Post-Transplant Update: 19 June 2019

This entry is late simply due to the fact that we had family come stay with us last week, and I just wasn't able to sit down to type up the latest information. So let's get started...

To begin, I had my monthly labs drawn last Tuesday. 

11 June 19 Labs:

*Creat:   2.89 (+0.12)

*HCT:   35.9 (+0.7) IR

*Hemo:   11.5 (+0.2) IR

*Lymph:   13.0 (-2.4) Low

*Lymph ABS:   1.0 (+0.1) IR

*Neut:   77.8 (+1.7) High

*Neut ABS:   5.7 (+1.1) IR

*RBC:   4.05 (+0.08) Very Low

*WBC:   7.3 (+1.2) IR

*BUN:   35 (-7) High

*CA:   9.8 (+0.3) IR

*GFR:   23 (-1) Extremely Low

*Gluc:   104

*K+:   4.5 (-0.3) IR

*NA+:   140 (-1) IR

*Prot:  Not taken 

*MG:   2.4 (+0.2) IR

*Phos:   3.6 (-0.3) IR 

*BK Virus:   Not Detected

      NC= No Change     IR= In Range

Urinalysis 11 June 19:

Appearance:   Normal

Color:   Normal

Glucose, UR:   Negative

Hgb,UR:   Negative

Ketones, UR:   Negative

Leuk Esterase:   Negative

Nitrite:   Negative

pH, Urine:   6.0 (Normal Range is 5.0-8.5)

Prot, UR:   Negative

Specific Gravity, Urine:   1.01 (Normal Range is 1.003-1.030)

The only item I want to highlight is the Red Blood Cell (RBC) count. For the first time in months, though still well below the normal range, the RBC's finally went above 4.0! I have been waiting for that to happen since my last rejection episode.  Though the rise in the RBC's has been agonizingly slow, the fact that it continues to rise is a great indicator that the kidney continues to communicate with the bone marrow to produce the cells.

All the rest of the labs were good--or great--and show stability. Though there are still lab values that are out of their proper ranges, the fact that I am stable is excellent!
The urinalysis this month is exactly the same as it was in May...another fantastic sign of renal stability.

Next, my monthly IV infusion of Belatacept was also last Tuesday. Though there was one missed cannulation attempt (which left a nice bruise on my L arm), the second attempt was successful and the infusion was uneventful. As with last month, I have had zero side effects from the med.

Also last week, I had my first visit with my new nephrologist. He had quickly read a brief part of my [very extensive] post-transplant file, and expressed his astonishment with everything I have been through ever since the transplant. He questioned me about meds, the infusion, my general well-being and how I feel I am progressing. All in all, it was a good 'get to know you' visit. He had no changes to anything at this time, and had my next visit scheduled three months out [in September].
I think the new doctor will be a good fit for me.

Next, the TMD headaches have never lessened after the sudden increase two weeks ago. Despite this, my average daily use of T3's has fallen to 2.7; which is terrific!  The recent uptick in the headaches though has been severe. The intensity and sharpness have both increased significantly, and my jaw (R side joint) has been clunking really hard and painfully whenever I chew. So, I do as much as I can to relax, limit bright sunlight exposure, and get proper rest. That last one has, unfortunately, been difficult to achieve. I have continued to get plenty of sleep, but the restfulness has not been able to happen. As this too lends to an increase in headaches, it is no wonder that the TMD has exploded.
So, I just go back to everything I need in order to get the jaw to relax as much as I can.

My energy is up. After doing a bunch of housework a couple of days ago, I realized that I wasn't wiped out! This is an outstanding development! I have been waiting for a long while to have such a large increase in my energy to occur. Now, doing so much work still made me extremely tired the next day, but at least I had all that energy!
Remember...small victories on the way to great results!

