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.