Update #20 - Barbara discharged from hospital

Believe it or not, Barbara has already been discharged from the hospital!  Her total time in the hospital was just barely over 24 hours.  Upon release, she seemed nearly completely normal, suffering very few after-effects from the surgery.  Of course there was a bit of pain, but it was well controlled with medication.

We are now over 24 hours post-release, and you can hardly tell she's had anything done!  Years ago, Karen had her wisdom teeth pulled...she seemed to suffer a heck of a lot more than Barbara is suffering now.  It's a testament to the surgeon's skill and Barbara's toughness.

Yesterday, Karen's grandmother and aunt flew in from Florida to help with the recovery process.  It's great to have them here.  Karen and her mother can't wait to feel up to a day of shopping in Beverly Hills.  Catch 22 as far as I'm concerned.

Karen is getting better with each day, although she continues to experience some nausea and other sensations, most all of which are due to medications.  Some noted side effects:

- nausea

- flushed face

- slight shakes

- pain on bottom of feet

- hot feet....?

- nausea

The nausea has been no fun, but she was placed on new medication today that should help.  The most notable positive changes are:

- Not tired any more! - As long as I've known Karen...she had always tried to catch an extra 10, 30, 90 minutes of sleep in the morning.  She felt groggy all day, perpetually needing a nap.  NO MORE!  Our alarm went off at 0530 this morning...I instantly said, "Do you feel tired?"........"Nope!"

- She isn't perpetually cold!  It was always a daily battle of Karen trying to sweat me out of the house, car, etc.  Now she actually is asking, "Would you mind if I turned the air down a notch or two?"

I can see where this is going.  In six months, Karen will be up at 0600 every single morning, ready to go, kicking the family in the butt to start our day.  She'll have the a/c set on 65 degrees.  I'll end up having to either ask the docs to put a "meter" on her kidney so I can turn it down a bit, or I'll have to get a new kidney for myself, so I can hang in there with her.

Again, another pitch to check out the kidney exchange program:  

http://transplants.ucla.edu/body.cfm?id=112&oTopID=34

THIS PROGRAM IS IN ITS INFANCY - IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO IS ON DIALYSIS, YOU MAY SAVE THEIR LIFE BY CHECKING THE LINK.  

I cannot stress that enough.  The developers of the program are TOO BUSY to "market" the program.  They are too busy saving lives on a daily basis...they simply do not have the time.  I hope to help by spreading the word about the program.  I will provide much more information in the future, but for now, send this information to someone you may know that needs help.  The bottom line...you do not need a COMPATIBLE donor to receive a kidney...you just need someone that is willing to give their kidney, whether they are a match or not.  THIS IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT HAS BEEN TRADITIONALLY DONE.  Dr. Veale said he will meet people that have been on dialysis for 4-5 years, and had someone that was willing to donate a kidney, but was not a match.....so they lived (and many die) on dialysis.  They are not aware of the program until Dr Veale tells them about it.  3 months later, they have a new kidney, and a new life.

Please pass the good word,

Bob