Edit on zip code...sorry!!!

I am so sorry for the delay in the "We are Home" update....but We Are Home!  Well homeish!  We are staying at David's mom's house because she does not have any steps, there will be someone here 24/7, and she has already gone through this with him so she knows how to help out!  Not sure exactly how long we will be here but it will probably be a few weeks. 

Several have asked for the address in order to send cards or such

203 Cleveland Ave.
Lancaster, Ohio 43130

So Monday we a pretty eventful day.  David was taken down to the O.R. around 6:30am for his surgery to remove his PD catheter.  We were told that the surgery was supposed to be at 7:30am.  I walked down to the surgical waiting area and was looking for his tracking number.  Once I finally go it I was really confused because it was past 7:30 and it was still saying he was in preop.  And the surgical start time kept getting later until it said 9:30.  I was so confused.  I even asked the lady at the desk and she said they didn't have him scheduled until 9:30.  Finally my buzzer when off and I went up to the desk and they told me preop wanted to talk to me so I had to go to a certain phone.  At this point I thought something was wrong and the surgery was going to be cancelled.  The nurse on the phone explained that an emergency surgery came up and David's got bumped back.  So she let me go to preop and sit with David until they took him back.  He didn't end up going back until 10 and was done by 10:30.  He didn't get back to the room until 11:30.  They ended up giving him the last dose of the chemo type drug which took 4 hours.  So he wasn't done until  5:15. 

Then this happened.............

So....the story of why we ALMOST didn't go home on Monday.   David had gone in to use the restroom (did I mention he pees a lot!) lol and he yelled to me "Alice go get the nurse!!"  I had slightly dozed off, I jumped up and ran to get her (not knowing what was going on).  When I came back with her David was standing in the bathroom and the incision from that mornings surgery to remove his dialysis catheter was leaking out clear fluid, lot's of clear fluid.  To the point where it was dripping on the floor so he had to hold a towel to it.  His stomach in that area was also a lot more swollen than it previous was.  Our nurse had never seen anything like that before and she was pretty concerned.  She called the doctor and there was an intern with another patient on the floor so he was going to come over when he finished.  Our nurse did mention that just as warning this could prevent us from going home today. 

The doctor came in about 15 minutes later and took a look, he said that everything was fine.  What was happening was (as far as I understand it) David has some dialysis fluid left in his stomach in that area and when they removed his catheter from his belly his body left "tracks" from where it layed inside his stomach for so long so the fluid moved to those tracks once it was removed and it was now leaking out of the incision.   He put a new dressing on it, told us to try to keep it as dry as possible so the incision would heal up, and WE COULD STILL GO HOME!!!!   

David still had to have his central line pulled out by this point so his nurse came in and prepared to do that.  they use two stitches to hold it in place, so she had to remove those and then pulled it out.  David had to lay flat for 30 minutes after that because he could bleed out if he didn't.  While he laid I took a load of stuff out to the car and picked up stuff from the pharmacy. 

When all was said and done....We left the hospital by 7:30ish.. We swung by our house to pick up a few things and then headed down to his moms house.

We ate something real quick and we both hit the bed!!

Yesterday we slept!  I had to run a few errands in the morning but then I took a nap.  I had to run to Westerville for a student teaching orientation.  I actually really enjoyed getting away for a few minutes (even though I missed David and thought of him the WHOLE time).  I got back ate and went back to bed.  So I do apologize for the lack of updates yesterday....we were sleeping!

So from this point on David will have a home health care nurse come out twice a week for a few weeks,  they will do his bloodwork, and check up on him.  David goes back to see the surgeon September 14th and follows up with his nephrologist  in October.  We have to contact his Transplant coordinator if there are any problems that come up but otherwise we just monitor vitals at home, take medication, and get blood draws done. 

We have had several families line up to provide us meals so we APPRECIATE that so much!!!  We are so thankful for all the cards and gifts that have been given to us.  Please know that we are using the gifts wisely to cover bills, medication, and gas.  I am still waiting to find out how much his anti-rejection medication will be each month (not going to lie I am nervous about this) but God has brought us and provided for us this far He will not let us down now! 

Karen is resting up at home.  Her incision is bleeding a bit so she is heading back to OSU tomorrow for her surgeon to take a look at it to make sure things are ok.  If you would like to send her a card or meal please just email me allie4donation@gmail.com  I can pass that information along to you! 

I am planning to head back to work on Monday.  I am excited to get to know my kiddos but I am NOT looking forward from being away from David for so long!  

Please continue to pray for healing of his incisions, swelling to go down, and pain to go away.  Pray for Karen's incision to stop bleeding and everything to be good with that. 

If you want to visit David please just call or text us.  Again, if you are sick or been around someone who is sick please do not visit.  Also, don't be offended if David wears a mask or if we ask you to wear a mask or use hand sanitizer.  David does not really have an immune system right now so we need to keep him as healthy as possible.  We don't want to overwhelm David with visitors but I know it will be an encouragement to him to see friends and family! 

We love you all and I do promise to keep updating but for now....a nap! 
love,
alice

Home Sweet Home....

I am so sorry for the delay in the "We are Home" update....but We Are Home!  Well homeish!  We are staying at David's mom's house because she does not have any steps, there will be someone here 24/7, and she has already gone through this with him so she knows how to help out!  Not sure exactly how long we will be here but it will probably be a few weeks. 

