Tis the Season to Tailgate

Tailgating season is upon us (which corresponds with football season). For the last 12 years we have met with the same group of people at the same spot to tailgate. Everybody is welcome to come, so friends will invite their friends who in turn invite their friends. I have met so many people from all walks of life, it's always a blast. There is always a food theme for each weekend and this coming Sunday it's Italian. Our friend Bob, always brings anti pasta on Italian day that is to die for. I always look forward to going to tailgate with my friends.

Oh, yeah, then there's the football game. My Panthers aren't doing so well. We have not been going to the games because Drew does not want to be out in the sun. Our tickets are in the sun for most of the game during the early part of the season. This is a small price to pay for being on anti rejection meds (they make skin cancer go wild).

Yes we go just to tailgate and then go home to watch the game.

New Kitty

We have a new kitten. We got him from a friend who found the kitten in an empty rental house. The kitten was headed to the animal shelter so we took him in. Drew and I are not very inventive when it comes to naming our pets. One of our cat's name is Spot because she is mainly white with a couple of black "spots" hence the name. Another of our cats unofficial name is dumbitch (with small letters). She is truly a dumb cat. Drew saw her fall from the second floor landing on her head as a kitten. She has not been the same since. Drew swears the fall gave her brain damage.
When we were trying to think of a name for the new kitty I sent an email to many of my closest family and friends and got many good suggestions. The most obvious name was Socks because the kitten is all gray but has four white paws. We started calling him dumbdick since it was a male cat and dumbdick is an affectionate name Drew and his brother call eachother sometimes. But that didn't seem right since we barly knew the kitten and we didn't know if he was truly dumb. We finally settled on Richard the proper name of Dick from dumbdick.
Richard has been a joy. He has given our other cats hell. He is a ball of engery and wants to play all the time. Richard sleeps with us at night and jumps on our feet in the morning. He is the sweetist cat we have!

All Restrictions are Off

Drew has finally been set free. He is free to work out and do any activity he wishes. His Achilles Tendinitis is 80% better and he feels so much better then just a few weeks ago. He has planted our vegetable garden and finished the project we started a couple of weeks ago. It's nice to have my old Drew back.

Drew gets to do more

Drew has been given the OK to do some gardening. He still is not supposed to lift more than 10 pounds but you know how that goes. The day he was told he could work in the garden Drew went straight outside and he has been there ever since.

More playing in the dirt

Today I spent all morning helping Drew "play in dirt", that's what I call his gardening. He talked about what he wanted us to do all week, he knew I would not just jump up and help him. He talked all week about what he wanted to do and how much he needed my help. We spent 4 hours digging, planting and moving landscaping rocks. We worked on an area that Drew has long ignored. It's an area that we can see when we sit in the breakfast nook (were we eat our meals together), so I really wanted the project to go forward. It was hard work and I sweated my butt off. It's not quite done, Drew is already talking about working on the project on my next day off.

Don't tell Drew but I really kinda enjoyed it this morning. I got to spend some real quality time with Drew. We used to spend Sundays on the boat but we sold our boat this spring. Drew battles skin cancer and the anti-rejection drugs cause skin cancer to grow wildly. Drew tries to avoid the sun like the plague.

Playing in the Dirt

One of Drew's passions is gardening. My late sister-in-law Trudie, was a certified Master Gardener. During holidays and other gatherings with my family, my brothers and I would be hunkered down at the computer while Drew and Trudie would talk gardening. Drew became a certified Master Gardener in 2007 because of this. You can see a little of his handy work on the April 20, 2008 entry in this blog.

At Drew's doctor's appointment yesterday, Drew asked when he could go back to playing in the dirt (what I call his gardening). The doctor said it will be quite a while, from the very beginning they said Drew would have to stay away from bacteria. This means sick people and dirt. Right now is prime gardening time (I think) and he is disappointed about this. I am thinking about a "gardening party" where Drew would make a list of things he needs (or wants) to get done in the yard and vegetable garden and invite people over to help get things done. We would provide all materials and refreshments. Just a thought.

