Blood on Blood

Final Thoughts

2005-01-13T13:56:00.000-08:00

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

2005-01-13T13:23:00.000-08:00

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

2005-01-13T13:10:00.000-08:00

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...

2005-01-12T07:12:00.000-08:00

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.

2005-01-11T19:29:00.000-08:00

Baby, I Can Drive My Car

2005-01-10T06:33:00.000-08:00

...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!

2005-01-07T11:33:00.000-08:00

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

2005-01-07T11:28:00.000-08:00

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

2005-01-04T15:19:00.000-08:00

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

2005-01-04T14:51:00.000-08:00

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

2005-01-04T14:41:00.000-08:00

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

2005-01-02T19:32:00.000-08:00

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!

2005-01-01T14:26:00.000-08:00

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

Happy New Year from Henry Ford Hospital

2004-12-31T15:11:00.000-08:00

Howdy folks, Dave O here

(hey everyone-Phoebe here- Dave O went to take a call from Grandma Jennie- I hope everyone is having a fantastic New Year's Eve! Dave and Doug are both really doing great. Doug was just moved out of the ICU today and is now in his own room in another part of the hospital. Dave and I are getting ready for our own New Year's "celebration" which will probably involve flat warm soda pop, the Return of the King DVD extras and turning in by 9 o'clock or so. Not the most exciting of parties, but everyone is happy and well, and that is the best start to the New Year that we can think of. Love to all and see you soon-- -Phoebe)

Okay, now it's really Dave O here. Not much I can add to what Phoebe said. It's been great having all of your love and support. We're probably going to go see Doug here in a little bit. I can't tell you how much better he looks. More details will follow, but for now, Happy New Year to all!

2004-12-29T15:35:00.000-08:00

Dave O. Reports Dave O. Is Doing OK!

2004-12-29T15:33:00.000-08:00

Phoebe (& Dave ) called to report that Dave is doing well and is preparing to spend the night at his hospital digs. Doug is also well and is currently in recovery. He will be spending the night in the ICU so that they can monitor, medicate, etc. as needed with greater ease.

Everything seems to have gone well and it appears that the kidney started functioning as soon as it was placed in it's new home. Dave mentioned that he'd like to find the guy that "punched him in the gut," however. We're assuming that feeling will fade in the near future. Congratulations and all our best to Dave and Doug.

Lefty's On His Way

2004-12-29T11:42:00.000-08:00

Phoebe reports that Dave O. is out of surgery and recovering. Now it's Doug's turn for Lefty (after an about face to make him Righty).

A Big Thank You

2004-12-27T08:31:00.000-08:00

It's Monday and the public libraries are open again, but I find myself with precious little news to share. Instead I'd like to talk about other people and how great they've been. Folks have done a lot of things; throwing early Christmas parties, traveling great distances, providing support of all kinds; all to make this possible. You know who you are. I hope you know how much it's meant to me. Christmas has always been about friends and family, and the circumstances of this year, tough as they are, only underline that. Thank you, one and all.

God Bless Barnes & Noble!

2004-12-24T11:57:00.000-08:00

And I don't just say that because I am a loyal employee of the last (almost) nine years. Have you tried their new wireless access in the cafes? It's peachy. On to the news:

The polls have closed, the other organs have all voted and, drumroll please, IT'S LEFTY!

Yes, Lefty has to leave the body. He only has himself to blame, what with his longer urether and better blood vessel connections. I warned him. Latinists will join me in rejoicing that the left, or sinister kidney is the one departing. Wouldn't that augur ill for Doug though, you say? Well, first I'd point out that my left-handed brother is already sinister, but here's the kicker. They're putting it on his right side, so all ill omen will be averted. Poor Lefty, though. He's going to be confused.

Yesterday, after fighting a major (for Detroit) blizzard on the way to the hospital, we had blood drawn for the final cross-match (okay), met with a member of the surgical team (so young!), and talked with Doug's nephrologist (nice man. His son was president of the Junior Classical League, but abandoned Latin for medicine. Sucker.) I also formally signed my consent. No backing out now. What did we learn? Well, here's what the future holds:

Monday
Starting at noon I start taking a super-laxative. It's so super that they don't call it a laxative, they give it the cringe-inducing title of oral enema. I ask you, could you think of a worse name? The idea is that, since my part of the operation is laproscopic, they need all the room in the abdominal cavity possible. So it's my job to empty it out. No special requirements for Doug yet. But me, I was told, "Make no plans for Monday night!" Yay. Then it gets better on...

Tuesday
I don't get to eat on Tuesday. Oh, all the clear liquids and jello I want, but no food. Just to make the lazy doctors job more easy. No, I kid, I kid. This will be the toughest part, I imagine. Doug has to skip dinner, the poor boy. They deliberately did not tell me about the fasting until I got here. What will make it better? Phoebe arrives on Tuesday.

