Kidney Update

It's been a long time since my last health update. And I don't want this blog to be solely about what I eat, what I do on the weekends and how much I love my husband.  However, I haven't been able to write as many kidney updates as I would like to  because I only visit the doctor about once a month now, and I haven't had any major issues (Praise God) recently.  But I did go to my regular nephrologist today so I thought I'd provide a little update about what's going on inside the new/old transplant.


 

Blood Pressure:  120/94
Yes, my bottom number (diastolic) is a little on the high side.  According to Mayo Clinic, I'm in the "Hypertension State 1" phase.  My doctor said the spike in pressure could be caused by my medications.  Until my next appointment, which will be with my transplant center physician, I've resolved to take my blood pressure and temperature 8-10 times so that we can all get a better reading on what's going on.

Creatinine level:  2.0
So this is probably the most disappointing.  My creatinine has been rising steadily for the past six to eight months now.  The days where I was testing at 1.3 are long gone it seems.  As I've explained before, most people have somewhere between 1.5 and 1.0 levels of creatinine (which the kidney is supposed to filter out) in their blood.  And the fact that mine has gone up...well it kind of sucks.  The doctors theorize that it could be the high dosage of Prograf that I'm on.  Eight milligrams twice a day is kind of high.  It could also be dehydration.  With it being winter time and only 21 degrees outside these days, I'll admit, that I've reduced the amount of just water that I've been drinking. I'm probably clocking in more around 1.5 L per day instead of the 2-3 L that I was drinking during the summer and fall.  But that's normal right?  I don't know.  But I guess I resolve to try to get back into drinking 2 liters each day of JUST water over the next month.  

Other Issues
So this isn't something I've really talked about on the blog that much. It's because I don't want to get people into a tizzy.  But I've realized that I'm actually hiding this from you guys and there's no reason to do that. I want to use this platform to spread awareness, share my trials and tribulations, my testimony, and educate and entertain some people in the process. That's why I'm going to discuss this, in case someone out there is dealing with the same issue.

Ben and I are celebrating our two-year anniversary in just a couple of months (YAY!).  And since BEFORE we got married, we knew that we didn't want to start a family right away. Plus, I had been advised by my doctors to wait at least a year after my transplant, which basically coincides with our wedding anniversary. Ben and I don't have a firm timeline of when we want to have children, but I've been talking with my doctors about it over the past couple of months so that we know what to expect when we do decide to take that next step.  

Deciding to have a child when you have an ongoing health issue, is not always an easy one.  So it was a little discouraging and scary to hear today about all the health risks and complications associated with transplant pregnancies.  It's a constant reminder that I am "special."  My anatomy is not like the other kids'.  But I know my doctors aren't trying to scare me. They just want me to have all the facts about what having a baby might mean for me.  And although it's not what I want to hear, I'm trying to stay positive and remember that God has a good plan for Ben and me. 

So now that I've said that...please don't jump to conclusions:  I'm NOT pregnant.  And, even though I HATE using this phrase, we are NOT "trying."  Emphasis on the word NOT here.  

I am NOT dead. I am NOT sick.  I am NOT pregnant.  
But, I AM happy right now about the bag of Doritos I just ate.  Go on. Judge me.  See if I care.  Life rolls on.