Several have asked for the address in order to send cards or such

203 Cleveland Ave.
Lancaster, Ohio 14130

So Monday we a pretty eventful day.  David was taken down to the O.R. around 6:30am for his surgery to remove his PD catheter.  We were told that the surgery was supposed to be at 7:30am.  I walked down to the surgical waiting area and was looking for his tracking number.  Once I finally go it I was really confused because it was past 7:30 and it was still saying he was in preop.  And the surgical start time kept getting later until it said 9:30.  I was so confused.  I even asked the lady at the desk and she said they didn't have him scheduled until 9:30.  Finally my buzzer when off and I went up to the desk and they told me preop wanted to talk to me so I had to go to a certain phone.  At this point I thought something was wrong and the surgery was going to be cancelled.  The nurse on the phone explained that an emergency surgery came up and David's got bumped back.  So she let me go to preop and sit with David until they took him back.  He didn't end up going back until 10 and was done by 10:30.  He didn't get back to the room until 11:30.  They ended up giving him the last dose of the chemo type drug which took 4 hours.  So he wasn't done until  5:15. 

Then this happened.............

So....the story of why we ALMOST didn't go home on Monday.   David had gone in to use the restroom (did I mention he pees a lot!) lol and he yelled to me "Alice go get the nurse!!"  I had slightly dozed off, I jumped up and ran to get her (not knowing what was going on).  When I came back with her David was standing in the bathroom and the incision from that mornings surgery to remove his dialysis catheter was leaking out clear fluid, lot's of clear fluid.  To the point where it was dripping on the floor so he had to hold a towel to it.  His stomach in that area was also a lot more swollen than it previous was.  Our nurse had never seen anything like that before and she was pretty concerned.  She called the doctor and there was an intern with another patient on the floor so he was going to come over when he finished.  Our nurse did mention that just as warning this could prevent us from going home today. 

The doctor came in about 15 minutes later and took a look, he said that everything was fine.  What was happening was (as far as I understand it) David has some dialysis fluid left in his stomach in that area and when they removed his catheter from his belly his body left "tracks" from where it layed inside his stomach for so long so the fluid moved to those tracks once it was removed and it was now leaking out of the incision.   He put a new dressing on it, told us to try to keep it as dry as possible so the incision would heal up, and WE COULD STILL GO HOME!!!!   

David still had to have his central line pulled out by this point so his nurse came in and prepared to do that.  they use two stitches to hold it in place, so she had to remove those and then pulled it out.  David had to lay flat for 30 minutes after that because he could bleed out if he didn't.  While he laid I took a load of stuff out to the car and picked up stuff from the pharmacy. 

When all was said and done....We left the hospital by 7:30ish.. We swung by our house to pick up a few things and then headed down to his moms house.

We ate something real quick and we both hit the bed!!

Yesterday we slept!  I had to run a few errands in the morning but then I took a nap.  I had to run to Westerville for a student teaching orientation.  I actually really enjoyed getting away for a few minutes (even though I missed David and thought of him the WHOLE time).  I got back ate and went back to bed.  So I do apologize for the lack of updates yesterday....we were sleeping!

So from this point on David will have a home health care nurse come out twice a week for a few weeks,  they will do his bloodwork, and check up on him.  David goes back to see the surgeon September 14th and follows up with his nephrologist  in October.  We have to contact his Transplant coordinator if there are any problems that come up but otherwise we just monitor vitals at home, take medication, and get blood draws done. 

We have had several families line up to provide us meals so we APPRECIATE that so much!!!  We are so thankful for all the cards and gifts that have been given to us.  Please know that we are using the gifts wisely to cover bills, medication, and gas.  I am still waiting to find out how much his anti-rejection medication will be each month (not going to lie I am nervous about this) but God has brought us and provided for us this far He will not let us down now! 

Karen is resting up at home.  Her incision is bleeding a bit so she is heading back to OSU tomorrow for her surgeon to take a look at it to make sure things are ok.  If you would like to send her a card or meal please just email me allie4donation@gmail.com  I can pass that information along to you! 

I am planning to head back to work on Monday.  I am excited to get to know my kiddos but I am NOT looking forward from being away from David for so long!  

Please continue to pray for healing of his incisions, swelling to go down, and pain to go away.  Pray for Karen's incision to stop bleeding and everything to be good with that. 

If you want to visit David please just call or text us.  Again, if you are sick or been around someone who is sick please do not visit.  Also, don't be offended if David wears a mask or if we ask you to wear a mask or use hand sanitizer.  David does not really have an immune system right now so we need to keep him as healthy as possible.  We don't want to overwhelm David with visitors but I know it will be an encouragement to him to see friends and family! 

We love you all and I do promise to keep updating but for now....a nap! 
love,
alice

Going home.......

I am pleased to announce that we have been approved to go home today officially as soon as a few things happen. 

David's surgery was pushed back this morning due to an emergency case that got put in front of him.  So he didn't actually get into surgery until 10am,  he was back in his room by 11:30ish.  We were informed that David DID have to have his last IV of the Chemo drug they were giving him to kill his immune system.  So that takes 4 hours.  They started it around 1:15 won't be done til 5:15pm then they will pull his central line from his neck and he will have to lay flat for 30 min.  After that we just needs to pick up a script and then we are out of here!!! 

We have been VERY busy since David got out of surgery today.  Meeting with Social Work, training with a nurse, fighting with pharmacies and insurance, filling prescriptions.  It has been a bit over whelming.  But we are so thankful that we get to do all this because this means DAVID HAS A KIDNEY!!!!! 

We did learn a few new things about going home that we need to share with all of you.  If you are planning to make meals we learned that David can only have PASTEURIZED Dairy.  That means he can not have organic dairy or farm fresh eggs.  It has to be PASTEURIZED.  Other than that he is on a low sodium normal diet!

