Happy Valentine's Day

What could top the gift of love today?  I don't think there is anything more I could do to prove how much I love my honey Johnson.  Today will be a VERY romantic Valentine's Day, where Johnson and I will play... "You show me your scar and I'll show you mine!" HA HA!!!

Well let me update you all!  Last Thursday was our BIG day.  I arrived at the hospital to be greeted by all of my family!  Everyone was already there, and I got huge hugs from all!  Next thing I know, my mother's friend is taking good care of me (Thank You Anka!) and I am still very calm and happy.  I change into my beautiful compression stockings and gown and get my IV hooked up quickly, then everyone comes in 2 at a time for a visit.  They all look so scared and nervous.  Then my honey comes in with the girls to say good luck.  He is very nervous and looks very anxious, but I am fine. 

Then I am wheeled into the hallway right outside the operating room, where Dr. Mahoney comes to visit... he has to initial my left side to remind everyone to take my left kidney.  I still can't get his initials washed off! HA HA!  Then I speak to my 2 anesthetists and they explain what will happen, and then I am wheeled into the operating room.  The room is filled with so many instruments...  all for me.  I scooch onto the operating table, and immediately a mask is put onto my face, and I'm told it is just oxygen, but I can't remember a thing after that.  Mmmmm blessed sleep!

I wake up, and try to murmer... "sore tummy" as loud as I can so they hear me... then it's a little more medicine and I sleep some more.  I can't believe it's done?  I am kept in the PACU unit all day while I wait for my room to be ready.  The nurses tell me Johnson is doing well and has now joined me in the PACU too.  THIRSTY!!!  MUST HAVE WATER!!!  I mean really... I can't ever in my life remember being that thirsty!  I have a sponge squeezed gently around my mouth, but no water until I get upstairs to my room!  As they wheel me up, they take me by Johnson's bed, he is conscious and waves at me with a small smile!  I blow him a kiss and now go to my room!

Lot's of visitors... lot's of drugs!  Mmmm I have a morphine pump which I can just push when I feel any pain.  I use it!  The next thing I remember is Johnson's surgeon coming into my room to give me an update.  He looks very serious... he holds my hand and tells me there is a complication.  After Johnson's transplant they were doing an ultra sound to ensure that all the blood was flowing properly into Johnson's new kidney, but they have found a blood clot blocking one of his arteries, and must now take him back into surgery to fix it.  I squirt myself some more morphine... and tell everyone I know he'll be fine, and that I am calm.  They all laugh at me now cause they think it was all the morphine I was on why I was so calm, but in fact, it is because of all of YOUR PRAYERS, I am at peace!  My sister in law Anne starts to cry and holds my hand real tight!  How do we tell Johnson's parents?  We wait for Ian (Johnson's brother) to get there to tell his parents so they won't freak out too much.  Apparently they don't take the news well. 

The next update is that the surgeons went back in and found NO BLOOD CLOT!  Here is our first miracle!  False alarm, but better safe than sorry.  He tells me Johnson is resting fine, but won't be up to see me until the next day around 2:00PM.  Friday... lot's of visitors... I'm feeling great!  No too bad at all!  I even manage some make-up, and I get to change into my own pyjamas cause now they have taken me off all IV's and morphine pumps!

Johnson arrives at 2:00PM and I go to see him right away.  I shuffle off to his room, he looks real big, and he looks uncomfortable.  My routine for the next few days will be, every time I get up to pee, I shuffle over to his room, rub his forehead, kiss him and then give his morphine pump a little squirt!  He sometimes forgets to do this so I do it for him.   He talks a little and is in and out of consciousness. 

It's now Saturday, and I am not as comfortable today as I was these past few days.  My tummy is sore and bloated!  The pain medication is being reduced, but I don't feel well.  Pain is setting in.  Many more people come to visit, and my room is so full of beautiful flowers from everyone!  Thank you all!  Everyone had to leave my room while my room mate was having her catheter changed.  The nurses were having problems with it, and the poor lady was uncomfortable.  All I could hear was laughter outside my door, and the loud voices of everyone. Happy Kendra is gone now  around 6:00PM and I call my mother in to make everyone GO AWAY!

