At this time of extreme personal sorrow for you and your famiy, I wish to thank you for your son Rowland's great gifts.
Rowland's corneas were sent to Halifax where they were used for transplant and because of him, two people have been blessed with restored vision. We can only imagine how wonderful that must be for them. On their behalf, I thank you for the ability to see family, friends, and beautiful surroundings.
On behalf of the New Brunswick Eye Bank I extend our deepest sympathy to you and your family, and I trust that you will find comfort in the knowledge that Rowland's gifts of sight are a living tribute to his life.
With gratitude and respect,
Mary Gatien, RN, CEBT
Director NB Eye Bank
May 29, 2001
Mr. Walter Corey
(NB address)
Dear Mr. Corey,
Please accept my sympathy on the recent death of your son, Rowland. At the same time I want to thank you and your family for the donation of Rowland's organs and corneas for transplantation. Because of your generosity at the time of deep sadness 6 people have greatly had their lives improved.
The recipients of the organs are all doing very well at this time.
The liver recipient is a 61-year old man. The recipient of Rowland's heart is a 49-year old woman. Both kidney recipients are young women. One is 18 years old and the other is 23.
Again Mr. Corey, on behalf of these recipients and their families my thanks for agreeing to organ donation. If you have any questions in the future please contact me.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Ann Secord, RN
Organ Procurement Officer
Hospital Services Branch
Dear Donor
Hi, I am the wife of your recipient. It is hard to find the words to tell you how much your gift means to us as we are overwhelmed with the generosity of your spirit. I am also donating a kidney to a stranger but I am doing it for my husband, to see him healthy again and off dialysis.
Thank you from all of us in our extended families - this is a great and wonderful thing you are doing and you are a hero to us, and always will be.
Friend:
I'm the husband with the bad kidneys. My wife and I have been married 20 years this year. We're crazy about each other. No kids, but we have the cutest dog you ever saw. We're very lucky.
I've know for years that I had kidney disease, but the reality of kidney failure hit us like a thunderbolt three years ago. Being on dialysis is like being on a long, extremely boring and inconvenient march.
Your gift is giving us our lives back. Thank you so much.
We wish you a speedy recovery and a long, happy life.
I reminisced on the gifts of organ donation. I have wanted to share the first two letters {below} since I started writing over a year ago but now having with the third, I think it it's an appropriate time to post them.
On May 20, 2001, my brother Rollie never knew what was going to happen. He was 27 and generated both grief and gratitude within such a short span of time... depending on whose vantage point.
In the early hours of May 21, 2001, my brother gave several gifts of 'life' as the process of donating his organs was initiated by my father to whom two of the below letters are addressed.
The third letter is from the recipients of my living kidney donation.
Letter 1
New Brunswick Eye BankSt. Joseph's Hospital
130 Bayard Drive, Saint John, NB, Canada, E2L 3L6
Tel (506) 632-5541 Fax (506) 632-5573
May 24, 2001
Mr. Walter Corey
(NB address)
Dear Mr. Corey;
At this time of extreme personal sorrow for you and your famiy, I wish to thank you for your son Rowland's great gifts.
Rowland's corneas were sent to Halifax where they were used for transplant and because of him, two people have been blessed with restored vision. We can only imagine how wonderful that must be for them. On their behalf, I thank you for the ability to see family, friends, and beautiful surroundings.
On behalf of the New Brunswick Eye Bank I extend our deepest sympathy to you and your family, and I trust that you will find comfort in the knowledge that Rowland's gifts of sight are a living tribute to his life.
With gratitude and respect,
Mary Gatien, RN, CEBT
Director NB Eye Bank
Letter 2
Health and Wellness New BrunswickMay 29, 2001
Mr. Walter Corey
(NB address)
Dear Mr. Corey,
Please accept my sympathy on the recent death of your son, Rowland. At the same time I want to thank you and your family for the donation of Rowland's organs and corneas for transplantation. Because of your generosity at the time of deep sadness 6 people have greatly had their lives improved.
The recipients of the organs are all doing very well at this time.