Wednesday
Up at the crack of dawn. No, well before, actually. By the time dawn starts spreading her rosey fingers across the sky Doug and I will have showered with our special anti-bacterial scrub and headed down to the hospital with Phoebe to keep our 5:30 check in time. Uffda! I go under the knife first, obviously, and they expect the surgery to take 3-5 hours. Then, after checking Lefty out to see that he's okay, they put him in Doug, which will require another 2-4 hours. They say that if all goes well, it should start working right away and he could be making urine again before he's sewn up. Gross, but isn't that what this is all about? Making urine?

At some point on this day Phoebe will check into her snazzy efficiency apartment at the hospital. I'll be stable and in a regular, private (!) room by the end of the day. My stay will be brief, and I may even get to leave the next day, but probably Friday. Doug will spend the first night in Intensive Care for sure. They expect him to move to a regular room the next day or so, about the time I'm leaving.

After
Phoebe and I will stay at Doug's apartment while he's in the hospital. She leaves on Sunday, he should come home by Monday, at which time it'll be me and him at his place. The doctors will have a look at me about ten days after the surgery and decide if I can drive home. Once I take off Doug is going to stay with his friend Rick until he's okay to be on his own. That may be a couple weeks.

2004-12-23T18:52:00.000-08:00

2004-12-22T18:14:00.000-08:00

Packed and Ready

2004-12-21T20:05:00.000-08:00

Okay, that's a lie. I'm not quite done packing. It's all laid out on the floor waiting for me to go pick a suitcase out in the basement. But I'm ready. Phoebe and I had a wonderful dinner tonight at French Meadow, our favorite restaurant, courtesy of Grandma's generosity. The plan is to hit the road tomorrow at oh-dark-thirty, as my father would say. I'd like to make it to Michigan by 10. Curse the time zone change! I'll post when I arrive.

How to Look Skinny in Photos

2004-12-16T12:24:00.000-08:00

First, hold your arms above your head. That helps a lot.
Then (and this is the most important part), remove all flesh.

Notice on the second x-ray you can see some pretty branchy things on my lungs. Are they blood vessels? I don't know, but they took a really pretty color picture of them too, which you can see here.

2004-12-15T19:05:00.000-08:00

Two Weeks to Go!

2004-12-15T11:27:00.000-08:00

Well, one week from today and I'll be on the road, passing Chicago about now. Two weeks I'll be on the operating table getting that quick, one-pound weight loss surgery that's so popular these days. Not much new to report, nerves are still under control, but I'm starting to realize how much time I'm going to be apart from Phoebe, and how tough that's going to be.

Nervous Yet?

2004-12-11T17:28:00.000-08:00

I get asked this a lot. The answer is, "Not really." I feel pretty calm about it all and, if anything, a little excited. Hopefully this is going to make Doug's life a lot easier. I can't imagine being on dialysis this long. My job is simple: show up when asked and do what I'm told. I can handle that. It's not a very risky surgery, no real side effects, and recovery is only supposed to last a few weeks at most. And I love road trips. Give me the free time and I'll drive to Michigan just to cross the Mackinac Bridge. I've got a lot of movies picked out to sit and watch, books to read, and music to listen to.

They say you bounce back more quickly the better shape you're in, and I do find myself exercising a little more franticly lately. Nothing like trying to cram at the last minute. Does that sound like me? I just get a little grossed out thinking of them having to cut through layers of belly fat. Skin? Muscle? Doesn't bother me. But the thought of a scalpel slicing through thick, yellow (It's always yellow in my imagination, at least.) fat? Gross. And a little embarassing. So I'm trying to minimize that.

Now, I am a little nervous on Phoebe's account. She's a born worrier and this is going to be rough on her. It looks like she'll be able to stay at the hospital while she's out there, though, so that'll help.

Cuter Than Baby Photos?

2004-12-10T15:54:00.000-08:00

Maybe not. But they are pretty cute. I hope they don't miss each other when they're separated.

I had the CAT scan over a month ago here at the U and, while they sent the results off to Detroit no problem, they didn't send off the actual film. So I have this snazzy cd-rom to bring to Detroit with me, full of wonderful photos of my insides. Here are some of my favorites. You can click on the thumbnails for a better view.

Off and running

2004-12-10T13:47:00.000-08:00

Howdy folks! If you're here I hope you're looking for info on the Great Fraternal Kidney Transfer of 2004. I'll try to use this as a tool to keep far-flung friends and family informed as to the latest.

The basics are as follows: the surgery is scheduled for December 29, and they want me out there a week early. So I leave on the 22nd and it'll be Christmas in Michigan with my brother and niece. You could do worse. Phoebe will fly out on the 28th and back on the 2nd, by which time I ought to be out of the hospital and recovering at Doug's. Within a week or two (or maybe three) I will hopefully be back myself.