Four Months Later
On August 12th, I celebrated my four-month transplant anniversary by getting what felt like an industrial stapler pushed into my lower abdomen. At least that's what it felt/sounded like. At four months I was scheduled for a checkup that included a kidney biopsy. In my very first post, I talk about my first kidney biopsy that was performed through my back for my native (original) kidney. This one was the same but different.
My parents and I arrived in Jacksonville the night before. My appointments began at 6AM on the 12th. It started with the usual bloodwork and urine sample. Then they gave me a container to track urine output for the next 24 hours. So that's fun. Not awkward or gross at all.... Then I headed over to radiology for my biopsy. First the ultrasound technician got a good view of Princess Lily whom she referred to as "a very pretty kidney." Aye! She get it from her mama! Then a doctor came in and gave me three lidocaine shots in my lower abdomen near the kidney. I am still fairly numb in that area, but I'm still very sensitive. So, I cringe anytime a doctor presses there or even when my clothes fit too tightly in the area. I mainly feel just pressure, but my mind knows that there is a vital organ close to the surface (you can even kind of see where it is). The thought alone freaks me out. So, shots in this area were not pleasant. Once I was numb, the doc took a machine, and after a brief murmur of “loud noise," she pushed down, and I heard what sounded like a stapler with a microphone. They required two tissue samples, so I got to do this twice. After this I had ice cream. Happy Anniversary Lily!
During these few days, I had several appointments including a post-transplant nutrition class (more on that in a later post), a meeting with the infectious disease doctor, a 24hr blood pressure monitor, and a final meeting with the transplant nephrologist. The end results were very good. No signs of rejection, blood pressure is normal, function is high, and she's making urine like a champ. So not only is she pretty, Princess Lily is also a hard worker.