The liver recipient is a 61-year old man. The recipient of Rowland's heart is a 49-year old woman. Both kidney recipients are young women. One is 18 years old and the other is 23.
Again Mr. Corey, on behalf of these recipients and their families my thanks for agreeing to organ donation. If you have any questions in the future please contact me.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Ann Secord, RN
Organ Procurement Officer
Hospital Services Branch
Letter 3
Received June 16, 2010Dear Donor
Hi, I am the wife of your recipient. It is hard to find the words to tell you how much your gift means to us as we are overwhelmed with the generosity of your spirit. I am also donating a kidney to a stranger but I am doing it for my husband, to see him healthy again and off dialysis.
Thank you from all of us in our extended families - this is a great and wonderful thing you are doing and you are a hero to us, and always will be.
Friend:
I'm the husband with the bad kidneys. My wife and I have been married 20 years this year. We're crazy about each other. No kids, but we have the cutest dog you ever saw. We're very lucky.
I've know for years that I had kidney disease, but the reality of kidney failure hit us like a thunderbolt three years ago. Being on dialysis is like being on a long, extremely boring and inconvenient march.
Your gift is giving us our lives back. Thank you so much.
We wish you a speedy recovery and a long, happy life.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
My first big walk!
I felt pretty good today and had new-found motivation to get out and walk! The family went on a new trail in a conversation area where signage indicates dogs can go off-leash. It's in Ajax on Church north of Taunton Rd. The trails, shaded with openings of sun blasts, led to a small creek. The dogs ran in and we all waded in the bathtub warm water. It was refreshing as I sat on a fallen tree with my legs dangling in the water. We walked and waded for almost an hour. It felt great and it sufficiently tired everybody out for the day. I'm looking forward to a good night's sleep. :)
Tomorrow will be 3 weeks since I've returned home from the hospital. I am thankful for time and health and healing.
Tomorrow will be 3 weeks since I've returned home from the hospital. I am thankful for time and health and healing.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
3 weeks post-op
It's Wednesday, July 7, 2010. I had my nephrectomy 3 weeks ago yesterday.
I took it relatively easy all of the past week needing to get more rest and to not move as much as I had been doing.
Monday, July 5 though I had Brittany drive us to the dojo. She had to train so I just observed. Last night, she was tested for her next belt in karate and passed! Again, I just sat, observed and took pictures. Well, that's not entirely the truth. I was up walking around and tried to simulate some moves to help the students with some curriculum before class. I didn't go full tilt but when I got home I felt "sore" in the lower abdomen and swollen as well. It still looked swollen today so I am not moving around very much.
It surprises me how little exertion I can put forth yet have larger than expected repercussions! Other than some fatigue, I feel pretty good. I am still moving around slowly. Sometimes I can get up off the couch with ease, other days I take my good ol' time! I cannot stand for long periods of time without feeling tired which is really weird.
I want to be more active but I also know that will come in time. I don't want to injure myself and end up needing more time to heal than necessary. I don't want any permanent damage just because I was impatient! I find the numbness is strange and some of that numbness is now feeling tingly, like the pins and needles are coming out but I was told that sensation is normal and that it will subside. It's just that the fine nerves are mending and my muscles are healing.
It was suggested to me that that I should be consuming protein to help those muscles heal too. I had been focusing on taking lots of high-quality vitamins and eating lots of fruits, vegetables, grains and fiber but being vegetarian I neglected to make protein a focus point too, so yesterday I made a large pot of chili with lots of beans. I am also eating nuts, seeds, kamut pasta and spelt flakes which is more easily digestible and has protein and fiber in it as well!
I made a new 'kidney donor' friend online who lives in Dubai... Samah found me on Living Donors Online and we became friends on Facebook. My blog and messages to her have helped ease her mind with her surgery being Monday, July 12 so I'm really glad about that. That has sort of been the point of my blog. First, it was to document everything for myself but secondly and just as importantly, it's to help anybody else going through the same experience. By far, message boards and speaking with others is the greatest way to gain knowledge about what is to come from this.
