It is finally official...
Let's begin with the past two weeks of bloodwork...
07 July 20 Labs 14 July 20 Labs
*Creat: 4.36 (+0.26) *Creat: 3.89 (-0.37)
*HCT: 35.2 (+1.6) Low *HCT: 36.4 (+1.1) Low
*Hemo: 10.9 (+0.2) IR *Hemo: 11.3 (+0.4) IR
*Lymph: 6.4 (+2.4) Very Low *Lymph: 6.5 (+0.1) Ext. Low
*Lymph ABS: 0.5 (+0.2) Very Low *Lymph ABS: 0.4 (-0.1) Ext. Low
*Neut: 75.5 (NC) High *Neut: 77.1 (+1.6) High
*Neut ABS: 6.2 (-0.5) IR *Neut ABS: 5.0 (-1.2) IR
*RBC: 3.88 (+0.11) Ext. Low *RBC: 3.96 (+0.08) Ext. Low
*WBC: 8.2 (+0.3) IR *WBC: 6.5 (-1.7) IR
*BUN: 57 (+8) Ext. High *BUN: 53 (-4) Ext. High
*CA: 9.8 (NC) IR *CA: 9.4 (-0.4) IR
*GFR: 14 (-1) Ext. Low *GFR: 16 (+2) Ext. Low
*Gluc: 109 *Gluc: 107
*K+: 3.9 (-0.1) IR *K+: 4.0 (+0.1) IR
*NA+: 136 (-2) Low *NA+: 135 (-1) Low
*MG: 2.1 (+0.1) IR *MG: 2.3 (+0.2) IR
*Phos: 4.8 (-0.2) IR *Phos: 4.8 (NC) IR
*Prot: 7.1 (+0.2) IR *Prot: 7.1 (NC) IR
NC= No Change IR= In Range
Everything in red is concerning.
Why? Because they are all key indicators of worsening issues with the kidney.
The rest of my labs are decent. There really isn't anything too concerning with the majority of my labs.
With this weeks' results, I received a call from one of the doctors at the Transplant Clinic to tell me that they are placing me back on the Transplant List.
This decision was not unexpected; though I was hoping that it wouldn't happen until the end of the summer.
As soon as I receive--then fill out--the starting paperwork, the process to be re-listed begins. I will have to do all of the clearances once more; which will take time with this whole pandemic going on.
These include:
-Dental
-Cardiac
-(For Men) Colonoscopy
-Psychological, etc.
My status on the list will start on the very bottom. The current wait time in my area for a renal transplant [for my blood type] is 3-5 years. This is actually longer than my first trip on the list, being 2-2.5 years(though because of UNOS changes, it ended up being just under fiver years).
In discussing possible dialysis, I will not start this until one of two things happen...either my electrolytes are completely out of whack, or I am feeling so lousy that getting dialysis would be a relief. We'll just have to play that call by ear.
In the meantime, until I feel lousy, I will be under the primary care of the Transplant Clinic. Once I feel bad enough to be on dialysis, I will be under the primary care of my Nephrologist.
Also, I will have two Coordinators at the Transplant Clinic; my existing one for post-transplant, and one for pre-transplant. That will be weird as I try to keep all of the existing and new information straight and distinct from one another.
With the kidney still chugging along (despite the body not communicating with it very effectively), it could be several months before I start struggling. I am hoping that I can go long enough on my kidney that any time I have on dialysis will be brief. Unfortunately, hope and reality are often two separate and distinct things.
This is just a wait and see game now.
Assuming I must start dialysis, I will need to have my artificial graft resected, as I have previously discussed. Though still running, the loop graft is greatly weakened, so hemodialysis would be ineffective as the volume is just too inadequate. The healing from any surgery will take a minimum of six weeks; which has to be factored in to any timeline because I do NOT want another Central Line in my chest! Assuming I have to redo the graft, it could be in the Fall, or later. I will let you know when it happens.
As I noted in the intro, my headaches have been terrible! Both TMD, non-TMD headaches are now in play. Over the past week the pain has averaged a solid 7 out of 10. My med usage is up as a result. It is not much fun with my head these days...
To combat this, I have been getting acupuncture on my jaw twice each week for the past four weeks. I will continue this until the end of July, when I will reduce that to once every week. Also during these sessions, I have getting a chiropractic adjustment (including on my jaw), as well as acupuncture on my feet to help further heal the neuropathy. So far, my jaw muscles are fighting back, which I full expected due to what they did when I first treated the TMD with the NTI devices back in 1998. The muscles fight back by [temporarily] increasing their tension until either I stop the efforts, or they finally relax. How long this takes is a definite unknown.
The non-TMD headaches are caused by the ever-shifting body chemistry caused by the body fighting against the kidney, as we've seen since last winter. Getting these to settle down is a total unknown. I honestly don't know if they even can be minimized.
In regards to the effort to reduce the headaches overall...I will just be happy if my head isn't intolerable while I await another kidney.
I continue to get in my every-other-day workouts done. I have had a couple of days that I had a struggle getting started because I was unduly tired. However, I just made the decision to start, and I ended up with a good workout.
During that call from the Clinic, I was told that my body needs more sodium. That's all well and good, but for someone like myself who does not--ever!-- put salt on foods, and actually detest too much salt in a recipe, just how am I supposed to increase my sodium intake? I have not figured that one out yet, so it will be interesting to know what solution I come up with.
So, that's my big news!
Like I said, it was not unexpected; but still a bit of a gut-punch nevertheless.
For now, I will be doing my labs every other week, which means that my next blood draw will not be until 28 July. I may or may not get another entry done before that date; it just depends on how I am feeling, anything new, etc.
In the meantime...
Keep yourselves and your family healthy by doing what you must to avoid the Wuhan/Corona/Wuhan/Covid virus. Please wear a mask as asked, and practice social distancing. Wash your hands frequently, and wash all clothing immediately upon return home from any outing. Remember, all of these precautions are only temporary, and are not difficult to do.
Stay safe everyone!
Good Health to All!
ScottW
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