Post Op Day 1
October 4th, 2017:
4:15am: I woke up really having to pee. My sister helped me sit up and then we called in the nurse to help get all my cords. I peed a ton. Which is really good.
7:30am: They brought me breakfast. It was chicken broth. haha The thought of chicken broth ever is disgusting but for breakfast at 7:30am is just nasty. I was still on a liquid diet at this point. And really needed to drink, drink, drink. If there are two things I've heard the most with recovery it's drinking tons of water and walking.
9:00am: The physical therapist came in and went over lots of things with me. She got me up and walking around the hospital. She was another awesome person. Walking was totally fine and no nausea this time.
10:00am: My brother and sister in law came back to the hospital. My sister had gone home to shower and came back with my nephew. We just spent the morning chatting and they went back and forth from my room to my dad's. Right after surgery they put these compression sleeves on your legs to help with blood circulation. People either love them or hate them. I LOVED THEM. They were like leg massages, seriously the best invention.
I heard that they weigh the recipient's daily. But they don't weigh the donors. I was so interested to know how much I weighed after 2 days of almost no food and a kidney down. I asked the nurse if I could be weighed so they wheeled one into my room. I GAINED 9 POUNDS. I almost lost it. I GAINED 9 POUNDS. Everyone said that is normal, because they are pumping me with fluids, my stomach is swollen, and that I'll pee it out in no time... but still. 9 POUNDS.
12:00pm: Lunch came. Luckily by this time they had taken me off of a liquid diet and brought me a turkey sandwich that was actually pretty good. Our good family friends, Scott and Karen had come to visit. They had come yesterday and spent the entire morning in the waiting room with my family. They were so incredibly kind to support our family and to come up to the hospital again. I was happy to see familiar faces and they recommended I watch White Collar, which I have started and I'm obsessed with!
2:00pm: They had moved the party over to my dad's room and I was trying to take a nap. I was just so exhausted. I was first woken up by my surgeon and his team who I hadn't seen for 2 months telling me that surgery went awesome and that I had the best looking kidney. I fell back asleep only to be woken up again, and again, again, by all different people. These occupational therapists came in, and I about lost it on them. I was so incredibly tired and just wanted sleep. And they were coming in to tell me everything I already knew. I think they could sense how annoyed I was but they didn't really care. At one point she said "It looks like you are falling asleep, do you want me to help you sit up?" No, I want you to leave thanks. haha I had just had it.
4:00pm: The final resident PA came in to introduce himself and at this point I had just had enough. I think it was poor timing on his part, and also, the fact that he couldn't read the room. But I was seconds away from crying. He definitely wasn't my favorite person and luckily my mom had just come back into my room. He FINALLY left and I just started crying. I could not stop crying. It was all overwhelming to me, I was extremely tired, and just so out of sorts. While I was crying my nurse came in, Elaine, who is the sweetest person. She was another person who I absolutely adored. She really cared. She came and talked to me, and just listened and told me that it was totally normal to be emotional and everyone is. Which made me feel a lot better. I was just emotionally spent. I was tired of new doctors, nurses, cnas, blood draw people, nutritionists, cooks coming in every two minutes asking and telling me the same exact things. That was a hard afternoon. I think that was the hardest this whole thing has been.
6:30pm: I was discharged from the hospital. You guys. I never once took pain meds after my surgery. I was the earliest person to have been discharged. I don't know how in the world this is, because if you know me, you know that I can't go to my 6th month dentist check-up without being sedated. But I guess I have a really high pain tolerance from the neck down. I know it's because I live a really really active lifestyle and I am healthy and I am so grateful for it. Being active makes a night and day difference with recovery. But I'm proud to say I never pushed that pain button or took pain meds :)
I made it back to my sister's house that night and it was sooo good to be out of the hospital. After coming off an emotional afternoon it was nice to be home and without anyone talking or touching me.
4:15am: I woke up really having to pee. My sister helped me sit up and then we called in the nurse to help get all my cords. I peed a ton. Which is really good.
