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Second Week at Home following My Transplant

Another week has now passed and it is now just over three weeks since I had my transplant!  How time flies!! 

I am beginning to get much more mobile and my insurance company has confirmed that I am able drive again!  It feels great not to be reliant on others all of the time!

On Monday I was booked into Derriford again for another operation.  This was to remove my dialysis catheter and to remove the stent which was inserted during my transplant operation. 

Dad and Jen drove me to Derriford where I firstly had to visit the pharmacy to pick up some of my drugs, whilst waiting I was over the moon to bump into the "kidney cousins".  The "kidney cousins" are Val who is also from Helston and Jennifer from Bude who both had kidney transplants a few days before me but from a dead donor (we call them cousins as they had a kidney each from the same donor).  It was great to see them looking so well and I hope to see them again at my twice weekly outpatient appointments.

I had to go to the Medical Admissions Unit for 12:30 and I was eventually called for my operation at 15:30.  I was not nervous about the op as it is only a small one.  I enquired how the operation would be performed and I was advised that the surgeon literally pulls out the dialysis catheter!  I'm glad I'm not awake for that!!  I hadn't thought about how the stent was removed but they go up through the urethra with a camera and grab the stent and pull that out too!  Again, I'm pleased I'm not awake for that as I don't think I could relax adequately for that procedure to be performed!!

Well the operation was a piece of cake!  It was all over in less than half an hour and as no cuts had to be made in me there was no pain whatsoever afterwards!!  The great thing also was, when I woke up I felt wonderful!  I don't know if it was a psychological thing having had my dialysis tubes removed but I felt the best I had since having the transplant.  Long may it continue!!

Today I had my outpatients appointment in Derriford.  The Doctor had no problems with my blood results at all.  I enquired about my kidney function as it is only showing as 38% he said that was absolutely fine and explained that Mum wouldn't have had 100% function so if she had say 70% I would get 35% then I had my 4% coming from my original kidneys too, so 38% was reasonable. 

I was hoping to start back at work a little next week as I am beginning to feel like I'm ready, however, the Doctor said that he thought it was too early, the main reason being the fact that my wound is still open in places and it would be susceptible to infection.  I do not want to do anything which would be detrimental to my recovery so on this one occasion I am going to do as instructed!

In conclusion I am now beginning to feel the benefit of the huge sacrifice Mum has made for me.  Every day I am feeling stronger and better.  I still get tired very quickly but the Doctor said that is to be expected as I have had a major operation not that long ago.  Mum also is recovering extremely well.  Like me, she also gets tired very quickly and has occasional pain, normally if she has overdone it!  However, it is all good ;-)

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