Ok, this is not complaining but sharing and also an awareness or warning for anyone going into surgery for anything. As some of you know, I had to lose weight in order to get on the transplant list. I did, but then, I was measured for my height and shrank two inches, so I was again over the BMI. I was so angry. But bottom line is they have a level they want you at. So, when I had my eval for transplant this summer, they knew my struggle with my weight and pushed to get me approved for bariatric surgery. I had applied for it 3 years ago awas denied. But the transplant surgeon and my nephrologist both pushed for acceptance. I joined the program in September. That was a pretty big deal because of my age and CKD.
So last Monday, after months of doctor appointments and exams I went under the knife. I had a sleeve gastrectomy. This is where they remove 80% of your stomach. The surgery went very well. I have absolutely no issues from the actual surgery. The incisions are small and do not hurt.
But what happened was the gave me fluids on the table. Not sure how much. I do know I went to the med surge floor with a full saline bag of 1000ml and they drained it. For those of you who know you will be wincing right now. Yup, they overloaded me with fluids. And because there was no place for the fluid to go laying down, it settled in the sides and upper portion of my lungs and chest cavity. This caused me to become radically short of breath. Every time I moved, my sat rate (how much O2 was in my blood) dropped. The scariest was when in was down to 60. And then my heart rate was up over 100. Just for reference, normal O2 is above 98 to 100. I was not even hitting the 80's. Normal heart rate is in the 70s. The first night in the floor I really bottomed out and they won't tell me how bad it was. I just know they kept waking me up and giving me meds. On top of this, I was still getting over Covid and that triggered as well. I was hacking up blood. I was sent for emergency dialysis twice. They took off 1 liter the first time and 2 liters the second.
I was sent home after five days with oxygen. I did another dialysis treatment on Saturday with a nurse in full attendance. We only took off .75 liters. I have another nurse coming tomorrow to monitor another treatment.
I'm doing ok. Hate the oxygen tether but it is what it is. I am doing great with not being hungry and it makes it really easy to not want to eat. I am on a liquid diet until Wednesday when I go to puree foods. I have already dropped 13 pounds. Not sure how much of that is water. I am hoping to come off the oxygen. I have to wear a portable canister for now. I have a sneaking feeling I am going to have to pull fluids every time and they damaged my remaining kidney function. I am not peeing like I was in any sense. But I am also not able to put as much fluid in so there's that.
The best news was....I got rid of the that nasty ass itch. GONE. The first night they gave me gabapentin I noticed it was gone. I had read that was a recommended drug for this itch. They do not like to give it to CKD patients because it is express through the kidneys and can build up. I was taking 300 mg all week long. They dropped me to 100mg, and I still do not have the itch. For the first time in months, my skin is clearing, and I can sleep without destroying my skin. I'll take the little wins.
New lease on life
KIDNEY TRANSPLANT
