Started Testing

I started my transplant evaluation yesterday. I drove down to the Dallas Transplant Institute at 11:00 am to begin the process. I had a chest x-ray taken, and then they took 21 vials of blood. That’s right, TWENTY-ONE VIALS of my blood. If I had known that they were going to take that much, I’d have brought a box of cookies to eat. But, it wasn’t that bad, and the tech found a vein that gave her all of the blood with no problems. I also spoke with a social worker that made sure I understood everything that was to come in the world of transplant. Then, I saw a nephrologist and he talked about everything that he knew.

The nephrologist seemed pleased that I have several potential donors. He said that the larger the pool of potential live donors, the better chance I have of finding a compatible kidney. He also said that sometimes people get matched by a cadaver while their donors are being tested, and then you have to decide what to do. He said the best thing was probably to take the cadaver kidney and save your donor in case your graft fails later on.

I’ve got more testing on Friday and Monday, but it shouldn’t be too bad. I think that the 21 vials of blood was the only invasive procedure currently scheduled. I also am supposed to see my cardiologist on Monday. My blood pressure has been high since the beginning of December, and I think I need some new medication (or new dosage). Hopefully she will be able to suggest something. I should also see the nephrologist at dialysis tonight. I imagine that he will say I should be using my fistula. I’ll tell him that I’m waiting until the 19th.

Thank you everyone so far for the suggestions for presents for Jenny. I have received several good ones, and one bad one. So, Vizinni, I refuse to buy iocaine powder. I know that it is odorless, tasteless, and dissolves instantly in any liquid, but I have yet to develop a tolerance, so I don’t think it’s a good idea. I was also given the idea of a couples spa weekend. That sounds like a good idea, but I think I will wait until I do not have a catheter in my chest and I am allowed to get wet again.

So, keep sending those suggestions and keep praying for a quick transplant evaluation. Thank you all for praying and reading.

No Fistula Thursday

Well, as it turns out, I did not have my fistula used on Thursday night. I guess that the nephrologist did not put an order in my file for me to go back to using the fistula, so the nurse just hooked me up to my chest catheter again. Now, I am not one to complain about not being injured, so I did not mention anything. I was a bit hesitant about going back to the fistula before the vascular surgeon had recommended. According to him, I should wait until January 19 to start using my newly healed fistula. That is still six dialysis treatments away, so I will see how long it takes for the nephrologist to write down his order. If he never does, then I will suggest using the fistula starting January 19.

My arm is a bumpy, knobby sight. I think I might have disgusted a couple of people at lunch yesterday by rolling up my sleeves. I had shaved the hair around my fistula yesterday in preparation for dialysis, and so now the curves and throbs of my vein are easily visible on my arm. Normally, my arm hair covers this up, but no longer. I was tired of having that hair removed forcible by tape, so I shaved it off myself. I guess I will let it grow for a couple of weeks again until the clinic is ready to use my arm.

Let’s see … in other news, my wife’s birthday is one week away. She said that this year, I should try and get her something better than last year’s present. What did I get for her last year (you may ask)? I got NOTHING. That’s right, a big old box of air. A sack of emptiness. A handful of invisible goodness. This is where I come to you, the loyal readers (especially those that don’t mind sentence fragments in the interest of a good story). I have an e-mail link at the bottom of my page. Or, you can write comments on the page itself. Toss out some ideas for a good birthday present. She’s going to be one year older and more beautiful, so I am sure that anything you suggest will be my choice from 2004. Let’s hear it, world!

Thank you for coming by to read, today. I look forward to sorting through the list of gift ideas and seeing what eBay and my bank account REALLY think of them. I am continuing to enjoy the horrid tubes in my chest, which will hopefully be gone by February (maybe). Enjoy your day!

Back to the Fistula

Dialysis went well on Tuesday. I saw the nephrologist, and he wanted to take a look at my fistula. Now, the nephrologist comes by about once a week, and sees all thirty patients in about thirty minutes. I know that this doesn’t seem like long enough for him to actually say anything to you or actually do anything, but I think he must have taken lessons from Santa Claus. He delivers himself to all of the good little dialysis patients.

Sorry for the tangent. The doctor asked me if I was using a catheter in my chest because they had infiltrated my fistula and were waiting on it to heal. I had my fistula revision surgery on November 28 (which was five weeks and one day before Tuesday). I reminded the doctor that I had, in fact, had a fistula revision (at his request) in order to get a better dialysis treatment. He felt all over my arm, like a prospector looking for gold, and announced that I need to go ahead and start using my fistula again. So, even though the surgeon (who put in the fistula and did the revision) said that I should wait until January 19 to begin using the fistula, my nephrologist wants me to start up again on January 5 (which is today). I have warily accepted my fate. I think I would prefer to get the best possible dialysis treatment, but I have enjoyed not being stuck with harpoons three times a week.

So, I head to dialysis tonight, ready to have my arm stuck again. I shaved a ton of hair off of my arm, in preparation for the hair-removing tape that they seem to be fond of at the clinic. I am also considering asking the nephrologist (next week) if he can write me a prescription for the lidocaine cream that one of the other dialysis patients recommended. He said that all you have to do is to rub it on the needle sites before your treatment, and they will temporarily numb them so that the needles won’t hurt as much. He said that it is way cheaper than having the lidocaine shots, and it can’t hurt as much (since there are no needles involved). The guy that recommended them said that a one-month supply usually lasts him five or six months, so the cost shouldn’t be too bad.

I will still have to change into my button-down flannel shirt at dialysis for a while. They will still have to have access to my chest catheter to flush the lines and clean the site where the tubes go in. I imagine that if my fistula is working after a week or two, then they will probably have the catheter removed. Then, it will be back to enjoying showers the way everyone else does (ah, the good old days).

I am thankful that my dialysis does not treat me badly. There is a woman that sits near me at the clinic that has been having problem. I cannot tell if she is REALLY bad off, or if she just likes attention. She had some serious problems with her catheter last week, to the point where they were using her catheter and fistula both just to treat her. She was freezing cold most of her treatment, which seemed terrible. I’m just glad that I’m normally not that bad off during the treatment, though I started to cramp just a little bit on Tuesday. If I cramp badly, then it will be time to up my dry weight again.

Thanks for coming by to read. Have a great day!