I have had a change in my nightly urinary voiding over the last ten days, or so. Usually, I will get up between 2-4 times at night, voiding between 800 cc's and 2 Liters (2,000 cc's). Recently, these have both decreased to 1-2 times each night and 400 cc's to 1,100 cc's.
Yet, my weight has either stayed about the same, or decreased slightly. In fact, my weight the last two days has been 124.8 Kg's. This tells me that my daytime voiding has been higher, so that my nighttime voiding is lessened.
I do not know if this change is permanent, or temporary, but I will not complain about it at all!

I am going to wrap up this entry here because my headache is just nasty today--despite meds--and I need to stop typing, stop thinking so that I can go relax some more.

Good Health to All!

ScottW

Post-Transplant Update: 06 June 2019

To start, today is June 6th, the 75th Anniversary of the D-Day assault on the beaches of Normandy, France. Every year, I always take a few minutes to reflect on those who fought so bravely against terrible odds; especially thinking of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice on that bloody day. I am thankful for those brave men of our Greatest Generation, and for all of the horrors and hardships they had to endure so that we all could continue to enjoy the freedoms we are all blessed so richly with.


Now, I waited an extra week for this entry for two reasons. 1) Last week was pretty uneventful.  2) I had my latest visit with my local nephrologist yesterday and want to report on that.

To start, a quick recap of last week...

Once our cold, wet weather snap ended, I went on a couple of short walks. Both were slower than normal. Here's why... Last Wednesday, while working on dinner, I turned to my left and felt (and heard) a ligament on the outside of my L foot pop. Aside from pivoting on my foot, there was nothing that forced that ligament to do this. I've had this happen before, so normally it would be no big deal, aside from some discomfort when walking. However, in the past, I would always wear shoes which would keep that ligament in line, and the foot would heal in a couple of weeks.
Unfortunately, with the neuropathy in my feet, I am not wearing shoes hardly at all, so the ligament is very slow to heal, and I seemingly constantly aggravate the injury. 
So...fun times there.  :o(
Anyhow, when I do go out on my walks, I wear my New Balance shoes, and just put up with the neuropathic pain and burning. At least the shoes help me to walk with reduced pain, even if my little circuit goes slower than normal. 

Also, my weight has been bouncing around between 124.8 Kg and 125.6 Kg. I continue to hope that the downward vacillation is still proceeding, and am doing what I can to help this along in a healthy manner.

Ok, now, yesterday's appointment.

Unfortunately, this was my last visit with my nephrologist. He has accepted a position doing renal research in another State, something he really enjoys. Because of his earlier announcement [regarding his upcoming move], I have already lined up a new nephrologist who is associated with the private practice of one of the Kidney Clinic physicians, and came highly recommended. I have my first appointment with him next week.

Now, back to yesterday.
The doctor is pleased with my ongoing recovery, and agrees with me on the very long-term recovery that lies ahead. He is confident that I will receive great care from the new nephrologist whom he has heard great things about.

My BP, Pulse and Respiratory Rate are all in good shape. Though my weight is higher than expected, there is no concern about it, as yet. He is pleased with my progress on daily activity, as well as with my efforts to strengthen my legs via my walking. He made no changes to any meds, and will send my records to the new doctor this week. As he put it, "Your new doctor will have an eye-opening time reading about your odyssey; not your typical dialysis or post-transplant recovery." We both chuckled at that comment!

I also learned something new that helps my brain settle down a bit. 

When discussing my recent Blood Pressure trends, he stated, "The higher BP is OK due to the slight stenosis you developed from the renal artery occlusion after your transplant. Your kidney needs a higher BP to offset the damage to the arterial wall so that adequate renal perfusion occurs." He then explained that, when taking my BP readings [twice each day], I should record the accurate number, but mentally deduct about ten points from the systolic reading to get a good approximation of where my BP would be with two healthy kidneys.
This was terrific information!