What has been unexpected by me is the emotional side of things. I've had outstanding support from friends, family and colleagues alike and it is almost overwhelming. I've heard many good - and bad - 'kidney stories' from various people and it just makes me well up with emotion. I felt weird starting this process but in the end, there was nothing that could keep me from going through with it. I would do it again.
I haven't taken anything for pain in 2 days and it was 2 days before that that I had needed anything. I haven't needed stool softeners for a week or more now. I feel my digestion is nearly back to normal with a daily bowel movement but I'm still eating lots of fiber, fruits, vegetables, yogurt; drinking lots of water and 100% pure cranberry juice and black coffee (which I am slowly cutting back on). Overall, I feel pretty good other than some sporadic dips in energy levels which may be due to restless nights of sleep but every day is better than the day before!
I just read this today on a message board:
If you had your left kidney removed, your left adrenal gland was also disabled during surgery. For some donors this can cause fatigue, etc. An MD suggest to add DHEA as a supplement. There are published studies that indicate DHEA's improvement in adrenal function.
I'll have to research this further!
I took it relatively easy all of the past week needing to get more rest and to not move as much as I had been doing.
Monday, July 5 though I had Brittany drive us to the dojo. She had to train so I just observed. Last night, she was tested for her next belt in karate and passed! Again, I just sat, observed and took pictures. Well, that's not entirely the truth. I was up walking around and tried to simulate some moves to help the students with some curriculum before class. I didn't go full tilt but when I got home I felt "sore" in the lower abdomen and swollen as well. It still looked swollen today so I am not moving around very much.
It surprises me how little exertion I can put forth yet have larger than expected repercussions! Other than some fatigue, I feel pretty good. I am still moving around slowly. Sometimes I can get up off the couch with ease, other days I take my good ol' time! I cannot stand for long periods of time without feeling tired which is really weird.
I want to be more active but I also know that will come in time. I don't want to injure myself and end up needing more time to heal than necessary. I don't want any permanent damage just because I was impatient! I find the numbness is strange and some of that numbness is now feeling tingly, like the pins and needles are coming out but I was told that sensation is normal and that it will subside. It's just that the fine nerves are mending and my muscles are healing.
It was suggested to me that that I should be consuming protein to help those muscles heal too. I had been focusing on taking lots of high-quality vitamins and eating lots of fruits, vegetables, grains and fiber but being vegetarian I neglected to make protein a focus point too, so yesterday I made a large pot of chili with lots of beans. I am also eating nuts, seeds, kamut pasta and spelt flakes which is more easily digestible and has protein and fiber in it as well!
I made a new 'kidney donor' friend online who lives in Dubai... Samah found me on Living Donors Online and we became friends on Facebook. My blog and messages to her have helped ease her mind with her surgery being Monday, July 12 so I'm really glad about that. That has sort of been the point of my blog. First, it was to document everything for myself but secondly and just as importantly, it's to help anybody else going through the same experience. By far, message boards and speaking with others is the greatest way to gain knowledge about what is to come from this.
What has been unexpected by me is the emotional side of things. I've had outstanding support from friends, family and colleagues alike and it is almost overwhelming. I've heard many good - and bad - 'kidney stories' from various people and it just makes me well up with emotion. I felt weird starting this process but in the end, there was nothing that could keep me from going through with it. I would do it again.
I haven't taken anything for pain in 2 days and it was 2 days before that that I had needed anything. I haven't needed stool softeners for a week or more now. I feel my digestion is nearly back to normal with a daily bowel movement but I'm still eating lots of fiber, fruits, vegetables, yogurt; drinking lots of water and 100% pure cranberry juice and black coffee (which I am slowly cutting back on). Overall, I feel pretty good other than some sporadic dips in energy levels which may be due to restless nights of sleep but every day is better than the day before!
I just read this today on a message board:
If you had your left kidney removed, your left adrenal gland was also disabled during surgery. For some donors this can cause fatigue, etc. An MD suggest to add DHEA as a supplement. There are published studies that indicate DHEA's improvement in adrenal function.
I'll have to research this further!
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About Me
- Roz
- I married Lorne on Saturday, August 13, 2005. Our children Benjamin and Brittany live with us and our 3 dogs Bailey, Rex, Leo, and Molly the cat.