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.

Giant Step

Today I met with the transplant coordinator, the nephrologist and a social worker. They each asked me if I really wanted to donate my kidney to my husband. I told each of them that I absolutely wanted to do it. It is going to be scary but I got a lot of good information from each person. I need to get several people involved to help coordinate our post op care. That is what's the scariest; depending on others to care for us. There will be about 2 or 3 weeks where we will depend on others to look after us.
I also need to lose more weight. That's tough. I will also need to keep it off so I don't develop diabetes later in life which could lead to kidney failure.
This is the first big step toward my goal of getting my husband to feel better and get back to his old self.