YorkieTalk.com Forums - Yorkshire Terrier Community - Keep Courtney in your thoughts today

Sorry I kinda left everyone hanging! Here is an update of the transplant recovery:

Let's see, I had the surgery on Sunday.

Tuesday was the first time I got out of bed. I think the nurses tricked me into doing it though. lol Here's the story. I had a foley cath. For those of you that don't know what that is, you never want one! LOL It's a cath that goes into your bladder so that your pee basically just drains out when you would normally get up to go to the bathroom. I hate these!! The doctors and nurses said that after a transplant, they usually keep it in at least 3 days. I didn't want it at all. I talked to my nurse on the second day about taking it out. She said that to have it taken out I have to prove that I would be able to get out of bed to go to the bathroom and everything. She said she'd ask the doctor and if I got up and sat in a chair for an hour, I could probably get it taken out. Well, I got up and sat in the chair, a little to fast for her. lol She told me to slow down so she could help me, but I was already in the chair! :D Well, she said they wouldn't take it out yet. I don't think she even asked, but whatever. :rolleyes: :p I flew back in bed, I don't like to move when I have one of those caths.

Wednesday, they did take it out. I was then taken out of ICU to a regular room. I walked to the bathroom when I had to go, and pretty much shocked everyone that I was able to get up that fast after surgery.

Thursday, I actually walked outside of the room. I went to the library, which was on a different floor. Umm, I did a bit of walking, but a lot of just sitting, too. I also would get up and sit on the couch in my room instead of staying in the hospital bed all day.

Friday, I was walking even more! It was like, non-stop. I just walked a lot. Sometimes my mom and I just walked around the floor just to move. A therapy dog came (lots came over the days) and the owner said I could take her for a walk if I wanted. Of course I said yes! I took the leash and walked her around the floor. I walked really fast with her, too! lol I think this was the day that I started wearing my own clothes for the first time after the transplant.

Saturday and Sunday, just a week after surgery, I was walking all over the place! My mom and I went to the cafeteria for snacks, or a meal or two. We went over to the Ronald McDonald House, which was on the opposite side of the hospital and a few floors down to go in. Pretty much walked the whole day. We moved stuff from the hospital room to the Ronald McDonald House room. (I was supposed to be discharged from the hospital, but they wanted bloodwork done, and the lab doesn't do weekends, only the nurses taking care of admitted patients do.)

Monday, they took the Central Line out of my neck, and I was free to go. We went to the Ronald McDonald House and prepared to stay there for another two months.

Tuesday and Wednesday, when we did things at the "House" and people asked why I was there, they'd say good luck with the transplant on Sunday. lol We had to tell them that I HAD a transplant, not going to have one! They were impressed!! My family also came down for a little Christmas party on Wednesday! :)

Thursday (Christmas Eve), I had the dialysis tube finally removed! :D

After that, it was just bloodwork a couple times a week, being bored, and doing things that the "House" planned.

I think January 7th I went home.

The doctors said I was doing better than they'd ever seen. My numbers were and continue to be stable, pretty much the same each time they check, which is once a week now. None of them expected it to go as well as it did, and continues to do so. They didn't expect me to be walking as soon as I did. They didn't even expect the kidney to start working as fast as it did!!

Thank you all for the thoughts and prayers!! :thumbs up

Here are some pictures I put on Facebook while at the hospital/Ronald McDonald House:

Courtney Hall's Photos - Transplant Times | Facebook

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It truly was a Christmas Miracle. We got the call at 10:00 pm Saturday, December 12th that they had a kidney match for me. It was my mom's birthday, and I had just showed her a little video I made for her. I used the song "Wind Beneath My Wings" by Bette Midler, and pictures of different times together. I tried to put it on YouTube, but it wouldn't let me. :( So I put it on a DVD instead. Sunday, I had the transplant, from, unfortunately, a deceased donor. We asked the doctors when I was put on the transplant list. They said Friday. Not even 24 hours on the waiting list, and I had a match. They said that's never happened before. People usually wait a long time to get a match, maybe even years before they get one, and I had one within 24 hours...

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