One hundred and sixty six days after leaving home for the south Alan arrived back home with a healthy attitude, and a healthy liver. Friday, February 22, 2009 when we drove back into town was one hundred and forty three days after receiving the liver transplant.
Of course, we drove through sunshine until we hit New York -- just about the state line at Bingamton it turned to snow. The lake effect snow lasted for two hours -- it was a very nice welcome home.
The three month check up with bone density scan, MRI and Ultrasound results cleared him to be NORTH.
Settling back in to the routine here. Things are going very well. We'll need to make the trip south for the six month check, and are trying to schedule that around the April school break. We'll then have to be there in July for a nine month check up.
Routine weekly labs will be drawn at the local hospital with information faxed to the transplant clinic for reading and followup. If we can keep the potassium and magnesium levels in check I think everything will be okay. The sugar levels are stable now and he can do a fairly accurate prediction of what his level will be based on time of day, what he has eaten, etc. He has even found some tasty chocolate cookies with a low sugar count that he can eat.
I had a very pleasant conversation with a woman on the plane heading south. She was on her way to visit her parents. Her mom has some health issues with the most immediate focus being the liver now. Hopefully all will go well with them, and what I have learned over the past several years and more intensely the past six months will be of some comfort when shared with others.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Monday, December 8, 2008
Just an Update
Alan remains in the south. I think he's a great deal warmer there than we are in the north!
He had good labs and a good appointment at clinic last Thursday. One medication was reduced and two removed.
A couple of good days, which will hopefully lead to more. Even his daughter thought he looked a little more chipper.
I'll be rejoining him next week, with thoughts of bringing him home in January.
The address is actually Estate Hill Street not Drive.
He had good labs and a good appointment at clinic last Thursday. One medication was reduced and two removed.
A couple of good days, which will hopefully lead to more. Even his daughter thought he looked a little more chipper.
I'll be rejoining him next week, with thoughts of bringing him home in January.
The address is actually Estate Hill Street not Drive.
Friday, November 28, 2008
New York
Well, Alan remains in sunny NC -- 60 degrees there today, as I watch the snow fall out my office window here in NY.
He's still adjusting to medications and hopefully will be able to travel north in mid-January.
Address correction: 7811 Estate Hill Drive, Apt. 1217, Raleigh, NC 27617
We hope you all enjoyed a relaxing Thanksgiving!
He's still adjusting to medications and hopefully will be able to travel north in mid-January.
Address correction: 7811 Estate Hill Drive, Apt. 1217, Raleigh, NC 27617
We hope you all enjoyed a relaxing Thanksgiving!
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Tune Up
We had a scheduled day at the transplant clinic on Thursday, 11/20. Alan was in for a "tune up" as they called it. All of the liver counts are great. The other ones that are impacted by the medications are a little off. Potassium - high, magnesium - low, creatinin - high, but lower than it was, anemic - so he needed a shot for red blood cell production. There were some other things askew, but those are the ones that seem to be getting the most attention.
The follow up care is amazing. We have no questions that go unanswered. They are continually reading his labs. He may be scheduled for another tune up next week as well. This is a four - five hour IV drip with some shots thrown in for good measure.
It's a relaxing room. The staff is great, and the care is phenomenal.
We'll be heading out for labs in the morning and then moving into the next apartment. For the next month and a half or so he can receive mail either at A's, or 7811 Grand Estates Street, Apt. 1217, Raleigh, NC 27617
Alan's brother has opened his schedule for the next few weeks, so I'll be heading home on Wednesday 11/26 and back to NC on 12/17. Tom will stay with Alan for most of that time.
He's not cleared to drive yet, and is walking distance to Super WalMart, Panera Bread, his daughters, Starbucks, etc. so hopefully everything will go smoothly.
The follow up care is amazing. We have no questions that go unanswered. They are continually reading his labs. He may be scheduled for another tune up next week as well. This is a four - five hour IV drip with some shots thrown in for good measure.
It's a relaxing room. The staff is great, and the care is phenomenal.
We'll be heading out for labs in the morning and then moving into the next apartment. For the next month and a half or so he can receive mail either at A's, or 7811 Grand Estates Street, Apt. 1217, Raleigh, NC 27617
Alan's brother has opened his schedule for the next few weeks, so I'll be heading home on Wednesday 11/26 and back to NC on 12/17. Tom will stay with Alan for most of that time.
He's not cleared to drive yet, and is walking distance to Super WalMart, Panera Bread, his daughters, Starbucks, etc. so hopefully everything will go smoothly.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Still Hangin' in there
We've moved to an apartment closer to the daughter so it's much easier to get Alan out for a bit and to visit with the grandchild.
We spent last Thursday doing routine blood work and clinic visits. It took most of the day since we had to head into the hospital twice. We hit rush hour traffic for two parts of the trip so that wasn't much fun.
