Good News

     So today I received some good news. I recently went through some not so fun tests, and I got the results today. The tests were an MRI to check my Kidney,(Yes I mean Kidney, because I only have one) and a Liver biopsy to check for rejection. The reason for the tests are because my blood pressure has been high and my liver enzymes have been elevated.
     The results for my Kidney were very good, it is perfectly healthy. The results from my biopsy were good as well, because they showed no signs of rejection. The only downside is that the biopsy did reveal that I have too much fat on my Liver. So the doctor has suggested that I change my diet and make sure that I am working out at least three times a week.
      These results may not seem like the best news, but it definitely could have been worse. The fact that I don't have any signs of rejection is very good, and because of the nature of my transplant there is a very good chance that I can get taken off my medication completely, but first I need to get down to a healthier weight so I don't risk cirrhosis of my liver.
       Lately I have been realizing how lucky I really am. Most people who have a liver transplant have gone through some rejection, and as far as I can recall I haven't. I did go through quite a rough time though to actually get my new liver. When I did receive my liver I had died on the operating table, which caused part of my new liver to die as well. The doctors say that I lost 50 percent of my liver because of it, so the portion that grew back was mine. So the fact that I am not showing any signs of rejection means that there is a chance that I can get taken on my medication completely. So hopefully after I have gotten myself healthier that will be on option I can discuss with my doctor.
         The great thing about being a Transplant patient is it puts things in perspective. So many people put conditions on their happiness; Income, Leisure Time, How many friends they have, Being right, Getting the best grade, etc . . . While some of these things are good, sometimes we lose perspective on what really matters.  It's good to set goals to attain those things. But the underlying reason should be family, or to better ourselves. Also if you aren't were you want to be, rather than feeling down about it and frustrated try focusing on what you do have. No matter your situation there is always someone who cares about you and will not give up on you.  I know that my heavenly father will not give up on me, or anyone else.

   

Finding the positive in a "bad day"

        So it has been nearly 24 years since my surgery, and I've never really had any incidents. That is until today.  Now it wasn't really life threatening or dangerous, but it was not pleasant at all.
        Today I went in for a liver biopsy, which until today I went about 17 years without needing to get one done.  Now I don't do well with needles so the mere thought of a big needle going into my side to take out a piece of my liver turned my stomach. But in this case it means possibly getting off my medication. So I was willing to find that out.
        This typical procedure is supposed to be pretty fast and routine, which it was.  However things kind of took a nose dive when my wife and were leaving. I became extremely light headed, and began sweating profusely. As a twist of fate we had turned the wrong way and some doctors were there and quickly realized what was happening. I had gone into shock from the procedure, and before I knew it I was surrounded by nurses and fellows and radiologists.  They got me hooked up to monitors  and an IV. They kept trying to get my blood pressure and it kept reading an error, which usually  means that it can't get a high enough reading.  They finally started to get my blood pressure at 104/45.  They kept checking it until it leveled out at about 138/80. I spent a couple more hours at the hospital and was finally able to go home.
       The rest of the day was spent with my wife, son, and brothers-in-law watching Robocop, Black Sheep, and a few scenes of Rio. Also I took a day of from eating healthy. I had Chick-fil-a and papa johns pizza with some Mountain Dew.
        The only thing besides going through shock was the pain associated with the Biopsy, which at the end of the day subsided. And honestly I could have chosen to be miserable because of my situation, but despite the time spent in the hospital, and the pain, I was able to spend some time with some family and spend some time relaxing. So the day turned out pretty good all in all.