350) Post Plan and Lab Day

March 26, 2009
Thursday

Home: I think I have just about decided to write posts on the days I have labs, Dr.'s appointment days, and days when there are important things to document related to the Mordechai the Miracle Kidney. I just can't imagine writing up here everyday without this becoming a "fluff blog".

We went for Labs this morning and told the Front Desk person that we are here at 7 because it took us a half an hour wait on Monday and it is important for us to be in the lab at 7:30 so we can get home to take my meds by 8:00 am. The front desk person understood completely and said that if NAMC would get my orders faxed over before my lab appointment that would help the process, and she checked with her lists and the lab's fax machine and nothing is in from NAMC. Even without the orders she said she'll get me in for my registration just as soon as she can.

Her comment on "orders" reminded me that although I brought my wallet this time, I didn't take the orders out of my patient manual and bring them. ARGGGGGH! So I told Lizzie and she rolled her eyes and left me to watch her coffee cup and medical part of taxes while she zooms back to get the orders we have. A few minutes after Liz leaves our buddies, Rodney and Kelly come and it looks like we are on the same schedule again: they had lab Monday and have Clinic tomorrow, as we do. I tell them about my hassles with lab on Monday, and they nod in an understanding way... and Rodney went in to the Registrar before they call me in.

Before Liz returns, they call me in for registration and I answer the hundred questions again and this time it seems to go faster and I think the registrar is actually taking some data from the last registration and it all goes quicker.

When I get done I am waiting for Liz and she arrives a few minutes later, gives me the orders, which I take back to the registrar, she makes a copy, and says I can go directly to Express Lab, where I wait for about 5 minutes before Peggy calls me in for 1 sticking and 4 test tubes of the red stuff. No urine needed although I use the bathroom to pee and measure it so I can document correctly back at home. We actually get home by 8 and I take my morning meds on time. Whew.

Liz leaves for work and I document and read emails and begin this post.

Yesterday: Of note:

1. Merriessa made us the best non-tomato sauce lasagna that we ate on Tuesday nite and I ate for lunch yesterday. It was delish!
2. My first work for TNOYS... working on a list of things for Theresa to discuss in her meeting with the head of PEI... to finish today.
3. My first private practice work at home: Renee came here for supervision and it reminded me of the days I used to do home supervision with Ananda. We are on again for next Wednesday.
4. I felt good all day... which is pretty much the norm now... some pain around my incision at times by only about a 3 on a 10 point scale.
5. I worry about eating too much celebratory food (as opposed to completely "heart healthy"), and I worry about eating some sugar (right now it is jelly bellies... was peanut brittle...) and still waiting for Roseanna up at NAMC to respond to my email asking for a few of the lancets and holders so I can check my BG while "on" sugar, cause all the data they got was sans-sugar.

Today Cheryl may come by in the afternoon and take me to run some errands, since I cannot drive for 3 more weeks.

Later: "My Cheryl" comes over bringing the gift of gifts~~~ two boxes of graham crackers and a lovely persona card. Oh yeah; and the new CD, Willie and The Wheel. Have you all seen the packaging on this one? It's over the top! Cheryl is the BEST EVER! Just bring gifts and maybe you too can be Best Ever... just kidding, sending light and prayers and healing power is quite enough you know.

So Cheryl and I drive off into the drizzly Austin drizzle, first to my money machine, and then to pick up my old boots (resoled), and then to Office Depot to get Avery hole reinforcers to reinfore the holes in the pages of my Patient Manual cause I am using some of them so much they've already begun to rip out. Can't have that! We converse and have basically a grand time and it is really nice to go for a ride. Now I understand how the dog feels when she gets to go... looking all over and being excited to see the world. Me too.

Back at home Cheryl moves on to other activities and I reinforce my notebook and read all the many surprises inside the liner of Willie and the Wheel... dedicated to the memory of record producer, Jerry Wexler. After Shayna comes home and Liz leaves for the annual Reception and dinner for the UT Social Work benefactors and student scholarship recipients, I begin to watch March Madness and within a few minutes I fall asleep. Shayna is reading out on the porch in the diminishing sun and I just drift off, only to awaken once to pee. When Liz gets home I wake up and pretty soon realize... "I DIDN'T TAKE MY MEDS AT 8!!!"

"Shoot!" is the nice way to say what I cried out when I realized what I'd done. (At least I couldn't chalk this one up to ADD!) We immediately take the Meds (at 10:15) and call the 'on call' Post Transplant Coordinator for support. We did right. Later we hear from Bernadette that you "always back up by 1/2 hour the next time you take the meds." So, tomorrow at 9:45 instead of 8.

So it goes... this tale of my foibles and fumbles; joys in poise; and adjustments for successes.

Notes: I am making a point to mention all the mistakes and mis-steps here for all of you who are anticipating a transplant and those who have just had one... as a forewarning of what are the potholes you may hit on your own journey. I am not posting them to make my self feel BAD or STUPID and it is certainly not an easy thing to blog about.