We again, are so thankful for all of you and your prayers during this time.  We have felt so incredibly loved and supported. 

This is not the end of our blog....I will keep you updated in the future of what is going on and how David is doing.  We like to think of this as the beginning.  The beginning of a new life with a new kidney!

love,
David and Alice 

A Busy Day and a Long night.....Ladies and Gentlemen meet Peaches and Cream!

We had a pretty good day yesterday but it was busy!  We ended up with lots of visitors we weren't expecting but were blessed by.  In the morning we actually had to cancel a few visitors because we didn't think David would be feeling up to it and they were driving pretty far.  But around noon he took a turn for the better and started feeling better. 

Dear friends of ours pulled off the best thing about yesterday.  Backstory:  before we really knew how long David would be in the hospital he was telling people at church that he would be there on Sunday as long as he was out of the hospital.  Well I had my high doubts that he should go to church even if he was out of the hospital.  So good friends of ours worked it out by using the app Periscope to stream the service live for us.  So essentially David WAS at church yesterday just not in the physical sense.  It was such a huge blessing.  The whole service was about God's amazing Grace and we have seen nothing but that this week.  We love our church family and it was great to worship with them! 

So as I said we ended up with a lot of visitors yesterday, as one left it seemed like another one came.  In between visitors we had some training for once we go home with our nurse.  We already knew a lot of the stuff but some things were a good reminder or totally new.

Highlights:
*David is only allowed to drink bottled water or filtered water the rest of his life.
*If he gardens or does yard work he has to wear gloves and a mask (too many bugs and fungus)
*He will have blood draws twice a week for 3 months,  once a week for 3 more months, then every other week for 3 more months, then once a month for a few years.   This is just to make sure his medication is right and kidney is still functioning. 
*He should be able to drive in 2 weeks!!!
*He should not be around house plants or live flowers (again due to fungus)


We go news in the morning yesterday that David's creatinine is down to 2!  He is producing lots of urine still.  They did have to cut back on his fluids and no food because of some gas stomach pains he was having but he did get to drink a little last night.  Once he is able to drink more I am sure his kidney will be happy! 

He did decide to name his kidney.  Since it came from Georgia he named it Peaches and Cream,  Peaches for short! 

Karen is doing well, she got to spend time with her boys yesterday and they wore her out!  She told me they were there for 4 hours and she slept for 3 after they left! 

So where do we go from here?  David is having a small surgery this morning (as I type this) to get his dialysis catheter removed.  It should just take about an half hour once he is in the O.R.  He will be put under general anesthesia but it shouldn't be a big deal.  After he is back to his room we will probably have to meet with more people, social work, nurses, etc. to make sure we are prepared to go home and hopefully by this evening we will be home!

Once we are home we aren't really going home.  We will be heading to David's mom's house.  She doesn't have any steps and there will be someone home with David 24 hours a day between everyones schedule.  We will be there a few weeks probably.  We are open to visitors there or if you want to wait til we are home that is fine too.  Just contact me (text or Facebook) and we can set up a time.

It looks like (as long as we get out of the hospital today) that I plan to go back to work on Monday, August.31st.  This obviously could change but that is what I am shooting for!  I need to get back as soon as possible because I will have to take off when David has dr's appointments.

I am sure I am leaving lot's of important information to share out but to be honest I am exhausted.  We barely slept last night and were up super early this morning preparing for surgery.  We were told it would be at 7:30am, but the tracking board is showing 9:20am (and the time keeps getting pushed back).  Not sure what is going on but one lady at the desk has been really helpful and one has been EXTREMELY rude.    They came and got him at 6:30 this morning so I can't imagine his surgery is really at 9:20am.

Oh well.....updates soon!

love,
alice 

Top 10 List

Not able to sleep right now so I thought I would make a Top Ten List of things to know as the caregiver at a hospital (specifically OSU).

10. BYOB......Bring your own blanket (and neck pillow)-
                Yes, the nurses will give you one but it is so much easier to have your own.  I got a $2.88 fleece blanket from walmart that is perfect...big enough to cover me up, warm, but small enough to fold and easily transport with out too much bulk.  Neck pillows are a MUST!

9. Cleansing Wipes-
                  Every hospital does not always provide a shower for the care giver.  I have been blessed to run to my in-laws hotel room and shower there but some sort of cleansing wipe is perfect when you just want to freshen up a bit, it can actually help you feel so much better!

8. Flip flops AND tennis shoes-
                    Flip Flops are great for night time (no one wants to walk barefoot on a hospital floor).  But Tennis shoes are a must when you are walking the halls with your loved one and should be worn through out the day for your own back support!

7. Don't go to the cafeteria for comfort food-
                  I don't know about you but when I get stressed I want comfort food, greasy fries, a great burger......I don't want to eat healthy.  At OSU they have a pretty healthy variety in their cafeteria.   But THEY HAVE NO FRENCH FRIES!!!!  Good thing there is a Wendy's in the basement and it is open until 3am.  I highly suggest their Cod fish sandwich!

6. Be honest-
             People care a lot.   They want to help, they want to visit, but your main priority during your hospital stay is your loved one.  You have to learn to be honest.  This is hard for someone like me who is a people pleaser,,,,,I don't like to disappoint anyone.  But I have learned I have to be honest and tell them when David isn't up for visitors, asking people to leave the room so David can have privacy, and so forth.  I don't always like it but it is necessary.  Everyone has been so understanding and I appreciate that!