I also stated that my TMD headaches were diminishing, and relayed the info I wrote here about my T3 usage from late April to late May. Plus, I recently did a pill count of my latest T3 Rx, and after 11 days (at that time), my daily usage was at 2.36 pills per day!
Further, that I was beginning to use Excedrin more and more before using a T3 because the Excedrin was finally starting to be effective all by itself. My doctor was very happy about this news!

And on that front, aside from days that I awake with a TMD headache (like today!), I have recently been taking one or two T3's each day. That's it!  My efforts at minimizing the TMD are starting to bear fruit!  I am under no illusion whatsoever that there won't be times that the headaches come roaring back with a vengeance--because they most certainly will, as demonstrated by my 15 year effort to control the headaches--but at least I am seeing (or at least glimpsing) the light at the end of this incredibly long, painful tunnel.

And that's all I've got for today!

Next week, all on the same day, I have my monthly labs, Belatacept infusion and the first appointment with my new nephrologist. I will be sure to get everything written up.

So, until next Wednesday, or thereabouts...

Good Health to All!

ScottW

Post-Transplant Update: 24 May 2019

Over this past week, there have been few new developments, so this entry will be fairly brief. 

My daily vitals have been stable. As per usual, my morning and evening blood pressure (BP) readings are divergent from each other. While the difference is now less following the partial parathyroidectomy, it is still there. As I stated in last weeks' entry, the Clinic doctors are unconcerned by that at this time, so I won't worry too much about the AM/PM gap.  
On the other hand, my average pulse rate is in the mid 60's, which is excellent!     
As far as my weight...I seem to have stalled in my downward vacillation, hovering at or near 125 Kg's. 


Yesterday, I finally finished the latest puzzle that I have been working on for several months. The reason it has taken so long is because it is a "Challenge" puzzle of 1,000 pieces, and with similar patterns of color and shape throughout. A good early session on the puzzle was 2-3 pieces. Some days, I got nothing done. As I put more pieces in place, the puzzle went faster as there were fewer and fewer pieces to sort through; less patters to evaluate and identify.  Below is a picture of that puzzle:

This particular puzzle, though frustrating to even get started, was a great exercise for my recovering brain. It really helped me to settle my mind away from frustration and  towards problem solving, and seeing more intricate patterns. 

The next puzzle I will do will not be so difficult; which I will start on this weekend.

On the TMD front, I had a small victory this past month. Let me explain...

Ever since my Abdominal Hernia surgery (and all the terrible resultant pain), my T3 usage has been one month of meds taken over about 26-28 days; or, about 3.15 tablets per day. This usage was consistent...until my latest Rx was done. I started using that on the morning of 22 April. I finished that bottle of meds in the morning of 22 May, for a solid 3.0 tablets per day.  I know, that doesn't sound like a big drop; but it is the first time since that 2017 surgery that I have been able to go a full 30 days on one allotment of meds. Plus, as I stated last week, I had several days that I took only one T3. 

This small victory gives me even more hope that I am finally on my way to getting to the point of completely controlling the TMD headaches once again.

My energy this past week has been low; but considering how much I had to do from Tuesday (14 May) until Monday morning, I really am not surprised that my body is tired. However, I have to look at it from the perspective of my having enough healing and physical energy that I could do so much solo driving, and so many errands in the first place! This is terrific progress, even if I have to take a step backward for a few days.

Again...small victories!

My sleep has been OK; my appetite is consummate with my overall activity level; my water intake is a solid 2.5 Liters every day (plus other fluids) and I am feeling like I am moving slowly forward. A long road to overall recovery still lies before me, but I am seeing clear signs that I am on my way.

I hope that all of my U.S. readers have a safe Memorial Day weekend! Please take a few minutes to remember those who gave their lives so that we all can enjoy the freedoms that we live with every day. Without their sacrifices, our lives would be vastly different!

Good Health to All!

ScottW

Post-Transplant Update: 16 May 2019

My apologies for taking too long to write this entry. I just failed to sit down and get it done. However, with the last two days now done, I am finally getting caught up.

