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
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