Back At Work Already?

Today is 6 weeks, (oops, I mean 5 weeks), post-transplant and I am back at work preparing for the school year. I've been in lots of meetings and planning sessions. There are no students on campus yet so it is a good ramp up period and a chance for me to build up my energy level. I am surprised at how good I feel. I have gotten tired for a few moments but then got rejuvenated. I was exhausted at the end of the day and went to bed early last night. It is good to be back and I feel like I am getting stronger everyday.

I need to walk more to build up my stamina. It takes very little for me to get winded. I know I need to be patient with my body to recover from major surgery. This is the only big surgery I've had other than child birth and I had too much else to think about to even remember my own recovery.

I continue to be grateful and amazed at the miraculous event that is transforming my life. Because I was able to function semi-normally while sick and on dialysis, I am gradually getting a better appreciation of how my health is being restored. I continue to thank God for sending Kristen into my life with a willingness to give of herself in such a huge way.

Posted by Staci

6 Weeks Post Op

I'm amazed how much better I feel every week. My energy is coming back. I'm back to a normal schedule for the most part. Sometimes I get a bit of a back ache if I've been driving or sitting for a while. Other than that, I am so surprised that six weeks after donating a kidney I almost feel (physically) like it never happened. But the emotional reward just keeps coming.

Posted by Kristen

5 Weeks Post Op - Yeah!

Since the end of last week my body has been healing quickly. The pain in my side is gone which I attribute to really honoring the pain, not pushing through it. Every time I felt the pain I would back off of whatever I was doing (sometimes just turning a certain way or using my abdominal muscles to get out of bed). I've been completely off of my pain meds for about 4 days so I'm feeling more "myself". I believe my body went through a bit of a detox or withdrawl coming off the pain meds. I felt like I had the flu. But I got through that ok and feel great now.

Like Staci, I'm just so surprised how little it takes to get me tired. I'm trying to do more and more now. My daughter went back to school yesterday so I'm back to being her taxi. And this week I'm starting to see a couple clients again in my office. So things are returning to normal.

I will never forget this time in my life. It's almost surreal now. There have been a couple times that I've just thought "Wow, I already donated my kidney and I'm getting back to normal life again!". But during the first four weeks of recovery I never felt like life had slowed down so much. Basically my life just paused for a month. And now some slow weeks ahead.

It's a very special time that I know will lead to many more special times, knowing Staci and her family now. I can't express enough the blessings of this journey. I know that being a kidney donor isn't for everyone. There are some like me though that will feel prompted to do this. I encourage you to follow your heart. Talk to another donor if you can. Allow your friends and family to help you through the post-surgery recovery. And share your story with as many people as possible. It'll bless their lives too...and who knows, maybe someone else will become a donor!

Posted by Kristen

Back At Work Already?

Today is 6 weeks, (oops, I mean 5 weeks), post-transplant and I am back at work preparing for the school year. I've been in lots of meetings and planning sessions. There are no students on campus yet so it is a good ramp up period and a chance for me to build up my energy level. I am surprised at how good I feel. I have gotten tired for a few moments but then got rejuvenated. I was exhausted at the end of the day and went to bed early last night. It is good to be back and I feel like I am getting stronger everyday.

I need to walk more to build up my stamina. It takes very little for me to get winded. I know I need to be patient with my body to recover from major surgery. This is the only big surgery I've had other than child birth and I had too much else to think about to even remember my own recovery.

I continue to be grateful and amazed at the miraculous event that is transforming my life. Because I was able to function semi-normally while sick and on dialysis, I am gradually getting a better appreciation of how my health is being restored. I continue to thank God for sending Kristen into my life with a willingness to give of herself in such a huge way.

Posted by Staci

Anniversaries

Today is a great day...it is not only the 4 week post op date for Staci and me, it also marks the 5 year anniversary of Jason and my father-in-law Rod's kidney transplant. That is the event that started this whole thing for me.

The picture above was taken on December 4, 2003...4 months after their surgery. Jason ran in the California International Marathon! We made shirts that said Kidney Power, which our whole family wore. We all ran across the finish line arm in arm with Jason as he finished the race. It was very cool. And ultimately, it was that marathon that inspired Dr. Perez to ask Jason to ride in the Race Across America and we all formed Team Donate Life. Now TDL raises awareness of organ donation and transplant to thousands through fundraising events and bike rides since 2005. Yeah!

Posted by Kristen

Red Letter Date - July 31, 2008

Today my dialysis supplies were picked up and returned to the warehouse. It has almost been five years! The time went by so quickly. It was so nice to see all of those boxes be taken away! When they were still here, I felt that there was a looming possibility that I would have to be on dialysis any day now.

I don't despise dialysis. In fact, I know that it was what God used to help keep me alive. It became part of the daily discipline for living, like eating and sleeping. I took it with me on a cruise and to Hawaii and even in the car while I was driving. Now, I feel the end of a chapter in my life. I affectionately referred to my connection to my dialysis machine at night as my umbilical cord. Now I have a new and improved support system.

Kris and I are bonding well and I feel her becoming a part of me. I am mentally more active than I am able to be physically but I am making good progress. It is hard to slow down because I want to be active. It is a test of patience so I am trying to stay focused on less physical and mentally challenging activities.

At three weeks and two days post transplant, all I can say is how amazed and grateful I continue to be. I continue to pray for Kristen's pain free recovery. I feel guilty that she has pain, especially when I don't...

Posted by Staci

Ouch...It Hurts

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Picture of my friends Mary Kay Anderson and Donna Fettig visiting me yesterday.

I haven't blogged lately, mostly because I've just been focusing on healing which for me means a lot of resting. My days go by very slowly. I'm still waking up a few times a night in some pain or just uncomfortable. Recently I've had a lot of pain in a new area on my left side so I'm constantly trying to find the best position for my body to be in. As it turns out, it's laying flat on my back on my bed. I've never spent so much time in bed. I was watching a lot of tv when I first came home but now I find that I'd rather have some peace and quiet. I haven't had a lot of visitors lately. Jason thinks I've discouraged everyone...maybe he's right. With the new pain I've been having, it's put me in a bit of a funk. I'm just really wanting the days and weeks of recovery to speed up, but real time is not cooperating. I talk to Staci often which helps. I can't imagine not having the relationship I have with her. It keeps everything in perspective for me.

I still have had meals delivered to our family every other night. That ends this week but I'm so thankful to everyone who helped in this way. Knowing that my family's dinner was taken care of made me feel good. It's a mom thing.

Next weekend I'd like to be able to be up and around more. I have some events to attend if I'm up to it so I'm praying for that to happen. However, I'm being a very compliant patient and keeping myself at rest as much as possible for maximum healing (Hi Dr. Perez!).

Posted by Kristen