Tuesday (14 May) I had my monthly labs and infusion.

14 May 19 Labs:

*Creat:   2.88 (+0.23) 

*HCT:   35.2 (-0.3) IR

*Hemo:   11.3 (+0.2) IR

*Lymph:   15.4 (+1.6) IR (Low End)

*Lymph ABS:   0.9 (NC) Low

*Neut:   76.1 (-0.7) High

*Neut ABS:   4.6 (-0.1) IR

*RBC:   3.97 (+0.03) Very Low

*WBC:   6.1 (-0.4) IR

*BUN:   42 (+2) Extremely High

*CA:   9.9 (NC) IR

*GFR:   23 (-3) Extremely Low

*Gluc:   96

*K+:   4.3 (-0.1) IR

*NA+:   138 (NC) IR

*Prot:   7.1 (+0.1) IR

*MG:   2.2 (NC) IR

*Phos:   4.3 (+0.2) IR

*PTH:   63 (-58) IR
            NC= No Change     IR= IN Range

The labs are looking really good, overall.  The Lymphocytes, while still a touch on the low end of the range, still show stability. There is still lots of room for immune system strengthening; but I am glad that this reading is stable!

The latest Parathyroid Hormone (PTH) reading came back in fantastic shape! I think that the April reading of 121 was simply an anomalous reading. The surgeon has already contacted me and is extremely pleased with both the PTH and CA readings. Plus, I am to continue with my current calcium supplement intake (Tums, 100 mg 4x/day), and no other changes or concerns.  So, terrific news there!

The Creatinine reading will be discussed in just a bit.


Urinalysis (UA) 14 May 19

Appearance:   Normal

Color:   Normal

Glucose, UR:   Negative

Hgb,UR:   Negative

Ketones, UR:   Negative

Leuk Esterase:   Negative

Nitrite:   Negative

pH, Urine:   6.0 (Normal Range is 5.0-8.5)

Prot, UR:   Negative

Specific Gravity, Urine:   1.01 (Normal Range is 1.003-1.030)

The only change on this month's UA is in the Protein. It has gone from a trace in April to negative this month. Again, renal filtering is going well.

My Belatacept Infusion [on Tuesday] went well. The IV canulation was easy, and the infusion went off without any issues. As is now the pattern, I have had zero side effects from the medication--which continues to be 600 Mg in 100cc of Normal Saline (NS) given over 30 minutes.


Now, yesterday (Wednesday, 15 May) I had my two year post-transplant follow-up with the Kidney Clinic. As always, we discussed meds, compliance with renal care instructions, physical exam and answering any questions I might have. 
In summary, the Clinic doctors are extremely pleased with my progress, and have no changes or further instructions, at this time.
As for my current Creatinine reading of 2.88, they are not yet concerned, as muscle building increases the normal Creatinine levels. IF this gets over 3.0, they could order new tests to determine if anything untoward is causing the increase [other than muscle growth]. 

And speaking of my two-year follow-up, I cannot believe that I have already had my kidney for two full years! May 4th (Star Wars Day) is my "Kidney-versary". 
Despite all the struggles that have occurred since the transplant, the kidney is finally strengthening and functioning nicely; as well as is my immune system. It has been a very long, arduous road to get to this point; but I wouldn't trade it for anything!


On other areas, I am getting my walks in probably 3-4 times each week, depending on things that are going on from day to day. Last week, I decreased my brief walk of about 250 yards (mostly on a slight uphill gradient) from 7:37 to 6:36.75. Though the walk still exhausts me, it is very encouraging that after only a relatively few walks, my time is already decreasing. Once my time lowers to about five minutes, I will likely increase the distance incrementally. Of course, I will keep you updated on my progress.

