Today we celebrated six months with my new kidney.  Six months is a major marker for transplants.  I feel great, as far as kidney function goes.  I still feel the effects of being out of shape and fairly inactive for too long, but I am not complaining!  In fact, my last labs had my Hemoglobin at 15.3.  The kidney is doing so well.

So, to surprise me for my six month mark, Karen got me a Can-Am Spyder!!  As many of you know, I have wanted a Spyder since I first learned they would be in production.  The cool thing is, Karen NEVER spends money.  She is so good at the discipline of saving and prioritizing not spending.  Apparently, even though things have been pretty tight for us lately, she has been squirreling away funds for this surprise.  She even got my favorite color.

 I have really appreciated Karen as she has supported me through this process.  Karen has been the perfect home nurse and helpmate through this part of our journey.  There are still ups and downs along the way.  While the dips don’t seem so low, she is always encouraging and patient when I struggle.

The kids have been wonderful as well.  They are great at celebrating small things that are significant to me health-wise.  They notice the increase in energy I have, and are eager to help me use it.

Thank you all for your support as well.  I have a surprise for all of you who have supported us.  So scroll down please…

Surprise!!

Apology and Thanks
I guess I owe an apology to all. My friend Nate sent me a note long ago that basically said, “Hey. We get updates to pray from you when things aren’t good, but we don’t get updates when things are good.”  Thanks Nate for the kick in the butt.  My update for the good is below.

Subscriptions Make Your life Easy
Some of you come to the site to see if there is an update and find either nothing or find that you have a few blogs to catch up on. I recommend that you subscribe to the site. If you go to the top right of the home page, you will find a subscribe box. If you put your email in there, then you will get an email every time we update; no more guessing. And it is only to our site, so your email goes no where outside the site. 

Great Health Update
So I got some labs back Friday. Before I give you my numbers, let me give you some general information on healthy kidney function. Some will be review.

Hemoglobin
Hemoglobin carries oxygen to the body. So it supplies energy to the muscles. When your hemoglobin levels are normal, you have energy. When they are low, you lack energy (anemia). The kidneys are the primary organ for hemoglobin production. Good kidneys mean lots of hemoglobin. You can figure out the opposite.

Normal range for a male: 14 – 16
Current level for wes©: 14.2

Creatinine
Creatinine is basically a measure of how many toxins are in your blood floating around your body. The kidneys clean the blood so these toxins are not affecting your body. Good kidneys filter most of this out.

Normal range: 0.5 – 1.5 (many labs have 1.2 rather than 1.5 as the high side of normal)
Current level for wes©: 1.29

As you can see, inside of 5 months, the Lord has chosen to put my kidney levels at normal. Those who know me well know that “normal” has never been a label I appreciate wearing in any life application. For one of the few times in my life, I am really happy to wear the label “normal”. (Yes, I know I opened a potential box of hurt with the comments that could fly from that paragraph. Let ‘em rip! I’ll take it.)

Thanks for Your Support,
wes©

Today I celebrate 3 months with my new kidney!!

I am so thankful for this new opportunity given to me by God. I am also thankful for the family who allowed their 24 year old daughter to donate the kidney. Please continue to keep them in your thoughts and prayers. It is now three months for them that they have had to live without their daughter, who passed suddenly and tragically. This next week, our family will be sending them cards of thanks.

Would you all do me a favor? Write notes of encouragement and thanks to her family in the comment box below. You have been such an encouragement to us, perhaps you can be to them as well. Many of you know how I have struggled for more than a decade with this kidney issue. It’d be great to share the ways you’ve seen that and how this new kidney will change my life.

Thanks!
wes©

I had my stent removed on Thursday. They had it se between the kidney and the bladder to help flow during kidney infancy. The procedure was not pleasant but it was quick.

My Bloodwork continues to be good.

Hemoglobin = 10.8 on Thursday.
Creatinine = 1.7 also Thursday.

My transplant doctor (Dr. Rameriez) said that a creatinine of 1.5 is the same as 1.7 to him. Meaning, that it is all healthy and the fact that it went up a bit is normal. We expect it to continue to stay here or lower.

