Greetings~
With hopeful hearts we await the transplant- now less than 2 weeks away! The surgery is still planned for March 5, as scheduled, and the only new updates regard pre-op plans and procedures. Patrick has 3 plasmapheresis treatments left, Feb 28, March 1 and 4th. And he is continuing with dialysis on his regular schedule for the next two weeks. After the transplant, he may temporarily need dialysis, until his new kidney has integrated into his system. He will be in the ICU for the first few days, then in step-down, and then on the nephrology floor at UNC until being released. He will probably be in the hospital for about a week, give or take, and then go home to Mom and Dad's house in Raleigh. After the procedure, the ttransplant team will want to see him once or twice a week to check on the new kidney's function.
My pre-op appointment is Feb 28. I'll be checking in with the surgical team, and receive prep instructions. The surgery is very serious, of course, because of the anesthesia, but I have relatively little pre and post instructions, compared to Patrick. The only medication I should need is for pain. And for the first month after surgery I will not be able to lift anything more than 5 pounds, or drive my car due to the risk of hernia. But I will be good-as-new just in time for spring, and am looking forward to spending quality time with loved ones during the recovering period. I feel so blessed to have an amazing community of family and friends. For the first week or so after the transplant, I'll stay at my sister, Stephanie's, house in Pittsboro. Then home to Greensboro, and to continue recovering for a few weeks before going back to work and school at UNCG. The function of my remaining kidney will increase and eventually it will grow larger and stronger. So it's about to be on! As the transplant draws closer, we are grateful for this blessing and feel uplifted by grace and love!
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