Achillies Tendinitis

If there was a possibility of a complication Drew has experienced it. Just when Drew starts to feel better another complication hits. Drew started experiencing heel and lower leg pain. Since he has not been that active he knew he could not have hurt himself. His ankles started swelling- which I attributed to the high dose predisone he is on. So he spent two weeks with his legs propped up, which helped the swelling but not his pain. Drew went to see an orthopedist and the diagnosis was Achilles Tendinitis which was due to one of the medications he was on from his transplant! I have never heard of a drug causing tendinitis (shows you what little I know). Luckily the solution was to stop taking the offending drug which in this case was Bactrim. Bractrim is an antibiotic which targets bacteria which grows in the urine. Drew has not had any Bractrim since Wednesday and already his pain has gotten better.

Back to Work

I have been back to work for a week and a half. It felt like I never left. I kept up with my work (as a manager) by staying on top of my emails and attending managers meetings when possible. I could have used a another week or two off, I feel I worked the entire time off. Drew did not really start feeling good until the week I went back to work. Physically I feel great.

Drew Is Getting Stronger

Yesterday, Drew went out in public for the first time in 5 weeks (excluding doctors visits). He gets tired very easily but he was a trouper. His hemoglobin is low. I thought the docs would just let it come back up naturally especially since the pheresis treatment has stopped. But Drew has been getting blood drawn 3 times a week and his hemoglobin has dropped from 10 to 8 since he has been out of the hospital. So he received an injection of Epo (Procrit) to help stimulate red cell production.

We went to Dresslers last night. It was so good to see everybody last night and of course the food was excellent as always. Jon Dressler explained to the staff not to come up and hug or shake hands with Drew, which we appreciated. Drew still should avoid crowds for a few more weeks.

Millie's World as She Sees it

It occurred to me that the name of my blog is rather harsh. I first started writing on my blog just have a blog without any real purpose but just to write my thoughts out. Then about 4 months later Drew's creatinine started creeping up and I had a purpose for the blog. I should have changed the title but as you see Drew has encompassed my world for the last several months.

No More Rejection!

Drew saw the doctor today, the lab work drawn today showed no rejection causing antibodies in his blood! The Plasma Pheresis treatments have worked and he does not need any more PP treatments. Drew had his Vas Cath removed, YEAH! He still has a pressure dressing on his neck which he has to keep on for 24 hours but after that he can shower normally. His creatinine is down to 1.8 and he feels great.
Drew was given the OK to go out in public as long as it's not really crowded. Friday we plan on being at our favorite restaurant, Dresslers, during our usual time at our usual table.

Thanks to everybody who kept us in your prayers, I know that's why Drew is better.

Getting Better Every Day

Drew had a great weekend and hopefully just had his last Plasma Pheresis. The last 2 treatments did not drain him as bad as the prior treatments, but he still naps after wards. He still has his Vas Cath in (the catheter in the side of his neck). Drew does not want to go out in public with that in his neck. We will know more Wednesday when he goes in to see the doc and I can interrogate the doc about what is next.

I feel wonderful. All of my soreness is gone. I have a week and a half left before I go back to work:-(

I Know Drew is Feeling Better When...

...he decides to put a hat on when visitors are due, instead of greeting them with bed head,

...he wears tennis shoes instead of house shoes to his Plasma Pheresis,

and the number one reason I know Drew is feeling better...

...he complains I'm not doing something fast enough or well enough for him.

Sweet music to my ears.

Drew's' transplant coordinator called him yesterday wanting to know if we have killed each other yet. (Maybe she has seen it before).

Another Week

Drew resumed his Plasma Pheresis today after having the weekend off. They are giving him Immunoglobulin instead of Rituxan after his treatment. I have not spoken with the doc since I am not allowed to be with Drew during his treatment. So I dropped Drew off today and then just came home. Drew's brother Casey left over the weekend. Drew will have the PP on Monday, Wednesday and Friday this week and twice next week. His creatinine is 2.5 today so it looks like the treatments are working.

Drew is feeling tired and drained. We are both looking forward to warmer, sunnier weather so that we both can go walking in the neighborhood.