7:30am: They brought me breakfast. It was chicken broth. haha The thought of chicken broth ever is disgusting but for breakfast at 7:30am is just nasty. I was still on a liquid diet at this point. And really needed to drink, drink, drink. If there are two things I've heard the most with recovery it's drinking tons of water and walking.
9:00am: The physical therapist came in and went over lots of things with me. She got me up and walking around the hospital. She was another awesome person. Walking was totally fine and no nausea this time.
10:00am: My brother and sister in law came back to the hospital. My sister had gone home to shower and came back with my nephew. We just spent the morning chatting and they went back and forth from my room to my dad's. Right after surgery they put these compression sleeves on your legs to help with blood circulation. People either love them or hate them. I LOVED THEM. They were like leg massages, seriously the best invention.
I heard that they weigh the recipient's daily. But they don't weigh the donors. I was so interested to know how much I weighed after 2 days of almost no food and a kidney down. I asked the nurse if I could be weighed so they wheeled one into my room. I GAINED 9 POUNDS. I almost lost it. I GAINED 9 POUNDS. Everyone said that is normal, because they are pumping me with fluids, my stomach is swollen, and that I'll pee it out in no time... but still. 9 POUNDS.
12:00pm: Lunch came. Luckily by this time they had taken me off of a liquid diet and brought me a turkey sandwich that was actually pretty good. Our good family friends, Scott and Karen had come to visit. They had come yesterday and spent the entire morning in the waiting room with my family. They were so incredibly kind to support our family and to come up to the hospital again. I was happy to see familiar faces and they recommended I watch White Collar, which I have started and I'm obsessed with!
1:45pm: My donor coordinator came by to go over discharge. I have a post op. appointment two weeks from surgery, 6 months, 1 year and 2 years. At these appointments they will take blood and check my overall health. For the next two weeks I have to check my blood pressure morning and night and bring in the readings to my appointment. After that I will need to check my blood pressure monthly for the rest of my life. My donor coordinator has been so awesome to work with. She is incredibly kind and really good at her job. I have loved working with her because she has made everything so easy.
2:00pm: They had moved the party over to my dad's room and I was trying to take a nap. I was just so exhausted. I was first woken up by my surgeon and his team who I hadn't seen for 2 months telling me that surgery went awesome and that I had the best looking kidney. I fell back asleep only to be woken up again, and again, again, by all different people. These occupational therapists came in, and I about lost it on them. I was so incredibly tired and just wanted sleep. And they were coming in to tell me everything I already knew. I think they could sense how annoyed I was but they didn't really care. At one point she said "It looks like you are falling asleep, do you want me to help you sit up?" No, I want you to leave thanks. haha I had just had it.
4:00pm: The final resident PA came in to introduce himself and at this point I had just had enough. I think it was poor timing on his part, and also, the fact that he couldn't read the room. But I was seconds away from crying. He definitely wasn't my favorite person and luckily my mom had just come back into my room. He FINALLY left and I just started crying. I could not stop crying. It was all overwhelming to me, I was extremely tired, and just so out of sorts. While I was crying my nurse came in, Elaine, who is the sweetest person. She was another person who I absolutely adored. She really cared. She came and talked to me, and just listened and told me that it was totally normal to be emotional and everyone is. Which made me feel a lot better. I was just emotionally spent. I was tired of new doctors, nurses, cnas, blood draw people, nutritionists, cooks coming in every two minutes asking and telling me the same exact things. That was a hard afternoon. I think that was the hardest this whole thing has been.
6:30pm: I was discharged from the hospital. You guys. I never once took pain meds after my surgery. I was the earliest person to have been discharged. I don't know how in the world this is, because if you know me, you know that I can't go to my 6th month dentist check-up without being sedated. But I guess I have a really high pain tolerance from the neck down. I know it's because I live a really really active lifestyle and I am healthy and I am so grateful for it. Being active makes a night and day difference with recovery. But I'm proud to say I never pushed that pain button or took pain meds :)
I made it back to my sister's house that night and it was sooo good to be out of the hospital. After coming off an emotional afternoon it was nice to be home and without anyone talking or touching me.
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