All of the staples were removed on Thursday and replaced with steri strips. Some of them have already fallen off. Labs on Thursday were good for the liver numbers, but not so good for the potassium and creatinin. Alan had the pleasure of an at home treatment to lower the potassium on Thursday night, which didn't have the wished for results.
Friday was spent at the lab and clinic again. He recieved IV treatment for the potassium all day and we waited for the magic hour of 3:30 for blood to be drawn and then 4:30 for the results. Hoping for less than 5.5. If it hadn't gone down, he might have been admitted to the hospital for the weekend. Thankfully, the level went down to 4.7 so he was released at about 4:40.
Alan's brother was here for the week. He'll be back again just after Thanksgiving and I'll head home for a few weeks. Tom will stay with Alan until I come back.
We celebrated a full Thanksgiving dinner on Sunday with everyone but Andrew. I'll have Thanskgiving with him when I am home.
On Monday we'll move into another apartment. This one will be 1st floor and easy walking distance for Alan to the grocery, and to visit A/S and J.
I'll post again when Alan's in the next apartment. He'll be able to get mail at that one or it can continue to go to the address I already gave.
Thanks for the cards.
We spent last Thursday doing routine blood work and clinic visits. It took most of the day since we had to head into the hospital twice. We hit rush hour traffic for two parts of the trip so that wasn't much fun.
All of the staples were removed on Thursday and replaced with steri strips. Some of them have already fallen off. Labs on Thursday were good for the liver numbers, but not so good for the potassium and creatinin. Alan had the pleasure of an at home treatment to lower the potassium on Thursday night, which didn't have the wished for results.
Friday was spent at the lab and clinic again. He recieved IV treatment for the potassium all day and we waited for the magic hour of 3:30 for blood to be drawn and then 4:30 for the results. Hoping for less than 5.5. If it hadn't gone down, he might have been admitted to the hospital for the weekend. Thankfully, the level went down to 4.7 so he was released at about 4:40.
Alan's brother was here for the week. He'll be back again just after Thanksgiving and I'll head home for a few weeks. Tom will stay with Alan until I come back.
We celebrated a full Thanksgiving dinner on Sunday with everyone but Andrew. I'll have Thanskgiving with him when I am home.
On Monday we'll move into another apartment. This one will be 1st floor and easy walking distance for Alan to the grocery, and to visit A/S and J.
I'll post again when Alan's in the next apartment. He'll be able to get mail at that one or it can continue to go to the address I already gave.
Thanks for the cards.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Still in the South
Not much has changed on the health front. Alan continues to be very careful with the diet and exercise. It's a long journey and we were told not to anticipate him feeling noticeably better until after the first of the new year -- 3 months out of surgery.
For an active guy that's pretty difficult to take. I guess the one good thing about football season is he has something to watch on television almost EVERY single day, regardless of the hour.
Short walks, drives, and visits to the grocery store are his routine outings. He can definitely find his way around grocery stores very quickly.
Alan will not be heading north until sometime in January at the earliest. Hopefully all will go well and we'll get the clearance from the doctor at that time. I'm tentatively planning to head home in a week or so to catch up on some work. There will be someone here near him until a week before Christmas and that should allow me to leave with some assurance that he'll eat, drink and exercise.
We're moving to another apartment just minutes away from A, A, and S which will allow him to walk to the grocery store, Panera Bread and have dinner with the daughter. She should be home until about mid December -- at which time I'll need to make other arrangements or head back down.
He's not allowed to drive and still has twice weekly lab appointments as well as the clinic appointments.
Some workups tomorrow and clinic again on Thursday. Hopefully staples will be removed and we'll have further word at that time.
For an active guy that's pretty difficult to take. I guess the one good thing about football season is he has something to watch on television almost EVERY single day, regardless of the hour.
Short walks, drives, and visits to the grocery store are his routine outings. He can definitely find his way around grocery stores very quickly.
Alan will not be heading north until sometime in January at the earliest. Hopefully all will go well and we'll get the clearance from the doctor at that time. I'm tentatively planning to head home in a week or so to catch up on some work. There will be someone here near him until a week before Christmas and that should allow me to leave with some assurance that he'll eat, drink and exercise.
We're moving to another apartment just minutes away from A, A, and S which will allow him to walk to the grocery store, Panera Bread and have dinner with the daughter. She should be home until about mid December -- at which time I'll need to make other arrangements or head back down.
He's not allowed to drive and still has twice weekly lab appointments as well as the clinic appointments.
Some workups tomorrow and clinic again on Thursday. Hopefully staples will be removed and we'll have further word at that time.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Still Okay
Clinic on Monday and hopefully more news on schedules then, and when we can travel home. Right now, we do know that the labs from this week look good and everything is nice and stable.
Happy Halloween!
Happy Halloween!
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