5. Pack a suitcase and leave it in the car-
           Everyone knows hospital rooms are not huge.  As the caregiver there may not be room or you may not be able to carry a suitcase plus everything else.  So what I did was I packed my big suitcase with everything I will need and I left it in the car.  I have a smaller bag as well.  I take just what I need for the day out of the suit case and put it in the smaller bag.  I also keep a garbage bag in the car for dirty clothes.  This allows me to not lug everything I don't currently need and it is a nice reason to go outside and get some fresh air even if it is only for a few minutes.

4. USE CASH-
         I learned long ago to use cash at the hospital.  When you use your debit/credit card you quickly lose track of how much you have spent (no time or energy to balance a check book) and you end up spending WAY more than you should.  However, If you use cash for everything you know how much you have left and it saves a TON of money. 

3. Bring a Turtle-
         Ok not a REAL turtle but we found (David and Shawn) these turtle massage things.  They vibrate and look like the shape of a turtle.  They have been huge in helping relax and work on knots in David's back from laying in the bed.  I think they found them at Andersons or you can get them on Amazon.



2. Protein is your best friend-
                I realized how important protein was one night when I realized I had eaten practically all day.  I think it was surgery day and I just didn't eat much.  It was in the middle of the night and I started feeling nauseous due to lack of food, I remembered my sister had give me some protein bars and I took just one bite and felt tons better.  Protein is important!


AND NUMBER ONE......
1.  BYOMTD-BRING YOUR OWN MT. DEW!
            OSU is a coke only campus so finding a Mt. Dew is impossible!  Thankfully my friends and family know me well and gave me plenty of Mt. Dew to get me by!!!!

I hope this list helps someone, some day. Or at least you learned a little more about some of the important things I have learned.  I think I will try to catch a quick nap with my neck pillow and blanket now!

Alice

What day is it?

I have had a hard time keeping up with what day it is in here.  I am pretty sure today is Saturday.  Compared to the past few days, today was relatively uneventful.  David slept most of the day.  He still isn't feeling well, and the anti-rejection IV meds they are giving him are a type of chemo so it knocks him out when he is getting them.  We have 2 more days of them.  He is still having some belly issues but we were assured by the doctor that it had nothing to do with his kidney it is just post surgical things. 

David's creatinine is down to 3!!!!!  Praise the Lord!  He was started on another second anti-rejection med today that is oral and he will go home taking this one. 

He is still a champ with his urine production and has actually lost weight  while in here, where most patients gain about 10 lbs because they are being pumped with so many fluids but David has actually lost quite a bit...in a healthy way!

Karen went home today.  It is weird to be here without her.  I walked by her room and someone elses name is there and it was a very weird feeling.  HOWEVER, I am so glad she is home, resting, and being blessed.  She texted me and said someone has already brought her a meal and snacks for the boys, plus someone else brought her some groceries and plastic plates so she doesn't have to worry about dishes.  I am so thankful for these people who are blessing HER!  I do think about it often and feel the need to help her out but we are still in the hospital so I am glad that this is another situation where God has clearly said, "I got this!"  If you are interested in making her a meal (even one to freeze for later) or bless her with groceries or anything like that please just contact me and I will get you in contact with her.

We are continued to be blessed by our Go Fund Me page.  After talking with the social worker the past few days I remembered how expensive the anti-rejection medications are, well the co-pay for them.  The money from that page will be a huge help in starting to cover those costs until David goes back to work.  I am trusting God to once again say, "I got this!". 

http://www.gofundme.com/DashforDavidB

I won't lie...I want to be completely honest on this blog because when we started this whole process of dialysis four years ago, I searched and searched for a blog like this of someone who had been through what we were going through and I couldn't find one.  So I pray that someone who needs it will be able to find our blog and be encouraged and find that there is hope.

With that being said, today was pretty emotionally hard on me.  As bad as this sounds, I am pretty used to seeing David not feel well.  He cramps during dialysis....I can stretch his legs for him, he is nauseous......I can hold a bucket for him,  He is dizzy......I can hold him up so he doesn't fall.  But with the stomach pains he is having right now and the uncomfortableness he is feeling there is NOTHING I can do.  The doctor told us...he just has to work through it.  I am helpless.  I HATE BEING HELPLESS.  But I was reminded as I was holding David up either last night or this morning I can pray.  So that is what I do....I pray that God will relieve the pain, He will ease the pressure, and help David to feel better.  I don't get immediate answers or results, but one thing I have learned over the past 5 years is God's timing is perfect and we need to be patient in waiting for it.  He is faithful and relief will come.

So today has been a bit emotionally draining for me, plus I am tired and my back hurts from the chair (STOP COMPLAINING ALICE...YOUR HUSBAND HAS A WORKING KIDNEY).....I really don't want to come across as complaining because the truth is I would not change a thing because we have a private room, I am able to stay with my husband, and God is being glorified.  But I would like to suggest to OSU and all hospitals to have on staff FREE back massages for care givers of patients at all food court locations!  LOL!!!!  

I don't have many pictures today, actually only one.  This evening we ventured outside for some fresh air and there are fountains outside of the hospital....very pretty and very relaxing. 

Tomorrow we have a few visitors scheduled,  but it is all pending David is feeling ok in the morning.  Tomorrow will also be a busy day of learning his meds, home care training, and whatever else we need to learn about! 

We did have some surprise visitors today from good friends, to people we don't know directly but have been in our situation and they just wanted to come encourage us and pray with us!  GOD IS GOOD!  ALL GLORY TO HIM! 

1 Corinthians 10:31  So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

This next verse is encouraging to me because God is all we need....Moses led his people through WAY more struggles than David and I will ever experience and God never let His people down.