Life at Home

Drew and I are so grateful Drew is at home. Drew's brother Casey has been driving Drew into Charlotte for his Plasma Pheresis every day, which has been a huge help. Drew's creatinine has been slowly dropping which is such good news. He is also receiving a drug called Rituxan which will prevent his body from making more antibodies against his (formerly my) kidney.

Drew is in a kind of isolation, he can't do any gardening (what I call playing in the dirt). The yard and inside plants are in sorry shape because of this. Drew moved several of his inside plants outside the 2 days he was at home before his bowel obstruction. It had turned warm and was raining, Drew likes to put his inside plants outside when it rains. I totally forgot about his plants when the snow came a couple of weeks ago. You can tell from the picture what happened. These Jades were propagated from a very old Jade plant I had before we were married. Luckily we still have the original Jade plant.

Our neighbors and friends from the gym where Drew works out have been bring dinner every night. We have been getting wonderful food, it has been awesome.

Home

Drew is finally at home and I can relax a bit. I have been doing way too much and I feel it right now. I have been getting the house ready for Drew's homecoming and Casey's visit. Today I can relax.

Finally at Home

Drew made it home about 8:30 last night. He was started on Rituxan which the doctor said would prevent Drew's body from making more of the antibodies. It's given as an infusion over a couple of hours and the medication did not arrive to the floor until 5pm. You can imagine Drew was not happy when he heard he had to wait while the Rituxan infused.

Casey's visit is a God send. Drew's brother picked the perfect time to come visit. Drew has not seen Casey for several years but they keep in touch through phone calls and Facebook. As a matter of fact, I set up Drew's FB account just so he can see Casey's page and listen to his music. Casey's day job is on ocean going tug boats. He is at sea for weeks at a time, in his spare time he writes and plays music. Casey frequently uploads his song and videos to Facebook. With Casey here, I feel I can relax a bit.

Going Home

We just got great news X2. Drew will be able to go home today after his treatment. Drew is ecstatic. We think he will be home by 6pm tonight. Drew is so looking forward to sleeping in his own bed tonight (me too).
The other good news is the Plasma Pheresis treatments appear to be working. His creatinine is down to 3.9. Drew will continue with daily PP treatments until Friday, on an out patient basis.

Day By Day

Drew looks and feels much better today. His creatinine is holding at 4 something. I missed the nephrologist today, so I have not gotten an update. To me he looks good enough to go home but the docs said at the very beginning that they were going to keep him in the hospital at least 36 hours longer than he thinks he needs to be here. He went to his Plasma Pheresis today at 10:30 so he is already back in his room, sleeping of course. The doc said 5 straight days of PP treatments so I'm guessing he will be in the hospital through Wednesday.

Drew's brother Casey is coming to town tomorrow, Drew is really looking forward to his visit.

Not Any Worse

The good news today is Drew's creatinine is just the same as it was yesterday. It had risen by a point every day since Wednesday until now, YEAH! Drew had the Plasma Pheresis yesterday and will continue daily PP treatments for 5 straight days. The lab work they drew Friday will be processed Monday then they will know what type of antibody problem they are dealing with. It sounds like Drew will continue getting the PP treatment for a while because the doctor talked about weaning him from the treatments over a period of time (weeks maybe? didn't ask). I have found the docs don't like to talk about too far into the future. If I press them, they mumble something about a crystal ball.

Drew had a rough night last night. The treatment drained his energy so much he slept several hours afterward, then he was awake during the night. Now he is sleeping, I don't have the heart to wake him up to make him take a shower.

How I'm Doing

I frequently forget that I too had major surgery. I'm feeling great for having a kidney removed. I feel like someone kicked me real hard in the side of my abdomen. The pain is very tolerable during the day but I do take a pain pill at night to sleep. I am back in my regular jeans but sometimes when I really hurt I will unbutton them while I sit in Drew's room. Sometimes I forget to button them back up so if you see me in the cafeteria with my pants unbuttoned then please tell me.

