Today was my 3 month post-op visit. I can hardly believe it has already been 3 months since surgery! I had a full day of follow- up testing. First was my glo-fill, this is used to test the function of my kidney. It consisted of me drinking water, giving a urine sample, and having my blood drawn. This went on for about 3 hours. All together, I had to drink 11 cups of water. Next, I had labs and an appointment with the doctor. Overall, my results came back good. The results of my pre-donation glo-fill showed my kidney function to be at 97%, today my kidney function is at 72%. This number will increase slightly over the next few months as my kidney continues to adapt. They seemed a little concerned about my protein and creatinine clearance levels. My previous creatinine clearance was 164 and today it is at 83.50 (The higher the better). This means my creatinine clearance is only at about 50% of what it once was. The doctor said this is still an acceptable number. She said this number could be affected by numerous things. It could mean that I am just slightly dehydrated or it could be the venti latte that I’m addicted to at Starbucks (probably a little too much caffeine!). They want me to follow up with my primary care doctor, stay well hydrated, and to keep an eye on all lab levels. All lab results aside, I am feeling great! Gary is also doing very well. He has started subbing at a couple of districts in the area. He is hoping to get his foot in the door and find a permanent job very soon!
The highlight of my day was having coffee with a great friend. Dana also had her follow up testing today. We decided to meet up in between appointments to catch up. It was great to see that everything is going so well for Dana and her recipient Jennifer. God has taught me so many lessons and blessed me so much in this process. I am certain that God meant for Dana and I to meet during this journey. I am so thankful for her friendship!
A few things I am looking forward to, last week I met with Baylor’s corporate director of transplant. She gave me information about the2012 Kidney Walk, benefiting the National Kidney Foundation. Both Gary & I, along with our families plan to participate in the walk. I was also informed about plans for a “Living Donor Wall” to recognize living donors at Baylor. They are planning to dedicate the wall in April 2012. I am very excited to see the results of this.
“Faith is knowing that you never lose what you give away.”
Thank you so much for writing this blog. It helps all of us upcoming donors have an idea of what to expect, even though everyone has different experiences. I wish there were more blogs out there! Bless you for being a donor.
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