Exodus 3:14  God said to Moses, “I am who I am

 

 Habakkuk 3:19 (the message)
Though the cherry trees don’t blossom
    and the strawberries don’t ripen,
Though the apples are worm-eaten
    and the wheat fields stunted,
Though the sheep pens are sheepless
    and the cattle barns empty,
I’m singing joyful praise to God.
    I’m turning cartwheels of joy to my Savior God.
Counting on God’s Rule to prevail,
    I take heart and gain strength.
I run like a deer.
    I feel like I’m king of the mountain!

I was walking the halls with David this evening and I heard this beautiful voice singing "I believe in the Son, I believe in the Living One......"  I looked around and saw that a PCA (patient Care Assistant) was singing this song.  I went up to her and just thanked her for the encouragement.  I love that song and it was so uplifting to hear her singing it as she took care of getting patients vital signs.  What a blessing that the Lord provided in the most unusual way.  I know she will encourage many other patients and maybe this will be a way that other patients will come to know the Lord through this PCA! 


love,
alice

New Room......again, a day of ups and downs

So last night I wrote a blog post using my phone and I lost the whole thing so I am starting it over again today, about yesterday....

Friday was a day of ups and downs.   Around midnight Friday morning (Thursday night?) David's time on "special care" came to an end.  He was doing great and getting transferred to a regular room on the transplant floor.  He was finally allowed to sit up in bed and even stand up after being on bed rest for 24 hours after transplant.  He did great!  He walked to the new room down the hall with no assistance! 

The new room was a double room, but there was no roommate at the time.  That allowed me to continue to stay with him.  Around 6am Friday morning we were awake and after rounds David got up and wanted to walk the halls.  We grabbed Karen and the two of them became track stars.  They walked so much!!  Some of the residents who were still doing rounds even joked around with David asking him if he wanted to join in on rounds since we kept passing them in the hall so much.  We arn't just talking they walked down the hall and back.....they were doing laps in the entire floor.  We walked down to the cafeteria and back twice (breakfast and dinner), they were rock stars at walking.  Both of them became very steady on their feet immediately and were complete champs.

A little later in the day we did get word that David was getting a roommate and I have to admit it was the first time I felt disappointed.  I knew that meant I couldn't stay with David.  However, Karen told me that no one was staying with her Friday night so I could "sleep" in her room that night at least so I wouldn't have to leave the hospital, so that was amazing.  Once his roommate came, we quickly realized that this was not going to work.  The room then became SO SMALL and we had/will be having a lot of visitors, it just was not a comfortable situation.  On one of our walks we noticed several private rooms were being cleaned so we did ask our nurse if David could get one and almost immediately one of our nurses from the night before had already arranged for David to be moved to one of them.  So, we moved again.  All of the rooms have been on the same hall, but now we have a private room, plenty of space, and we are so incredibly thankful for this blessing. 

We know this was all in God's plan because David had a rough night last night (Friday night) with severe Gas pains and needing some space and privacy.  In the shared room it would have been MISERABLE and little to no rest, but instead God provided a private room, plenty of room, and the opportunity for rest.

Yesterday, Karen received from her nurse a "goodie bag" with a shirt about being a living donor.  It is so cool!  I teased her that she gave a kidney and got a shirt in return....lol!  But at the end of the post I will put some pictures of Karen in her new shirt and David. 

We had lot's of visitors yesterday, unfortunately not all of them got to see David because he was in a lot of pain.  But it has been very encouraging to see faces that we know and love.  When you are in the hospital for any extended stay you almost forget that life is going on in the "outside world". 

We have been so blessed by the nursing staff here.  There is just one nurse that we have had that has been "odd".  She was super friendly but just a little different.  Our other nurses have made us feel like we have been friends forever. So caring, RESPECTFUL OF PRIVACY, and really good at what they do.  Our day nurse has been the same person and she is AMAZING! Another blessing from God. 

So what about the kidney?   It is doing amazing!  David's creatinine  (the function of his kidney) started before transplant at a 12, dropped to 10.4,  then to 7.4,  6.5, 5, and this morning it was 3!!!!   PRAISE HIM, PRAISE HIM, PRAISE HIM!    David is still producing a lot of urine, so the "sickness' and feelings he has now is not from his kidney it is just after effects of surgery. 

Another humorous story from yesterday,   On Monday David will actually be having another surgery to remove the dialysis catheter from his belly.  So on Friday the anesthesiologist came in to talk to David about the surgery (because he will need to be put on general anesthesia for the procedure) and David's phone rings.  I answered it and it was OSU calling to tell us about the surgery.  They wanted to make sure we were at the hospital at 5am on Monday and so forth.  I giggled and told the lady that we were actually IN the hospital now and that David just had a transplant and won't even be discharged until at least Monday afternoon.  She sounded a bit frazzled after that .....it was just funny that the timing was so perfect that the anesthesiologist was in there at the exact time they called.  (or maybe it is just so funny from lack of sleep...either way I got a giggle!) 

I have lost all train of thought as to what I was going to write next so instead I should take that as a sign to get off here. 

Again, our prayer warriors are amazing and we could not get through this without you!  God has blessed us beyond we could imagine.  Don't stop praying (i know you won't).  We appreciate ALL of you!!! 

happy peeing,
alice

These are some verse that have encouraged me lately....we serve a God loves us and NEVER forsakes us.......if you don't know this God....call me, I want to tell you about HIM! 
No one should go through life without a relationship with my God!

Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
    his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint,
    and to him who has no might he increases strength.  Isaiah 40:28-29

 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
    and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
    and the flame shall not consume you.   Isaiah 43:2


"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”  Joshua 1:9

New Room

We were moved into a general room tonight/this morning (around 12:30 am)... David walked all the way thereand is sitting in a chair like a champ.  He is eatig solid foods and feeling and looking great!  Tomorrow...errr later today we will get him walking around the unit!!!

