Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name... Unfortunately for me, that would be the hospital. tehehee. The statistics are high for returning into the hospital after transplant, (20 - 70% of patients experience rejection, not to mention the risk of infection due to the anti-rejection meds and the possibility of bile leaks. I am actually doing pretty dang good so far, if I do say so myself. However, I still get my fair share of the hospital. I have "clinic" every Monday, and up until today, I had to (well Jason or Lee had to) make the drive to USC so I could have labs done on Thursdays too -- always resulting in me needing more magnesium. Not to mention the extra trip we made last weekend when I noticed some redness and oozing at my incision site, which in combination with a high white blood cell count (meaning possible infection) caused them to admit me for another night... of course, some more Magnesium and -- more tacos! The culprit of my magnesium continuously dropping below normal is the Prograf - one of the three anti-rejection medications I take. I start to notice I am pooped out, shakey and weak. The IV infusions do the trick, but only seem to last about 2 days and then I start to fade back into that ol' familiar feeling again...Which I was feeling early this morning, pre appointment.
I went in and got my normal hugs and hello's at the lab and then the tx clinic, but again I was sentenced to 2-4 hours of being tethered down to my pal flo. (yes, that's my I.V. machines name.) So I am also becoming known at the "Evaluation clinic", which is where I've been going twice a week to get my magnesium... they even ordered me lunch today -- more tacos :) I also met a nurse who was at the Donate Life walk in May (Which is pretty impressive for her to remember... I still can't do that without my H.E.) but I digress... The real news is, I got my staples out today!! I am now foreign object freeeeeeee, well except for my new healthy liver, but I don't really consider Sally foreign anyways. They also lowered my Prednisone, which is another of my anti-rejection medication that is also a steroid, and YES, it gives me ROID-RAGE, so my family is happier today too! Yup, things are definitely looking up and after my infusions I feel better and more awake then I have in almost 10 years! Ahhh, to be what the lucky ones call "normal"!!
No comments:
Post a Comment