MikeD
Full time employment: Posting here.
To paraphrase Rodney Dangerfield: I'm OK Now But, Boy, Last Week was Really Something.
Last Saturday I finally got a successful pancreas transplant! So I guess the 13th try was my lucky one.
My surgeon was very picky about approving the donated organ in an express effort to make sure that I got a good one. After it was "installed" it started working pretty quickly, which is a very good sign. My last shot was Friday at midnight.
My operation was estimated to take about 2 - 3 hours. It took six because I have a real lot of scar tissue left over from the last pancreas xplant and I was too fat.
I was released on Wednesday afternoon after only 4.5 days (a new record, beating the 5 day record). I have to go into the transplant center twice a week for follow up blood tests and to see my transplant surgeon. I am still really, really tired and worn out feeling but very happy that everything is working out and on track for now. I don't have any unusual complications and it's great to have normal blood sugars again.
Being in the hospital really seems to take a toll on me. It seems to take about one day to recover for each day spent there. They wake you up about once an hour for something or other like blood pressure, shots, pills, temperature, blood draws, etc. You never really get any sleep. I just turn into a zombie. I am still recovering from this operation and am on pain pills so I am still kind of foggy.
I am on heavy doses of steroids to avoid rejection. They will be tapered off in the next three months. Steroids change the set-point of pancreas' blood sugar level. So, when I lower the steroids the blood sugars should come down. They are happy with 130s and 160s. Normal blood sugar is between 80 and 120. The pancreas was in excellent shape and started working quickly, a good sign. Also, it was OOB (out of body) for over 12 hours and cleaned up and "trimmed" by my Dr before getting my blood supply and springing back to life. Boing.
My last few blood sugar tests have yielded blood sugars of 130. Last night's was 83 AFTER EATING! This is really good news and I am thrilled.
The chances of having a rejection in the first three months is 20% which kind of jolted me when I found out. I expected lower like 3%.
This operation was about half as long in the operating room as my first xplant in '96. It has taken a lot more out of me. I am apparently feeling the effects of age.
This hospital visit resulted in a new experience for me. Tuesday afternoon, someone was strolling the halls outside the rooms of the 7th floor wearing a large strap-on harp and playing folk songs for about 45 minutes. Is harp music what you really want to hear when waking up in a hospital room?
Mike D.
Last Saturday I finally got a successful pancreas transplant! So I guess the 13th try was my lucky one.
My surgeon was very picky about approving the donated organ in an express effort to make sure that I got a good one. After it was "installed" it started working pretty quickly, which is a very good sign. My last shot was Friday at midnight.
My operation was estimated to take about 2 - 3 hours. It took six because I have a real lot of scar tissue left over from the last pancreas xplant and I was too fat.
I was released on Wednesday afternoon after only 4.5 days (a new record, beating the 5 day record). I have to go into the transplant center twice a week for follow up blood tests and to see my transplant surgeon. I am still really, really tired and worn out feeling but very happy that everything is working out and on track for now. I don't have any unusual complications and it's great to have normal blood sugars again.
Being in the hospital really seems to take a toll on me. It seems to take about one day to recover for each day spent there. They wake you up about once an hour for something or other like blood pressure, shots, pills, temperature, blood draws, etc. You never really get any sleep. I just turn into a zombie. I am still recovering from this operation and am on pain pills so I am still kind of foggy.
I am on heavy doses of steroids to avoid rejection. They will be tapered off in the next three months. Steroids change the set-point of pancreas' blood sugar level. So, when I lower the steroids the blood sugars should come down. They are happy with 130s and 160s. Normal blood sugar is between 80 and 120. The pancreas was in excellent shape and started working quickly, a good sign. Also, it was OOB (out of body) for over 12 hours and cleaned up and "trimmed" by my Dr before getting my blood supply and springing back to life. Boing.
My last few blood sugar tests have yielded blood sugars of 130. Last night's was 83 AFTER EATING! This is really good news and I am thrilled.
The chances of having a rejection in the first three months is 20% which kind of jolted me when I found out. I expected lower like 3%.
This operation was about half as long in the operating room as my first xplant in '96. It has taken a lot more out of me. I am apparently feeling the effects of age.
This hospital visit resulted in a new experience for me. Tuesday afternoon, someone was strolling the halls outside the rooms of the 7th floor wearing a large strap-on harp and playing folk songs for about 45 minutes. Is harp music what you really want to hear when waking up in a hospital room?
Mike D.