Day 1 of a new kidney and new life....

God continues to pour out HIS blessings on this kidney and David and Karen today.
**This post contains information about urine...if it grosses you out just know David is doing well.
Otherwise...keep on reading!

Overnight the nurse had to check and empty his urine bag.  It has been SO FULL each time.  He has made well over 20 liters of urine so far.  THAT IS A LOT!  They have backed down on giving him fluids and things are great!

Creatinine basically is the measure of how well the kidney is functioning.  The lower the number the better.  David started out at a 12 (extremely high...but normal for little to no kidney function).  By 6 am it had dropped to 10.2....the latest labs have shown it has dropped again to 7.4!!!!!  That is huge!!  It tells us his kidney is working and function is good.  The number should continue to drop over the next several days.  By the time he leaves the hospital it should be below 2.

David looks FANTASTIC.  He feels really good.  Still very sleepy but he is actually sleeping.  He has been sleeping in between the nurse checks.  He said early this morning that he FEELS like he has more energy and the tired feeling he has is different than before.  PRAISE GOD!!!

They are giving him some pretty potent immune suppressant drugs today and the first dose can have some pretty intense side effects, but so far we haven't seen any!  The only hiccup so far is his phosphorus levels are still a little high (phosphorus is in the foods you eat) so they have him still taking his binder pills when he eats and his diet is a little restricted to low phosphorus foods. BUT he is allowed to have solid foods today!

Karen is also doing AMAZING!  The surgeon told her that both of her kidney's were beautiful and he almost took a picture of the one they took from her because it was so wonderful and beautiful.  The person that got her kidney will be blessed!  She is feeling good, she is walking around.  She has come to visit David a few times today.  She may even be able to go home tomorrow or Saturday (her choice!).

I am tired.  However, I was blessed with a shower today!!!!!  (Everyone said AMEN!)  I went over to David's mom's hotel (less than 2 min. from the hospital) and took a shower and it helped me feel refreshed.  I haven't slept more than 8 hours total in the past 3-4 days but I get small cat naps here and there.   It is not because people have not offered to help me or cover hospital duty for me so I could rest, it is just that I can't rest unless I am at the hospital with David.  It is hard to explain but I NEED to be here and I don't mind little sleep because of it.  I am just so blessed that I have been able to stay with him here at the hospital and I praise God for that blessing!

Overall, we are doing fantastic.  I was reading to David this morning some of the hundreds of comments from Facebook yesterday.  We are just blown away by the multitude of support we have had!  I will someday thanks individuals but for now my sleepy brain just wants to thank all of you!!

I will probably continue to update the blog one big entry a day.  If you call or text and i don't respond please don't take it personal, I just may have my phone off in order to focus on David.

We love you all, if you do plan on coming to visit please contact me, David's parents, or my parents just so we can plan for you.  We do need to keep visitors to just two people at a time since David is immune suppressed. And as I said before if you are sick or have been around someone who has been sick please do not visit.  Even a small cold to you could mean severe infection to David.  Thank you!

Love you all and appreciate your support and PRAYERS!!!!
Alice

Some pictures from the past day or two.

Let's just say that it was late/really early and I was losing my mind waiting!  Fun times happened in that waiting room!

TO GOD BE THE GLORY!!!!!

To God be the Glory....the transplant is a success so far!!!!

It took about 3.5 hours but the kidney looked good, it is functioning, David is making urine already (I know it sounds gross but this is a HUGE sign that it is working!).

The surgeon sounded really positive!!!

We immediately bowed and Praised God for HIS blessings on David.

I still haven't seen him...he will be in recovery until about 1:30am but then he will come back to the room and recovery will begin!  

The only thing we can do is give Glory to God, through the struggles, through the defeat, and through the celebration HE is GOOD, HE is MIGHTY, HE is ABLE!!

More updates and details tomorrow.  We are ALL very tired, a bit slap happy, and VERY thankful for a successful transplant.

Now it is time to pray away rejection, infection, and any complications.

We ask for little to no visitors tomorrow (Thursday) because the first 24 hours are critical.

Thank you friends...you are the best support we could ever have!!!

Karen update....she is doing amazing!!!!  Feeling good, ready to get out of bed, but still resting!

love,
sleepy alice

Some pictures of what we did to pass the time, and right before surgery!  

Update on DAvid

So they didn't end up taking David back until almost 6:30pm.  Not sure why there was a delay but we did find out that once the kidney arrived they prep and check it before cutting David open just incase there was something wrong with the kidney.

ONce they finally came and got him I wont' lie I kinda lost it watching him roll away. 

I got something to eat and we started waiting. 

That is now...just waiting. 

We are the only ones in the waiting area........they have started turning off the lights...lol!  Even the desk staff have left but they gave my number to the O.R. so when there are updates they will call my cell.

They did not start the actual surgery until 8:04pm so it won't be until 11 or midnight when the surgery is over...then about 2 hours in recovery...then BACK TO OUR ROOM!!!!! 

We had an awesome time of prayer before surgery with a whole lot of people in David's room (Leah even pulled in the PCA) and just now our pastor Tom came to check up on David and prayed with us all here in the waiting room.


We know you all are all praying......don't stop now!!!

I will update when he is out!

Alice

Karen is awake and doing well....

I was sitting in David's room and I looked out in the hall and saw Karen's feet on a bed being wheeled by....the nurse stopped and said, " She wanted to tell Dave she is back and doing well!" 

We followed her back to her room and she is a champ!!!  She did so well, she was talking and feeling pretty good.

