Final Thoughts

Closing Up Shop
Both of us are home, both of us are well, both of us are peeing like crazy. Not much need for this site anymore, it seems to me. You can always drop me a line or ring me up for the latest. I'll also be checking back for comments, so feel free to post away. Comments make my day.

Heartfelt Thanks
I thank all you who have provided support throughout this whole experience. Different folks have contributed in different ways, and it all has been appreciated. I won't say much more or I'll cry.

Springsteen as Muse
From day one, I've relied on one song to get me through (although I much prefer Johnny Cash's version.) From Nebraska, it's "Highway Patrolman".

Me and Frankie laughin' and a-drinkin',
Nothing feels better than blood on blood.
Taking turns dancing with Maria,
While the band plays "The Night of the Johnstown Flood".
I catch him when he's strayin',
Like any brother should.
A man turns his back on his family,
He ain't no good.

The Real Hero Of The Hour

Okay, so I've been saving the best photo for last. Ladies and Gentlemen, in his one brief moment outside a warm human body, I give you Lefty

A Helpful Diagram

Well, I'm just about to shut things down here at Blood On Blood, as there's not too much more to add. A few final thoughts may be forthcoming. I thought this might be a useful thing to share, as it really clarifies just what happened. The only difference is that they took my left kidney, not the right. The folks at the transplant clinic were nice enough to let me have a copy. You can click on it to get a bigger version, of course. I like the thought that, if you take the average, Doug and I still have two kidneys apiece.

About That Last Post...

Yeah, I feel some explanation is in order. On Monday, after our last appointment with the transplant surgeon ("You look great, you can go home." "Yay!") due to heavy traffic we took Eight Mile Road all the way home. Ooh, Eight Mile. While Dad locked the doors I lamely joked that I was more worried about getting called out in some sort of rap battle. Dumb. The whole rest of the trip I couldn't stop thinking about it. I knew it would have been up to me. Could I have pulled it off? I was really unsure about posting the results, but having arrived safely home to Minnesota last night I celebrated with my first beer in weeks, and a doppelbock at that. That cinched it. My deepest apologies to all.

Baby, I Can Drive My Car

...and Baby, I love it!
Saturday I went for a spin and it felt great. Once I got out on the road it was hard not to keep going. The road seemed to be calling to me, "Come on; just twelve more hours will bring you home to Phoebe." Sigh. One more appointment today (Monday) and then I can go. This may be the last post from Michigan, fingers crossed.

Doug is Home!

Yes, Doug came home Thursday night, and it was a heart-warming sight. He's sore as all get out, but he's healing up nice. His incision in particular looks to be a nice, clean scar. His rejection issues did turn out to be minor, and were treatable. Now it's a matter of fine-tuning his medications so he'll be having blood drawn a couple of times a week. Luckily he can just go to a nearby clinic for that, instead of running all the way into Detroit. He really enjoyed his first shower. Dad has been a real champ as chauffeur, dealing with some really terrible winter driving conditions. Sally has been cooking and cleaning up a storm, all of which has been greatly appreciated.

E-lec-tri-city, E-lec-tri-city

I spent a good hour and a half with some neurophysicians on Wednesday, and let me tell you; if I'm going to have that much electricity run through my leg for that long, I expect some super-powers in return. I feel gipped. Not much of a conclusion, either. Severe nerve damage was ruled out, at least. As I write this on Friday most of my function has returned, albeit a bit weak. So I think things look good for Tuesday's return.

My Nephrodyssey, or The Reneid

How sad is it that these kick-ass puns didn't occur to Mr. Smarty-Pants Classicist until the very day of his surgery?
First of all, let me say how wonderful everyone at the hospital was. It was especially nice to have a private room with plenty of space to stretch out.

I was pretty groggy at the start, and there was a lot of pain. Thankfully sweet Lady Morphine was there for me at the touch of a button. Although I sometimes felt nauseous, it was just gas from the surgery escaping. Lots of belching.

There was a device to exercise my lungs, and they pumped me with fluids until I could pee on my own. Then it was important to let the nurse know that I'd gone.

For entertainment I had brought a selection of books and movies

The best medicine, of course, was talking to family and friends on the phone. Did I mention that the hospital gave me a gift basket for being a donor? It was full of junk food, so I think they were just trying to drum up business. I hate this picture because you can totally see my butt.

Sometimes I'd stretch out in the recliner, which was where Phoebe usually sat, or we'd go visit Doug on his floor. That was the best. I had a slight fever this day so they made me wear a mask. Better safe than sorry! Eventually we just brought the wheelchair as a backup, as I was strong enough to make it there and back on my own.

Finally, would you like to see my scars? Don't be shy, you know you do.

Yeah, they hurt, and still do a fair amount. Two little holes for the instruments and one large one to get the kidney out. The morbid can compare these to a more graphic version here. Thanks to Phoebe for help with all the photos.

Update on Doug

Fingers, Toes, Etc. Crossed
Doug's body is fighting the kidney a little bit. It goes to figure, as he has rarely shown much interest in any of my things. The doctors are not overly worried. It's partly due to Doug's young, healthy immune system. So they're doing what they can to destroy that. No, no, just to fool it. They have started some treatments that are already showing promise, but take some time. Thursday now looks like the earliest that he could be released. This is all assuming that this is the "easy" kind of rejection to overcome, which is indeed what all signs point to. When we left the hospital today the biopsy results had not yet come back definitively stating this. Hence all the crossing of digits mentioned above.

I must say that Doug looks great. He continues to get stronger and is moving around quite well. I suppose I should wait until we're out of the woods to start teasing him about the extra bulge in his belly.

Update on Dave O

Floppy Footed Feeling
I continue to grow stronger and may soon be able to take a kitten in a wrestling match. Not the Evil Cat, however, but who could take Kess? An odd development, about which I met with the doctor today, is that my right foot is a little numb and a little out of my control. Not HAL 2000 out of control, more like the Heart of Gold. I just can't raise my toes much. The doctor thinks that a nerve got pinched or stretched in surgery, as I was rolled on my right side for most of it. I have another appointment tomorrow with some muscle specialists to make sure. They're pretty sure it's temporary.

Some Sunday Updates

Dave reports that he is out of the hospital and recovering nicely. Apparently, he gets to go through a little extra bruising, etc. due to the fact that his abdominal muscles were in decent shape. If only he'd been on a Dusty's Dago Diet for the last few months ...

Doug is still in the hospital tonight, though the doctors say there's about a 50/50 chance that he will be released tomorrow (Monday). It appears that his body is fighting the transplant a little which is not unexpected. It's mostly just a healthy body reacting to the situation. With careful observation and medication everything should still be OK.

Dave O. has a check-up appointment one week from tomorrow (1/10/05) and is currently expected to be back in the Twin Cities on the following day.

Happy New Year To Dave O!

Well, the Iowa Hawkeyes sent Dave O. an incredible New Year's Day gift. All our best from the Iowa BIYF Collective. Hope Dave didn't pull any stitches during the game.

Bill, Ruth, Craig, Jeri, Ken, & Chris