Signs of Rejection

Drew is still in the hospital. His creatinine has gone from 1.5 to 4.3. Yesterday he had a kidney biopsy. The biopsy had some good news and bad news, the good news is there is no ATN (Acute Tubular Necrosis) meaning the kidney tissue looks good, the bad news is they found some antibodies his body is making against the kidney. This is bad. Apparently there are 2 types of rejection- the kidney cells can reject the body which is most common and best treatable then there is what Drew has which is where the host will make antibodies against the kidney (Drew's body is rejecting the kidney). This is also treatable but more difficult. They have changed his central line out to a Perm-a-cath so that they can do a Plasma Pheresis (they changed out his IV in his neck to a catheter that they can do a form of dialysis where they remove the protein in his blood which will also remove the antibodies). This will give him roughly 50-50 chance of keeping the kidney. What is on our side is the kidney tissue looks very good the antibodies have not damaged the kidney so we are on the positive side of 50-50. They caught this early and the docs are staying on top of his condition.
Having said that- I can't say enough good things about how Drew is being treated here on 10 tower. I am very pleased with the nursing care here, of course, they all know I work here and they are not holding that against me. I have never been a floor nurse but I know ICU nurses can be very territorial.The nurses on 10 T have been great. The docs have been awesome too.

Please keep Drew in your prayers! Your overwhelming support has been a huge comfort to the both of us.

Update on Drew

Drew, I think, is over the worst of it. He is working hard sitting in the chair and walking around the unit. We are waiting for his bowels to "wake up". I was talking to Drew's sister-in-law (married to Drew's brother) when I told her that she laughed saying she never knew a Leonard who couldn't fart, how true. Drew is giving it all he's got.
Drew's new kidney is working great, his last creatinine is 1.5.
I have been bring get well cards to him at the hospital, he really enjoys them. He may be up for visitors (no one with a cold and no children please). I think having people stop by might cheer him up.

Fixed it

Adhesion near a fixed hernia

The kink is fixed. He may have even have had this for a while. The doctor says it would be a low chance that it would have worked out on its own. He said that surgery was the right thing to do.

A few more days

Drew will be in the hospital a few more days. Patrick and John are going home today. Millie is still doing really well. You can call her on her cell phone if you want to chat.

Doctor says "Let's go in"

Surgery Scheduled

The doctor still thinks that it wasn't course altering and that he still needs to directly de-kink Drew's small intestine. So the surgery is scheduled for 9:30 AM this morning. Please pray.

Praise God for Poo

Movement in the Night

Millie got a call about 4:30 AM from Drew saying that he had had a bowel "event." The doctor will see him this morning but we are hoping that this will put the anticipated surgery on hold for now. It may still happen; we will see what the Dr. says.

Still in the Hospital

Drew is still in the hospital no better and no worse. His NG tube is still in and they are going to continue to watch him for now. His pain is better controlled and Drew's mood has definitely taken a turn for the better. Drew is still on the immuno-suppressing drugs and we still ask that people not come by to visit right now. He will get a CT scan tomorrow to see how the blockage is progressing; of course if his pain intensifies they will do surgery, and depending on how his CT scan goes they still may do surgery.
I, on the other hand, feel good. I'm still a wee bit sore but nothing tylenol can't handle. As you see by the prior couple of entries, my brothers are still with me. I could not have done this without their support. They have put their life on hold to help me get through this trying time so that I may get my husband well, for which I am truely greatful.
Drew's transplanted kidney is working well his creatinine is down to 1.93 so it has definiately been worth it so far.

Still Blocked Up

Sat Morning Decision

Drew is still in the hospital. He still is blocked up. A decision will be made in the morning as to whether to do surgery or not. We are praying the it clears up in the night and surgery will not be needed.

Drew in the Hospital

Pain being managed

Drew is in the hospital. They have him on a pain pump and the pain is manageable. They have said that while a partial bowel blockage is not common it is not uncommon either. They are hoping that it will work its self out in time. The hard part is just the waiting.

No Visiting Now

Due to his immuno-compromised condition they request no personal visits now.

Slight setback

Drew in Pain

Drew woke up in the middle of the night in intense pain. We got him to the ER and he seems to have developed a partial blockage in his small intestine. He's been re-admitted to the hospital. They are giving him IV pain meds. They think that the blockage will eventually work its way out. But for the time being he is staying right there.

