Memorable Milestones: Weeks 6&7 Post Transplant

Last week to celebrate my 6-week kidney anniversary I saddled up – well, actually, there was no horse and no saddle, but there were stirrups… At the time of my transplant, due to a history of obstructive uropathy and a narrowing of the donor ureter I had a ureteral stent implanted.  Apparently 6 weeks is the prime time for removal – so I spent an awkward morning in the Urologist’s office.  I’ve had the procedure done countless times, but the significant difference this time was that I was awake for all the goings-ons.  I was assured by the surgeon/urologist that the procedure was ‘well-tolerated’

His reassurance did little to stem my skepticism.  Looking for a more accurate account of what to expect I questioned the nurse getting me prepped.  ‘Well, its like getting a catheter, but A LOT deeper.  Have you ever had clamps during a well-woman visit? Yeah, it’s a little like that. But no one ever jumps off the table.’ 

Right-O, no table-jumping, small comfort - right about then I was looking for a Valium to accompany my oral antibiotic – Perhaps she (and subsequently her patients) could benefit from a crash course on ‘How Not To Freak Out Your Patients’.  I’ve been fully alert while a surgeon stuck his hand into my open abdominal wound probing for the muscle layer and didn’t leap off the table – I didn’t know it was an option.

So there I sat *cough* umm lay, alone, waiting for the numbing gel to take effect and ponder the calm reassurances I’d been given.

All told, I spent about an hour in the office and the procedure took about 2 minutes. It turned out to be anticlimactic. With the nurse’s procedural preparation I had located all my escape routes, intending to keep leaping off the table among my options.  But truly, aside from some slight discomfort, the procedure was breezy, I mean, a breeze! And even better, was the news that my bladder and ureter looked good and my lab work from the previous week was holding steady! (Yeah, a healthy kidney puts little nuisances like stent removal and stirrups into perspective) J

Not trying to top my 6-week ‘celebration’, I only planned my weekly lab draw to mark my 7-week milestone.  In the previous six weeks of weekly lab draws I’ve had to be stuck 7 times total (if you’re doing the math, that’s only one failed attempt – not bad for the girl with spindly veins). Now, after yesterday’s 7^th-week blood draw I’ve been stuck an additional 4 times.

‘It’s like trying to get blood from a turnip…’  I’ve said this a time or two, but it wasn’t until this week that I truly identified with said turnip. The first attempt was mildly successful – the lab tech successfully filled a few tubes, but with each tube she attached to(and then removed from) the vaccutainer she would alternately push and pull the needle enough that she finally dislodged it – no more blood. She dug around for awhile, trying unsuccessfully to reclaim my well-source. I finally informed her that I was wimpy and wouldn’t tolerate digging for an extended length of time.  She was really astute at taking my non-too-subtle hint and tried a different sized needle with even less success.  My no-digging policy must have been a tad-bit intimidating, because she wasn’t going to see if a third time was a charm, instead she called a second tech in - different needle, different vein, same unsuccessful outcome. Finally, they called in tech number 3, who interestingly enough, remembered me from my early lab draw days with my first transplant (Ah, the voice of at least 14 years’ experience, things were looking up). She detoured to my hand (when you only have one arm to offer, the options are limited, I was just glad they weren’t asking me to take off my shoes). Nancy and my hand proved a successful, less turnip-py avenue, as she coaxed enough blood flow for 2 more purple top tubes – YAY!

Each of the ladies were super-kind and every sympathetic – not a one made me feel guilty for having made their job more difficult, only lamenting what a tough way for me to start my morning.  It definitely wasn’t as smooth and easy as I’d like, and I’ll definitely have more sympathy for turnips in the future, but again, a healthy kidney makes such inconveniences just that – inconvenient, but not intolerable. J And it reminded me of the freedom I’ve had from dialysis (at least 6 needle sticks/wk) for 7 weeks – What an absolute blessing!  I sure miss the social aspect and ministry at dialysis, along with my friendships with the nurses, techs and fellow patients, and I can appreciate the life-maintaining treatment and many lessons God taught me through my time on dialysis, but I cannot, CAN NOT find any part of me that misses those 15 gauge needles, three hour therapies or side effects! God has blessed me so far beyond anything I could have fathomed or am deserving of – What a generous Heavenly Father!  

Psalm 100:1-5

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
²     Worship the Lord with gladness;
    come before him with joyful songs.
³ Know that the Lord is God.
    It is he who made us, and we are his^[a];
    we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

⁴ Enter his gates with thanksgiving
    and his courts with praise;
    give thanks to him and praise his name.
⁵ For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
    his faithfulness continues through all generations.

 

Psalm 103:1-5 

Praise the Lord, my soul;
    all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
² Praise the Lord, my soul,
    and forget not all his benefits—
³ who forgives all your sins
    and heals all your diseases,
⁴ who redeems your life from the pit
    and crowns you with love and compassion,
⁵ who satisfies your desires with good things
    so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.