Next, my TMD is finally settled down to a somewhat normal level. It is hard, when talking about TMD and its associated headaches, to describe "normal." Being subjective, it means one thing to me, but something else entirely to someone else. Anyhow, with the headache intensity and frequency lessened, I haven't taken any strong meds in about three weeks. Unfortunately, my T3 usage is still averaging about three per day. On the plus side of that news, I have already had several days that I took only one T3, which is an excellent sign that I may finally be on the upside of knocking these headaches down again. 

My weight seems to have plateaued over the past week or so. I hit a high of 126.6 Kg's on 02 May; but my current weight is 125.4 Kg. I have seen a recent downward vacillation  that will hopefully continue.

On other, infrequently discussed topics: 

The Neuropathy in my feet seems to be getting slowly better. I am wearing shoes now on my walks, and when I drive (which I have been doing barefoot because I can't feel the pedals through shoes) in order to help my feet get used to having the irritation increase. I am hoping that between these efforts and acupuncture, I might be able to wear shoes all the time within a month or two. (Though I am cautiously pessimistic that that will actually happen anytime soon.) At least I am on my way to getting back into shoes.

Since the recent tooth repair, I have had no further issues. Plus, my wife noticed that my teeth have naturally whitened slightly since the partial Parathyroidectomy, as if the calcium and other nutrients are finally reaching the teeth. 

My sleep has been pretty good each night. I am generally getting between 6-7 hours of decent sleep, though that changes whenever I have to get up more that two times to relieve my still under-sized bladder. Most of the time I can get back to sleep; but once in a while, I have to get up after taking an hour to get back asleep. 

And speaking of my bladder, the absolute most that I have had it hold was 650 cc's...but that was only after I was dead asleep for too long, and I literally bolted up out of sleep (and the bed) in order to hit the restroom. Most nights, I average between 300-500 cc's, and from 2-5 times each night; which makes a no average nightly total between 700 cc's - 2 Liters. (Like I said...no nightly average for urinary voiding.) The Clinic doctors frankly don't know if I can expect my bladder to increase in holding volume. I hope that it does; but if it does, that could take some time.


And with that, I will conclude this edition of my blog.

I hope that each of you, my readers, are doing exceptionally well, and moving ahead towards your goals despite any and all opposition!

Good Health to All!

ScottW

Post-Transplant Update: 25 April 2019

Alright...a few things to discuss today.

First, I had my appointment with the parathyroid surgeon. He is pleased with my progress, and is unconcerned with my latest PTH lab. He told me that with a partial parathyroidectomy, the PTH level can waffle up and down. Right now, he is happy if the reading ranges between 80-120, so long as the Calcium level stays in the mid-9.5 area. Any lower [calcium reading] and the PTH will spike and cause issues. So for now, maintain my current calcium supplement intake (1000 mg 4x/day), have the PTH re-tested in May, then call in for further instructions.

Also during this doctor visit, the three sutures that were causing me further discomfort were all trimmed down so as to be below the skin. He did this by using an 'alligator' clamp to grab hold of the individual suture ends [and pull them away from the skin a bit], then his nurse clipped each off, and the clamp released resulting in all three ends retreating back into the skin. There should be no further issues with these sutures; though I should still apply ointment once each day for about two weeks to help further dissolve the remaining surgical threads.

Next, the headache has, overall, begun to decrease earlier than I had anticipated following my last dental appointment. However, it still spikes daily; but at least it has begun to ease off for a period of time each day. This is terrific news on the TMD front!

Remember...small victories!

With the TMD settling down I finally began my daily walks to improve my leg strength, conditioning and stamina. 

I started with a short walk of about 150 yards last evening, then I just got done with another of about 200 yards right before I sat down to type this entry. Today's walk showed me just how much further my strength has slipped. With only a slight elevation increase over about 2/3's of the circular route I took, it left me wiped out. My legs were weak and aching by the time I arrived back home.

I expected this, even though the result today is a tad disconcerting. I have to remember that I am months and months behind where I thought I'd be by now because of everything that has happened since my transplant.