Home Sweet Home

Yes we are home, thank God! Every time the docs made rounds Drew would ask them when could he go home. It was always the same answer, depends. Drew wanted to go home so bad that on Sunday he was just about doing cart wheels down the hall ways to show that he was ready. It worked. Drew's new kidney started working right away. His creatintin stated at 6.1 on Thursday and today it is 2.9!! Drew feels so much better.
I had some interesting experiences while I was in the hospital. First of all, the Staff on 10 tower were excellent. They were very prompt in answering the call light and I felt very well cared for. I could not have asked for any better care. But back to my interesting experiences. I have a history of major motion sickness and I didn't want to be nauseated post-op so I requested a scopolamine patch. I put the patch on the day of surgery, I was really out of it Thursday night but Friday night I was more with it. Saturday morning I woke up thinking I had really weird dreams. I attributed it to all the machines in my room such as my plum pump, my SCD hose my O2 bubbling away and my continuous pulse oximeter which makes noise. I took a nap early Saturday afternoon. I woke myself up talking to the IV pole. Now I know both Scop and morphine could cause hallucinations but I was thinking it was just a dream. Sunday morning I woke up talking to my plum pump! When I realized what I was doing I looked around to make sure no one else was in the room to hear me talking to the pump. I had a choice, either I deal with the hallucinations and keep the patch on or take the patch off and risk nauaea. I chose to keep the patch on and just not answer the machines in my room when they asked me a question. But my plan didn't work out quite that way. This morning I woke up to what I thought was a man calling out to come to his room. I almost hit the nurse call button when I remembered the hallunications so I sat up to hear where the sound was coming from and again, it was the plum pump making a weird noise.
Next time I'm going to skip the scop patch.

Monday - Home!

It's going to be a PARTY tonight

Both Millie and Drew were discharged today. They are home. I'll be there later tonight.

Dominoes tournament tomorrow night - anybody want to join us?

Patrick

Sunday Afternoon

"Don't make me laugh!"

I called and talked to Millie just now. She is sounding much better. Drew was in her room and singing in the background.

She says that while it's still "let's see" about them going home, things are looking good for being discharged tomorrow (Monday.)

I made some smart comment that Millie wasn't expecting so she started laughing ... it was painful for her. But she said that it would help break up the scar tissue.

Drew is doing excellent. His creatinine levels are markedly down. They were up to 6.9 (dialiasis-level) before the surgery. Today they were down to 3.3 which is much better. He is feeling much better too.

The calvery is coming!

My brother, John, is on his way there right now. I'll be going tomorrow after work. So we are looking forward a number of nights of Dominoes. Y'all come and join us - we can fit you in at the table.

Saturday Night

I talked to Millie about mid-day Saturday. She said that she gets conflicting reports from different people as to how long they will have to stay. I guess everyone's crystal ball is a bit cloudy. I think it is a pretty good guess that they will still be in the hospital Sunday.

Another e-mail from Sherry from 10 PM

Hello from the hospital,
Sorry about the late post. Millie and Drew both had a good day again today. Millie's been walking down the hall to Drew's room.

The nurses get a kick out of Drew's menu request of green beans, rice and chicken for every meal.

We're so proud of both of them and everyone here in the department of Anesthesia is praying for a speedy recovery. I'll check on them early tomorrow morning before leaving the hospital.
Sincerely,
Sherry

Friday Night

Report from Sherry

Hello everyone!

Millie and Drew are doing great!

Every time I saw Drew today he was on the phone and all smiles. Drew was moved to a room just down the hall from Millie today.

Millie's been up walking the halls and is doing great! She said it looks like Tuesday for her trip home. Drew will probably be later in the week.

I'm visiting tomorrow afternoon before work so I'll post again around 2 pm.
Sincerely,
Sherry

The Morning After

Groggy but "there"

I spoke with Millie and I asked her how she is doing. She said she is "there." She sounded a bit groggy but that's to be expected with the pain meds she's on. She said that Drew is doing "great!"

