Wednesday, June 6, 2012

One year ago...

Hello friends, family and prayer warriors!

I can hardly believe it is time for the "One Year Update"!  That's right... one year ago today 2 of Denver's 4 kidney transplant surgeons were simultaneously operating on my dad and I trying to give him a new lease on life.  IT WORKED!

This past year my dad has been dialysis free.  It was nice to have him in attendance of our last year of elementary school musicals, Christmas Programs, sporting events (Tanner's 8th grade basketball team went undefeated and won the championship this year under the guidance of his very capable coach Loren Otte!) as well as sporting events at Lutheran High School for Kelby.

This year was not without it's challenges and worries - but what year this side of heaven is?  My dad's body began doing what God made it to do - reject foreign objects - twice in this past year.  Both times the doctors were able to stop it right away and his new kidney suffered no damage... Praise God for that!  In fact, the doctors are pretty sure that they can keep this from happening so often just by tweaking the anti-rejection meds my dad is taking.  That is what we are working on currently.

There was a 4 day hospital stay for my dad as well.  As his immune system is being suppressed... he is open to all sorts of germs that his body won't fight off.  His hospital stay was for that reason.  He was told to stay out of big crowds on a consistent basis.  He and my mom have done a nice job with that order.

Speaking of my mom... this is a MUCH less stressful day for her than it was last year.  I remember the anticipation of having two very close family members in surgery at the same time causing terrible anxiety.  Thankfully it was all over and both of us were in recovery in just about 3 hours.  My mom continues to keep my dad pointed forward and moving in the right direction... She deserves a lot of credit here - it isn't always an easy job!

I am doing just fine.  I have found that the kidney surgery I had last year was much easier and less traumatic on my body than back surgery was six and a half years ago.  I still feel the effects of the back problems almost every day... not so with last year's surgery!  If I drink enough water each day... there are no effects - AT ALL.  There was one day I didn't drink enough water and I became a believer... it made me very sick the next day.  I won't be doing that again. :-)

I'll continue to post occasionally, but I want to say thank you to all of you who faithfully keep us in your prayers.  We need them and we don't want them to stop!

Blessings,

Monica

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