The weakening of my muscles is greater now than two years ago, so I must keep the positive thought that just getting started is the hardest part of regaining strength! Once your efforts become habit, the exercise becomes easier as you grow stronger...no matter how incremental that progress might be.

A couple of days ago I was thinking about how far I have to go in getting back in shape. The thought occurred to me that it is as if I am starting to gain strength for the first time...all over again. THAT is how I must look at my day to day progress. It doesn't matter how long it takes; only that I am giving my best every single day.

My weight continues to rise, though I am unsure if the increase is from eating too much compared to my activity level, if I am holding onto too much water from day to day, or if my normal daily activity level has increased what muscle mass I have, thereby increasing my weight. Though I generally void most all of my daily fluid intake, there are days that I hold onto some [fluids] for whatever reason. In this regard, I have been counting my nightly urine output for the past few weeks. My nightly output is ranging from 800 cc's (8/10's of a Liter or kilogram) to 2,000 cc's (or 2 Liters/Kilograms). There hasn't seemed to be an apparent 'normal' volume of nightly urine output, though I will continue to check this. 

As far as my daily food intake, I rarely eat breakfast. (I believe I have previously stated that I haven't eaten a breakfast with any regularity in decades simply because I dislike most all typical breakfast foods.) Meanwhile, my lunches are light to moderate in total volume, and my dinners go between moderate to normal. Plus, I will sometimes eat an evening snack; though not consistently.  So, I don't know that the weight increase is due to this. It could just be a combination of all these factors. 

In any event, as my strength and stamina increase, my fatty tissue will decrease while muscle mass increases (even before weight training), so it will be interesting to see what happens with my weight.

Though I am frustrated with a few things, I am pleased, overall, with how I am coming along. Again, I must remember how far I have to go so that I temper any frustration with understanding of the journey ahead.

And with that, I will wrap this up for today.

Have a fantastic week, everyone!

Good Health to All!

ScottW

Post-Transplant Update: 19 April 2019

I am getting to this post later than I had intended due to having that tooth crown placed, and the ensuing headache that resulted. So, let's start with labs...

16 April 19 Labs:

*Creat:   2.77 (+0.12) 

*HCT:   35.5 (-0.6) IR

*Hemo:   11.1 (NC) IR

*Lymph:   13.8 (-1.5) Low

*Lymph ABS:   0.9 (-0.1) Low

*Neut:   76.8 (-1.9) High

*Neut ABS:   5.0 (-0.1) IR

*RBC:   3.94 (-0.02) Very Low

*WBC:   6.5 (+0.3) IR

*BUN:   42 (+2) Extremely High

*CA:   9.5 (-0.5) IR

*GFR:   24 (-2) Extremely Low

*Gluc:   95 (Normal 80-100)

*K+:   4.8 (+0.4) IR

*NA+:   141 (+3) IR

*Prot:   ??

*MG:   2.2 (NC) IR

*Phos:   3.9 (-0.2) IR

*PTH:   121 (+59) Very High

          NC= No Change     IR= In Range

Though there has been small drops in a few of my numbers, I am particularly interested ion the latest Parathyroid Hormone (PTH) reading. Last month it was terrific. This month, not at all. As per previous physician instructions, I called the surgeon's office to relay the PTH and Calcium readings. Rather than immediately adjusting my calcium intake, the doctor wants to see me on Monday. Plus, he will be looking at the still-undissolved sutures in my neck, and will possible remove them, as well.  I will update you next week on the outcome of that appointment.

As far as the other numbers with movement in the wrong direction, I have a sneaking suspicion that these are a result of the higher PTH level. 


Urinalysis (UA) 16 April 19

Appearance:   Normal

Color:   Normal

Glucose, UR:   Negative

Hgb,UR:   Negative

Ketones, UR:   Negative

Leuk Esterase:   Negative

Nitrite:   Negative

pH, Urine:   6.0 (Normal Range is 5.0-8.5)

Prot, UR:   Trace

Specific Gravity, Urine:   1.01 (Normal Range is 1.003-1.030)

Aside from the slight elevation of the pH level (5.5 up to 6.0), the UA continues to clearly show that the kidney is filtering well. (YAY!)

