Hello friends,
It has been a busy and eventful 16 days since the transplant. the guys have had nothing but good reports from the blood tests and doctor visits. I drive dickson to the doctor in san diego 4 times a week. over 600 miles already!
We just dropped Dave, Jan, and Caitlyn off at the airport and they are on their first leg of their trip back home in Brasil. We have lived the last 3 weeks as a unit and it seems strange to not have them here. Dave's kidney's are separated for the first time in over 50 years.
Dave has felt great since the end of week 1 and dickson feels more and more like himself every day. The medications are now getting closer to their correct levels, Dickson's blood chemistry looks wonderful for the first time in probably 6 years or more. His creatinine is down to 1.1 adn his hemoglobin is over 12 for you medical types. Those are both controlled by the kidney. I think if we entereed Dave's kidney in the county fair it would get a blue ribbon or even best in show!!!
Next week the staples, which look like a 7 inch zipper,, will come out. We asked a patient yesterday who had just had hers removed how bad it was and she said she didnt feel a thing. Thas was a releif to know.
It is impossible to get our minds around the FACT that we are now on the OTHER SIDE of what has been anticipated for so many years. The transplant and most of the recovery are in the past! We re in the post tranplant refining medication phase.
Now for a new subject, while we were not looking you wonderful people have donated enough money to meet the original finacial goal. We are amazed at your kindness and generosity. We of course have no idea what our financial need will actually end up being. We have not recieved any medical bills yet. So far, we have many travel bills and many reciepts for tanks of gas. We have not even found out yet what our part of all of Dickson's meds are going to be......I have not counted but we are managing about 20ish perscriptions.
We of course hope that the after insurance medical bills are minimal and that the $10,000.00 is sufficient to cover bills and expenses as they roll in. If we find out that we were way off base in our guess we can let you know. Dickson does not wish to raise the need level but we can let you know what our future needs are as they arise.
You have been wonderfully generous and concerned and we are sincerely grateful for you. We covet your prayers as we walk through the rest of Dickson's time of recovery.
Love to you all,
Cathy