She is working on her breathing now (pray the gas from anesthesia comes out quickly and her lungs continue to fill up again), but she is doing so well.  She is in very little pain right now and has some good meds in her!

Praise God!!!

David update.....

The same surgeon that did Karen's surgery will do David's transplant.  He came by and said basically the kidney is not here yet (as of 2:00pm) but he is watching for it and as soon as the car pulls up he will take it and it is go time.  So I guess anytime between now and 5:30 it could be time!

All of our parents have arrived and we are praising Jesus!!!

Karen is out of surgery....AND DID FANTASTIC!!!!!

We just received word from the surgeon that Karen is done and did great!  Everything went well and she should be back in her room in 2 hours.  Praise God!!! 

Thank YOU all for lifting her up in prayers!!!!  I am sure she will be pretty sore and tired after she gets back to her room but we are so thankful everything went well!!!! 

I spoke to David's  nurse and he is still on for 5:30pm today.  We will have lots of support people here during his surgery which is a HUGE blessing. 

We literally have people praying all around the world and THAT is amazing! 

-alice

Phil. 4:6-7

Karen update....

They just took Karen back for her surgery.  She was smiling as she left.  We were able to have some prayer time before she went down (David, Leah, Karen, and I).  Leah is a dear friend of all of ours that is here as Karen's support person.  

All of us had a good night last night laughing and cracking jokes between IV's being put in and labs being drawn. 

Please pray specifically for Karen's surgery right now and David's donor as we assume their surgery is going on now or very soon. 

Pray for traveling kidney's.  David's will fly up on a plane from Georgia and Karen's will travel to Cleveland (not sure if it is by plane or helicopter). 

We anticipate Karen being out of surgery by 11:30.

love,
alice

We have checked in.....

We are checked in to the hospital!!!!  It is very surreal (if that is the right word...a bit sleep deprived here!)

Today is pretty chill.... we have met with a few doctors, lot's of nurses, typical hospital admission stuff.  We have had some questions answered and been given the "game plan" for the next few days.

The biggest praise right now (besides the fact that we are IN THE HOSPITAL FOR A TRANSPLANT!!!)  is that they have agreed to put his central line in once he is in the O.R. and not do it bedside like they typically do.  This was an area of concern for David because he sees them put in all the time at work and he was NOT looking forward to have this done while he was awake.  The main purpose of the central line is he will receive his immune suppressant medication through it.  They will completely suppress his immune system so that his body won't immediately reject the kidney.  Then they will give him anti-rejection medications to continue to keep his body from rejecting. 

Because they will be suppressing his immune system the first 24 hours after surgery are pretty critical.  He will remain in the room we are currently in for those 24 hours and he will basically have a nurse with him the whole time. 

Visitors will be extremely limited during this time as well.  We know there are many that want to come visit him (and we DO want to see him) but they have warned us that the first 24 hours is not the best time.  David will probably be sleeping most of the time anyways. 

All visitors need to be 15 or older also. 

Waiting until Friday or the weekend would be a much better choice for everyone involved....thanks so much for understanding. 

Also, he is not allowed to have any live flowers, plants, or fruit baskets. 

Another pretty big praise is that I (Alice) will be able to stay here at the hospital with David unless they get an emergency transplant then they will put someone in the room with him and I would have to leave at night.  An emergency transplant would be if someone gets a kidney from a deceased donor.  It is possible but so far I am able to stay!  THIS IS HUGE FOR ME!!!  I have been very concerned about leaving him...and once they move him from this room to a regular room they are going to try to put him in a private room because his immune system will be down. 

As far as Karen (our friend donating on behalf of David) she has arrived at the hospital but her room isn't ready yet so after they register her she will come up here and hang out with us! 

We are doing well.  A lot of information to process.  We are both hungry....(don't worry we will eat soonish!)

We know you will....but continue to pray for everything involved!  Pray for Karen (I know she is nervous!) She is so selfless in doing this we can never repay or thank her enough. 

Love to you all!
Alice

Our little Get a Way.....

Lake Erie behind us!

At the top  of the MarbleHead Lighthouse....77 steps!

Marble Head Light House

Loved having my time with God each morning on the deck overlooking the lake!

BEAUTIFUL sunrise!!!!

Awesome coney dogs and cheese fries!  Gotta love Netty's!!

So we ended up staying a few extra days and David and his step dad had to go home and then came back the last day we were there and brought Oscar along for the ride.  Our dog who HATES water LOVED the lake and almost pulled David in!!  It was so awesome to see him so happy!

We had a fantastic time and it was very relaxing!  We are so thankful for the Baise family for opening up their home to us.  It was such a blessing, just what we needed in preparation for the next year of our lives! 

We are still on for surgery date on Wednesday.  Yes there is still a chance it could be cancelled for some crazy reason but we are trusting God that This is it and we all feel great about it!  

Please stalk our blog the next few days.  This is where I will update surgery, how David and Karen are doing, and any updates!  

We also want to take some time to THANK everyone who has donated to our Go Fund Me account.  You can't even imagine how thankful we are for all of your donations.  Since we are without David's income we weren't sure how we would pay bills or anything....but God has provided.  We are so thankful!  If you are interested in giving you can visit our site 

 http://www.gofundme.com/DashforDavidB

Updates soon, prayerfully FROM THE HOSPITAL!!!  We check in on Tuesday at noon.  

Love always,

David and Alice

Transplant Update.....

I just wanted to give a quick update to everyone that transplant is still on track for August 19th.  Today David went for final blood draw for final cross match.  This a regular step before the transplant just to make sure blood still matches. 