Johnson's new kidney is LAZY!  It is not yet working and Johnson is VERY BLOATED.  He has an additional 40 lbs of fluids on him.  We prepare for emergency dialysis through the central line they have already put into his neck.  But... he is too bloated, and these little lines are clogged.  So now they take out his neck line, and put in a central line into his chest.  He is awake for this... just some light freezing.  They wait and then x-ray his chest...  4 cm too short... They have to do it again and make sure these lines are 4 cm's longer and are deep into the arteries near the heart.  POOR JOHNSON... he cries... he says... " I don't know how much more of this I can take!"...  I try to comfort him, but I'm hurting bad too!  Ian his brother stays with us, and makes sure Johnson is ok and not alone, should I have to go lie down for awhile.  He stays until 1:30AM and is with Johnson downstairs and ensures his dialysis is working ok before he leaves.

I call my night nurse... I cry... I tell her to please get my doctor on the phone because I need MORE drugs... I am in so much pain now I can't even roll over.  It hurts to cry... so I try to stop.  Be calm... breathe... next thing I know I have had 2 shots.  Gravol and something else... and I finally feel some relief and get to sleep.

Sunday morning I go over and kiss my honey good morning.  We limit our visitors today as we need the rest and need to recover from Saturday.  Johnson say's he hate dialysis... My kidney is still a little lazy... (what do you expect???  It came from me right?  HA HA!!!) 

Later in the day, his output (urine starts to look lighter and clearer... pale yellow instead of burnt orange) and Johnson's swelling is going down.  The dialysis really did help to cleanse his body of extra toxins.  I feel tired, so we rest.  Tomorrow I go home.  That's later in the day on Monday.  I am in no hurry to go.  I like it at the hospital... resting... visiting with my honey whenever I want!  I will miss him.

Monday, Johnson is doing great!  He looks great!  The kidney is working and no more dialysis is needed.  Pretty pale yellow pee!  I can't stop laughing... Johnson waddles over to visit me today!  He has to open his legs so wide when he walks... because apparently... it's really swollen... down there in his privates!  I ask to see... they told us it would swell... but Holy Mother of GOD!!!  I never in my life would have thought his privates would get that large.  This is very uncomfortable for Johnson... but I can't help laughing!!!  I've nick named it "My little pumpkin" ha ha!!!

I go home around 5:00PM and enjoy resting in my bed.  I'm tired.  My sister is running around like a mad woman.  You see... she has two sick little girls she is taking care of.  I think Stephanie has strep throat... Taylor has a bad cold, and she is now caregiver to all three of us!  My older sister Brenda is real sick too, so we suggest she comes over too, and Aunti Jo-Jo will wear a pink shirt with the words "Bitch Slave" on it as she cares for all of us!  But seriously, she amazes me!  She's doing a great job!  We try to bribe the girls to go to school... it may take their minds off of everything.  They go, and it does do them good.  They are all ready for Valentine's Day!  So am I. 

Tuesday I get up, get showered, mmmmm hair washed!!!  Fix myself real pretty cause today the A-Channel news will be visiting Johnson and I for our follow-up story.  Johnson looks down today, and tired.  He's just received some gravol and is a little out of it.  But we bring him some home cooked food, which after the interview he devours! 

I must say to all of our friends at Bethel Church THANK YOU!!  My sister Johanna says the food fairies come everyday and leave the most amazing meals at our door for us!  In fact, last night as I ate the most amazing soup, I was really craving a chocolate chip cookie... then the door bell rings, and it's Rod Thornhill at the door with his girls... they baked cookies and were hand delivering them to our door!  Now that's timing!  Thanks Rod so much for organizing this for us!  We love you all for helping us out!

It is 5:00AM as I write this... Stephanie woke early for some medicine, so I couldn't quite sleep, so I thought I'd take a few minutes to update you all!  Cheers!  I can't wait to see Johnson today!!  He misses his girls, and after school today we will all go for a visit and wish Daddy Happy Valentine's Day!  Love to all of you.... and should you get a chance... check out our Love Story on the A-Channel tonight at 6:00PM!!

I will add some pictures later on today.  Gotta just sit for a short period of time!  Thanks for all of your e-mails... I sure wish I had a laptop, that I could just respond back in my bed, but alas... I must do so in short spurts! 

Happy Valentine's Day!