Friday, May 21, 2010

Day 6: A Ticket Home At Last?

TGIF - we think! For those of you who missed Bob's little note added to the end of my post yesterday, here's the plan: He will be heading for the Radiology Dept around 9 this morning, where a biopsy of his new kidney will be done. We're told it's a quick and simple procedure, but the recovery part is long. He will need to lay flat on his back afterwards for 4 to 6 hours so the small incision in the kidney completely heals. If the docs are satisfied with the biopsy results (available around 4 pm, he was told) then I will be able to head back to Livermore tonight with my favorite passenger, instead of alone, for the first time in a week. I did not hear the procedure plans directly from the team, but my understanding is that the kidney folks want to make absolute certain that this week's symptoms and issues are not a result of rejection of the kidney, since they are extremely similar to the BK virus symptoms.

Not sure what tune we can sing to this procedure........"Take a little piece of my kidney" just doesn't have the same ring as Janice Joplin's classic. If we are lucky we can work on that part of the proposed "Robert J's Transplant Soundtrack" as we crawl along the freeway in the Friday evening traffic tonight. Stay tuned for an update!
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RJ/Bob/Irv is a 61-year-old beloved husband, father, uncle, brother, motor racing fanatic, and Livermore resident who received a heart and kidney transplant in February of 2010. Bob's recent years have been defined by his health, which forced him into early retirement. Unfortunately, many of his days were spent in a dialysis center or at various medical appointments, primarily due to his living with diabetes for over 40 years. Numerous were panic visits to various Emergency Rooms all over California for treatment of chest pain. But now no more dialysis and no more late-night dashes to UCSF! The main focus of Bob's family, friends, and doctors has been a prompt transplant, so that he can get back to traveling with his Sweetie, driving fast cars, enjoying great music and laughing with his friends. This blog will function as a way to communicate with all interested parties and to keep everyone informed. And hopefully it can serve a great purpose also, in making people more aware of the importance of organ donation and how each life saved has a positive effect on dozens of related friends and relatives.