Post-Transplant Clinic: April 2, 2009

I had another quarterly post-transplant appointment with the Dallas Transplant Institute in lovely downtown Dallas, TX. Once again, it seems that I am doing well.

Here are my results (of note):

• Creatinine is at 1.0 (same as last time) -- this is still GREAT
• BUN is at 12.0 (up from 11.0 last time) -- this is GREAT
• Triglycerides were at 253.0 (which is bad, but I also had donuts for breakfast)
• Cholesterol was at 141.0 (which is actually low, oddly, compared to my triglycerides)

The doctor asked me why I had eaten donuts before coming in for blood work. I told them that if they want me to do fasting labs that I will NOT be scheduling them at 10:30 am (meaning get blood drawn between 10:30 and 11:00). As it turns out, they want to do an accurate check, so I'm supposed to have a fasting lab done next time, and I scheduled my next appointment for 7:40 am.

They also told me that I need to have a sonogram done of my "native" kidney. Your native kidneys are the ones with which you are born. In my case, since I had my left one surgically removed, I have only one native kidney left, and it is on the right side. The doctor reminded me to tell the technician that so that they don't spend thirty minutes looking for a kidney on the left that isn't there.

Additionally, I have not done a 24-hour urine test in over a year. So, they gave me a few buckets to fill up. I'll probably do that some Saturday here in the near future and drive those buckets down to the transplant clinic early on a Monday morning. I figure that as long as I get the 24-hour urine test back to the doctors WAY before my next appointment, they can tell me if there are any problems when I see them (or call if there are SUPER problems).

Neither of the procedures listed above are any problem to do. The sonogram is in the office and will just be at my next appointment time. The 24-hour urine collection is done at home. The only negative part of that is keeping a SEALED container of urine in your refrigerator all weekend. Granted, that's not a problem for us as we have no children or any guests staying with us, but I have that it can be an issue in other households.

All is well with me. My weight continues to fluctuate around 185 lbs. My height stays steady at 6-feet and 2-inches. So, I'm not really overweight, though I feel that way some times. I think my residual self-image has me still being around 170 lbs (which is small). I doubt I would ever be that, no matter how much I exercise or diet.

Speaking of which, I am working on my exercise. I try to walk on my treadmill at least once a week. I try to take the stairs at work (to the third floor) every day. And, with diet, I just eat what Jenny feeds me, so there's not much worry there.

Thanks for reading. I know that I don't update all that often, but whenever I received e-mailed questions, I try to answer them right away. See you all next time (around the end of July).