As of now, we will check into the hospital on Tuesday, August 18th for pre-op stuff and preparations.  We do not know at this time what TIME the surgery will be on the 19th but as soon as I  know I will update everyone. 

I plan to update everyone on this blog throughout the surgery and through recovery. 

We also want to thank all of you who have donated to us through our GoFundMe account(http://www.gofundme.com/DashforDavidB)  .  It is helping us out so much with our finances while David is off work and waiting for his long-term disability to kick in which probably won't be until October.  We have been so blessed by friends and family, even people we don't even know!  

Please continue to pray for nerves, travels (of people and organs.....David's kidney), details, stress, and rest.  

I am working hard to get the house clean as well as prepare for the start of the school year without me!  I have two great subs lined up so that has helped calm me! 

Thank you friends!

Alice and David

What if your blessings come through rain drops......

I know you are all probably pretty shocked that I have blogged twice in two days! 

PLEASE READ THE ENTIRE POST...WE HAVE HUGE NEWS....BUT FIRST.........

There is a song that is popular on a radio station I listen to.  The lyrics say:

"Cause what if your blessings come through rain drops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise"

The whole song is amazing but that chorus finally makes sense to me.

We are seeing God's blessings and it is because of ALL of you.  The response we received yesterday of everyone who is praying for us and specifically for a transplant has been overwhelming.

We (I) have had many tears and rain drops lately and God's blessings are pouring out through those.

Today we received ANOTHER phone call from OSU transplant but this time it was with a surgery DATE!  YES....YOU READ THAT RIGHT WE HAVE AN ACTUAL DATE FOR TRANSPLANT SURGERY.   August 19th (as in two weeks from tomorrow)  which means two weeks from today we will be checking into the hospital!  PRAISE GOD! 

So yes, God does have a sense of humor because that date happens to be the first day of school for Alice but it is totally fine because God's got this! 

David got the call today and I was at school working, he called me and I started laughing and it was amazing!  I told my principal and several others who were in the office and the next thing I know we were calling someone to sub for me (for the first few weeks of school...oh my!)  Next I went to the other office and my Head of School was there and I told him and he even offered to sub for me! 

Our donor (although she has had to rearrange a trip a bit) already has the next month off of work so this will not affect her work schedule.  God's got this! 

This is a small chain (a good thing) and we found out the donor that David is getting a kidney from was someone who has had a family member affected by Kidney failure somehow and they decided to just donate to someone.  David's kidney is coming from Georgia.  This person has no recipient attached to them so they are starting the chain. 

Like I think I said earlier....we have been overwhelmed by the blessings that have been poured over us the past 24 hours especially.  We have had so many praying, so many helping us out by fixing cars, letting us use their lake-house for a few day get-a-way, cards with special surprises for us, and even setting up a Go Fund Me account for us to help us with our bills and medical costs over the next few months.  We are completely blown away.  But the thing that does not surprise us is that God is capable and He is able.  His timing is perfect. 

So again, we ask for your specific prayers:
1. Surgery happens on August 19th (we are 95% sure it will but there are still a few details out of our control that must fall into place with the rest of the chain)
2. EVERYONE STAYS HEALTHY AND BLOOD DOES NOT CHANGE.
3. Karen and all that she is preparing for and safe travels between now and surgery date!
4. Preparation of our house (Alice needs to clean!!)
5. The start of the school year without me!

If you are interested in check out the Go Fund Me page that has been set up for us you can go to:
 http://www.gofundme.com/DashforDavidB

I can't wait for the day when I can give to someone and help them as much as others have and are helping us in this chapter of our lives.  We truly have  the best friends and family around.  And we serve a loving and caring God.  If you don't know HIM personally I would love to tell you about Him!

Thanks friends and KEEP ON PRAYING!

David and Alice

I will praise YOU in the storm........

*WARNING....THIS POST MAY START AS A DOWNER BUT IT GETS BETTER...READ ALL THE WAY THROUGH!

Well I (Alice) feel like we have been living in a monsoon lately.  However, I (try) to continue to praise God in our storm.

After this past possible match in June fell through I (Alice) was pretty down.  David was disappointed as well but for some reason I think I took it harder than him.  Anyways...we dusted ourselves off but have been hit with several other hurdles.

One being David's short term disability is up and now we are trying to get long term disability.  It basically means until the paperwork is filled out and filed we won't get an income for David.  But God is good.  We know HE will provide.  We are holding firm in the fact that He loves us and if we are faithful to HIM, HE will care for us and provide.

WELL.....  I had to call OSU transplant this morning to deal with the Long-term disability issues and David's coordinator told me that it is not her that deals with this type of paperwork BUT since she had me on the phone (she was going to call me later today) THERE IS A MATCH FOR DAVID.  They have already cross-matched the blood and it matches.  OSU has accepted the match and they are just waiting on the other centers to accept. 

I know we have been down this road several times by this point but we are once again CALLING ALL OUR PRAYER WARRIORS.......Please pray that all pieces of the chain work out.  Pray for health for ALL involved.  Pray for speedy surgery date.   I am asking for fervent prayer from everyone!

I will praise YOU in the storm.....that is my go to, my motto, my prayer.

PLEASE JOIN US IN PRAYER......I am reaching out with arms raised.
Whether it works out or not I WILL PRAISE YOU IN THE STORM.

Thank you friends.....I hope I get to update date soon with confirmed GOOD NEWS!

~Alice and David


**Edit note:  Exactly a year ago this Wednesday (Aug. 5th) is when David went into the hospital and had to receive blood therefore cancelling the last transplant that was scheduled.   God's timing is perfect and clever!