Speaking of Dr. Rameriez, he has a 12 year old son who loves chess. Dakota is just a little younger and loves chess also. Dakota and I met the two of them at a chess tournament in Philly yesterday. It was fun. We mostly sat and chatted while his son played. Dakota now wants to try participating in a tournament. He beat me in a game the other day.

He sends a challenge out to his Uncle Steve, probably the best chess player he knows. “Bring it on, Uncle Steve! You are going DOWN!! This July 4th at grandpa’s. Bring your nice board and set.”

wes©

Creatinine = 1.5
Hemoglobin = 10.4

Cleared to drive and swim! Went to office and did close to a full day of work. Very thankful for the progress.

wes©

Not much new to report. My levels stayed pretty much the same.

Creatinine = 1.6
Hemoglobin = 10.1

Planning to go back to work this week. I have been doing work stuff at home for two weeks now. I am hoping they clear me to drive on Monday. I would love to get back into the office. My energy levels are still low and everything wears me out, but I’d like to try some half days at the office. We will see…

wes©

Creatinine = 1.6
Hemoglobin = 10.1

They are adjusting one of my meds, giving me less, because I am getting too much and they believe it is causing my creatinine to fall less. I am pretty happy with 1.6 but i am not going to argue with less meds and a lower creatinine yet!

I got my staples out today and what a difference that makes in mobility!

Clarification: People keep asking Karen how my bowels are doing and if they are better. We apologize for apparently not being clear. The doctors thought I was experiencing pain in the hospital from unmoved bowels. It turned out that is was internal bleeding a a pool of blood near my testicular nerve that caused the severe pain. Once that cleared up, I had normal, slow bowels, expected after a surgery and hospital stay.  As soon as I was released and walked a bit, everything started moving. I have been fine for a couple weeks now.

Today, after my doctor visits, Karen and I visited Lisa (don’t know who Lisa is: read this). Her doctors are pleased with her progress and she is recovering well. As soon as she is up and mobile, she has radiation treatments everyday for 6 weeks. She has a great attitude and is a determined and focused person. Please continue to pray for her and her son Sam as the road still has many tough miles ahead.

wes©

I did my routine Friday visit to my doctors in the city today. My creatinine is down to 1.7! My hemoglobin is still sitting at 9.0.

Thank you to so many who have provided us with food and other helps this week.

Kadin turned 9 today. We went to Chuck E Cheese’s for dinner; it was his choice. We will celebrate with extended family tomorrow. My friend and co-worker Davis took Kadin’s gift home earlier this week and assembled it for us so I did not have to. Thanks Davis and Denise!

Now for some more serious requests. Many if you have prayed for me and my family faithfully. I am asking those of you of that ilk to lay down some serious prayer for two of my friends:

1.  Dakota, a dear friend from high school and running partner from that era, is going through some intense radiation treatments for cancer.  They already removed his thyroid and eighteen lymph nodes, eleven of which had cancer in them. He has three young kids, just a little younger than each of our three. Pray for strength and courage and increased faith for him, his wife Michelle and their kids.

2.  Lisa, another great friend and running partner from college, is fighting stage three breast cancer.  She has been through weeks of experimental treatments and just today had an 8 hour surgery, double mastectomy, hysterectomy and reconstruction.  She is a single mom and a school teacher.  Please pray for her son Sam and her as they battle this together.  Pray for the same courage and faith as they walk this tough road.  You can follow her story here.

I appreciate all your love and prayer.  Thank you.
wes©

Creatinine down to 2.1
Hemoglobin up to 9.0

My doctor said that now that my creatinine is way down, there will be a slow down. The drops won’t be as dramatic as when it was higher. But the good news is that regardless of the amount of drop, the trend is continuing down. The kidney continues to do more and more work.

My hemoglobin is another story. They said on average, hemoglobin goes up 1 point every two weeks. I went up 1 point in one week!

I see the doctors every Monday and Friday for a couple more weeks, then once a week. I will try to post my numbers each of those days. I did not post yesterday’s numbers and we got calls and emails asking what they were. Thanks for caring!

wes.

PS – I get my staples out on Monday!