Boring...?

Well, it was three months and one week since the big day. My liver is (I hope) happily living in Salinas. I am finally starting to feel much better. My bad reaction to one of the immunosuppressants really knocked me back. I was sick for five weeks or so and I think I am a month behind in recovery. I was so weak when I got out of the hospital, but am getting so much stronger every day.
I don't have to go back to UCSF for three months! Yee haw! And I only need blood tests every other week. My kidney function inched up a little more, and I am so grateful for that--I can really notice how much better I feel.
I think my scar is appalling--Lon says it is a badge of honor! I get "jiggle belly" when I'm up too long or go on a long car ride and "swelly belly" most every evening , probably to remind me of this miracle. I have 23 prescriptions that I take on a regular basis and a few more as needed. I take about 16 pills every morning and 9 every night. I think I'm real tough because I can chug them all in about five minutes. It's good to develop new talents.
I an so thankful this is becoming boring. It sure beats exciting!

More good news

Three weeks ago I went to the kidney transplant evaluation. I passed with flying colors! I was trustworthy enough to afford meds and I would take them on time. I had someone to daycare me after the surgery and take me to follow up appointments, etc. etc.
Well today they called and I got kicked off the list! My kidneys are working too well (barely!) to get a transplant! I am feeling so much better than even two or three weeks ago. I would say it's a miracle!

Something interesting happened...

It's about time for some good news. I have a blood test weekly now (instead of twice a week). My arm is enjoying the break.
Last Tuesday we went to UCSF for a kidney transplant evaluation. We were there from 11:45 until after 6. My kidney function had fallen to about 11%. Dialysis starts at probably 10%. It was very discouraging. The good news is that Lon is willing to be a living donor; he has lost 25 pounds to qualify. I was accepted to be put on the list.
All week I've been feeling pretty well. In fact I think I'd be back to normal if I hadn't lost so much muscle the month I was sick. I've been walking more, but my strength stinks! Well yesterday I went for my lab work and this morning we saw the results. My kidney function has jumped to 19%. It is an absolute miracle! We are able to graph my kidney function and it only changes one or two per cent at a time. I have no idea what caused such a huge jump in the function, but I am very grateful for that, as well as feeling better. Thanks for all the prayers!

The Wedding!!!!!!

Who'd a thunk we'd even make it? It was wonderful!! The Washington D.C. Temple is just beautiful inside and out. Karen's sister-in-law is an amazing photographer and happened to be there a couple weeks before the wedding and took formal pictures. Aren't they great?

We made it!!!!

Thanks to tons of prayers on our behalf, some romantic nurses and doctors who wouldn't give up, and some Southwest Airline finessing, we made it to the wedding! We were scheduled to leave last Wednesday as I laid in the hospital bed. That was the low point--watching the clock tick past the takeoff time.
Boy could the hospital move fast when it wanted to! While they were busy doing that, Lon was checking out flights and rebooking, etc. We left Friday morning and had to pay only a small amount extra. Things are working!
My pride and strength are both sorely lacking, so I cheerfully used a wheelchatr in the airport. The plane was freezing, and luckily our friend who took us loaned me a warm blanket which I wrapped up in like a mummy. Same comment about pride here!
We flew into Baltimore--about a 40 minute drive to the hotel near the temple. All the kids were staying there. It was fun to see them, but there may have been a tear or two.
It's in the middle of the night (insomnia?)so the wedding details will be tomorrow.

Home!

Yesterday I got home from the hospital. It was a miserable visit. I had been incarcerated since Friday. It felt so good to drive up the driveway and hear the hound yapping. I'm not so dehydrated anymore and my arms are truly a mess. Not only do they look abused, the bruises really hurt.
They decided all of my problems were med related, so they switched most of them around. Lon spends an inordinate amount of time at the pharmacy and manages to keep everything straight. I am so happy he does the med day care.

The Blood Robot

On my way to the elevator in the UCSF hospital I saw an interesting sight. There was a robot cart heading for the elevators, that was announcing that it was getting on the elevator and not to get on with it. Two medical people were chasing it and kept hitting the stop button. When they hit the stop button it would say that it would stop for 30 seconds. While it was stopped they were desperately trying to open it's lock code to get inside. The robot made it all the way to the elevators before they got the access code through a phone call. They pulled out a cooler container and it promptly summoned an empty elevator and went inside.
It brought back thoughts of all the books and movies where man created robots take over the world. For a while it seemed like the robot was winning, but eventually man prevailed!