As I stated at the very beginning of this entry, I finally had the tooth crown placed over the broken #19 tooth. The crown fits perfectly, and is level with the other teeth around it. Unfortunately, the headache I had from the initial dental appointment was only just beginning to ease up; and even the moderately light pressure exerted on my jaw was enough to send the headache pain spiraling upward once again. Luckily, the crown placement (and cleanup of extra cement) only took about 30 minutes, so I am hoping that the latest increase in headache pain goes away sooner than before. 

Oh...just FYI, before the latest appointment, my headaches were averaging about a solid 7 (out of 1-10), after nearly two weeks of nothing but 9-10's. This time, I came home with a 10+, and it is now averaging an 8.  :o(    :o(    :o(

Next, my energy level has remained up despite the elevated PTH. This is an excellent development! It tells me that I have not only increased some muscle, but also some stamina, as well. Though I still get exhausted doing chores, I continue cooking every day, as well as seeing that the house remains in good shape. So...definite progress!

I know that I had a few other things to tell you about, but my headache is hurting too much--despite pain meds--to both remember what else I has, and to keep typing up this entry. So, I'll quickly wrap this up...

Again, I will let you know how Monday's appointment goes. Until then...

Good Health to All!

ScottW

Post-Transplant Update: 09 April 2019

I don't have a lot to discuss today as things have been pretty uneventful, overall.

However, that doesn't mean there is nothing to pass on.

First, I had my initial dental appointment to fix that broken tooth (#19, apparently). As I stated in an earlier post, the break on the tooth was clean, and the underlying dentin was still in great condition; as well as was a filling on the tooth that had no stability issues.
Because of these factors, there was zero 'build-up' needed on or around the tooth to stabilize the crown. I had several impressions of the tooth taken, and a 'temporary' crown was created over the tooth in order to protect it from further damage, and the dentist just needed to clean up the tooth so that the crown would fit nicely.

Getting the crown made will take two weeks, and I will have the temporary crown removed and the permanent crown then placed on the 18th of this month. 

That was the good news...

...now for the bad...

As with every time I have any dental work, my TMD was set off BIG TIME!
Ever since the appointment one week ago, my headaches have been averaging a solid 8, with frequent bumps up to 10+. Even with meds, my headache is terrible, and only time will help things relax again. Unfortunately, with the crown placement coming up--and more TMD aggravation--it will likely been some time before the pain calms down to a normal level. Plus, I'll be getting a cleaning in the next month or two. This is NOT a fun time to have TMD complications. Oh well...I do what I must and know that eventually these headaches will reduce.

Next, the scar from my partial parathyroidectomy is coming along.

(Seven weeks post-surgery)

The actual surgery pain is completely gone, and I can move my neck freely once again. However, even after following physician instructions, I still have undissolved sutures along the incision. 

After I see my monthly labs next week, I am to call the doctors' nurse to ask about any alterations of calcium intake. I will also ask about the sutures and if I need to have them removed. I will let you know what I find out.

My recent energy uptick has remained. Having the three parathyroid glands excised was definitely the right thing for me to do. I had been wanting to get out walking more than a few times each week, but with the TMND headaches so severe right now, there is yet another delay in really getting started.  :o( 

In any event, I am glad for the energy increase. I am cooking every day again, doing more household chores and am not such a lump at home (which is fantastic!). I'm even finding that I am getting bored; which I take as an excellent sign that I am on the upswing!

And that is all I have for today.

Labs and my next monthly infusion of Belatacept are next Tuesday (16 April). I will update my blog once those labs are completely available.

Have a terrific week, everyone!

Good Health to All!

ScottW