Sherry Reports:
Good morning everyone,
Just got done visiting with Drew and Millie. They both look great. Drew has a nice, new kidney!! Walked in and he was on the phone chatting, watching TV. Didn't look like he was just one day out of a big surgery! Millie is a little sore, but in great spirits. Hopefully they'll get to eat some decent food by the end of the day.
I'll check on them again midday and post any updates. At present, all is well
Sherry

Out of Surgery

"It's a beautiful kidney"

I just heard from Millie's surgeon, Dr. Kercher, and he said that everything went well and that they were just starting to wake Millie up. He said it was a beautiful kidney and they didn't have to fight Millie for it :-) she willing let them have it.

He said that he anticipated that she will be in the hospital about three nights but it would be a day-to-day decision.

Surgery has Started

I got a call from the OR about 7:58 saying they've started. They will call me again when they are finished.

Patrick

Tommorrow

Tomorrow is the big day, I'm ready. Today has been very hectic. I went in to work to get my files straight, JCAHO may be coming while I'm gone (gosh darn I might miss them).
The bad thing about today is I have to do a bowel prep and Drew doesn't! Is that fair? Drew's potassium is high so he has to take K-X-olate(sp?) to bring it down but he still gets to eat dinner, I'm on clear liquids. Oh Well!

We have to be at the hospital at O dark thirty (0445). I have to remember to bring my CPAP, our health care power of attorney and Drew has to bring his Prograf- they started Drew on his anti-rejection medicines yesterday. They will draw a Prograf level tomorrow before his AM dose.

Family is coming to stay with us- this is so comforting to know. Drew's brother Casey is coming Friday and leaving Sunday and both of my brothers are coming on Monday. John is coming Monday morning and Patrick is coming Monday evening. I always enjoy their company, I'm glad they are coming. My brother Patrick has volunteered to update my blog while I'm recovering so stay tuned.

3 Days Left to Go

With just a few days left before the surgery, I have turned my attention to what I call nesting. We have been getting the house in order, Drew got the carpets cleaned last week and I am making sure the spare bedrooms are presentable. Today Drew and I made out our living will and health care power of attorney, we went to the bank to get it notarized and the banks were closed, we will have to do it tomorrow. I had my pre-op anesthesia appointment today, just another hoop to jump through.
I am grateful for all the offers of help and all the prayers that are being offered. We could not have gotten this far with help from our friends and family.

6 Days and Counting

Thursday is the big day. I have to be at the hospital at 0430. Sherry insisted on picking us up at 0400 to take us to the hospital. They have to do a final cross match before we have surgery. I will go into the OR at 0645 and Drew will go in at 0730, hopefully we will both be out of surgery by around noon or 1300. I should be in the hospital 3-4 days and Drew should be in 5-7 days. I am expecting to be fairly mobile by the time I get out of the hospital, I was mobile after my hysterectomy and that was done open not laparoscopic.

Thoughts of Post-Op Care

Drew should do very well. His kidney disease will not effect his transplanted kidney. The transplanted kidney should last 10-15 or more years. Drew will live much longer then being on dialysis. The latest study I saw on being a kidney donor stated that being a donor does not shorten your life nor do you have a higher risk of developing renal failure. These stats are very comforting to me.

It's Offical

It's official, am going to give Drew a kidney on February 19. I had an appointment with the laparoscopic surgeon today, he could have made me lose more weight but he gave me his approval. Normally they take the left kidney because the vein is longer but they will be taking my right. Apparently I have two arteries to my left kidney and only one to my right which makes it easier on the transplant surgeon. Our surgery is scheduled at 0730 which means we have to be at the hospital at 0530.
Drew is such a worry wart, he started having abdominal pain this weekend thinking his Crohns disease was flaring up. I spent most of the weekend reassuring him that things are going to work out. His pain is getting much better.
We have had many offers of help from our family, friends and neighbors. I'm not quite sure how much help we will need. My brother Patrick is coming the day I should get out of the hospital and is staying the rest of the week. That will be a huge help, hopefully after that, I will be up and around and could take care of most everything else.

Getting Closer

I am one step closer to donating my kidney. I had my appointment with the transplant surgeon, he approved me for the transplant. My transplant coordinator is making me lose another 5 pounds and has threaten to postpone the surgery if I don't. I reminded her I lost 10 pounds during the holidays so I know I can lose 5 more. I bought a Wii and Wii Fit today. I played bowling and golf with Drew for over an hour today, but I got little else done.