A day with no doctors. Cool!

After 9 consecutive days in some sort of health care facility (dialysis, surgery, ER, followup) we finally have a full day at home!  And Yvonne is enjoying it.  She has been getting some air on our balcony as well as up on the roof deck.  It's been a real nice day.

So while this good positive vibe is dominating I thought this would be a good time to look ahead a bit.

There are 3 parts to Yvonne's recovery and it can take up to 3 months but we're hoping it is half of that.

Part one is recovery from the surgery itself.  The incision is maybe 10 inches from top to bottom and it cut through every layer to get to the insides.  This was no "minimally invasive" operation.  Yvonne should be walking (in order to avoid any respiratory complications) but certainly no exercise or lifting or bending.  Yvonne has some super pain-killers but she is not really taking them that often.

Part two is adjusting the medication.  Post Transplant meds are about as important as the surgery itself.  Not enough immuno-suppressive drugs could lead to rejection and too much  could cause kidney damage.  So it is a balancing act that requires constant blood tests and constant monitoring and adjusting of the meds.

It actually is very complicated as other drugs impact the immuno-suppressive drugs.  One anti-fungal drug enhances the impact of the other drug so that dose will be increased when this drug is discontinued.  Some drugs take a few weeks to saturate your system so the dosage could be higher now and lowered later.  This is the main reason Yvonne will be going twice a week to the clinic.

Part three is the one I understand the least and therefore cannot explain very well.  The immuno-suppressive drug which was given intravenously in the hospital is a real immune system killer.  Yvonne is the most susceptible to germs right now.  Over time she will get back more of her immune system but it will never come back all the way.  It's being suppressed to prevent that.  So part of her recovery is just allowing time for a partial recovery of the immune system so she'll have some ability to fight off germs in the real world.

Having said that, Yvonne must always be careful about exposure to bacteria and viruses.  Purell bottles will be everywhere she is.  On her desk at work, at home, in her purse, etc..  Right now if you walk in here, I will squirt you with the jumbo bottle at the door.  I'll aim for your hands but my aim is not so good:)

So Yvonne will be home for roughly a month other than the clinic visits, a few other doctor appointments and the occasional walk on the roof.  She can certainly talk on the phone and visitors are welcome.  This will help break up the days and weeks of being home.

Rules for Visiting  (if you know me you know I'm detail-oriented or as Yvonne likes to phrase it, a pain in the ass).

1. Again the most obvious is to stay away if you are sick or have been around sick people.  If you have school age kids at home you are more likely to have some exposure.
2. When you do come the Purell-man will great you. Use it.
3. There is no touching the patient!  No hugs, no kisses. (this is tougher for me than you...)
4. Please don't expect a typical social visit. It's highly unlikely you will be offered anything to eat or drink. Sorry but I really don't need anything extra to think about!
5. Probably best if you come in small groups or alone.  Large groups may make it harder to keep Yvonne somewhat separated from people in the room.
6. Give us a heads up that you want to visit.
7. Finally if you decide to bring Yvonne anything to eat/drink please stay away from Grapefruit, pomegranate, herbal anything  raw meats and anything from an open-air salad bar.
8. Don't piss off my cats.