Lol – staying away from too much protein, yes can imagine could be hard!

Hope all goes well when you see the urologist. Thanks for posting back as to how things are. Always great to keep in touch.

All the best
Di
x

The heart is ok for now. I had another appointment at the cardiologist today. My bp was very high, so he has increased the meds. it was 160 over 125. I have had some lower back pain so i will be going to the urologist soon again. I have no problems with bowel movement or passing water. The big concern is that i have to stay away from too much protein…..and being a south african, that is easier saying than do-ing!

General Anaesthetic is well known for caused constipation as it stops part of the bowels from working properly. Can’t say prunes were on the breakfast menu in hospital, but maybe they should have been!

Thanks for posting and hope your recovery continues.
Di
x

I know pain meds can cause constipation, so I remembered an old remedy from my child bearing days long ago…………prune juice. It gently softened the stools and worked within a couple of hours. Helped relieve the bloating and made me feel so much better.

Thanks for the blog, it helps to know while every experience is different, there is a lot of common ground.

Just goes to show, that no matter how “minor” one thinks a symptom may be one must always get it checked out. Who would thnk that a cough would have led to that.

The abdominal swelling you had due to the gas being pumped into you is quite normal. Often though most has dispersed leaving a “pocket” up in the shoulder which can cause some discomfort for a few days.

I think many people can sympathise with you when it comes to the bowel movement!!! I advise everyone that when laxatives are offered, take them!!!! lol ….

Tiredness seems to affect people differently. I was like you and very very tired, getting sleeps during the day. I think I was back to normal as far as tiredness at 2 months. It is 2 years since I donated and I still have some pain in the main incision (bikini line) if I press there which I do when drying after a shower, so I think it can be some time before all discomfort/pain disappears.

You are still in early days after your operation but sounds like you are doing okay. Yes every little niggle etc must be reported to the doctor at your check up.

So, Etienne, tell me … your other kidney is working fine? Nothing wrong with that one?

For such a large stone in your left kidney how amazing you had no pain. In a way a shame you did not or it could have been caught earlier perhaps.

So how is your heart? Do you need any operations or should you be okay on medicine?

Just think, because of a cough it was then found you had heart and kidney problems. We so dislike bothering a doctor over what we class as “minor” – yet it is those minor niggles that we really do need to get sorted.

What a story … thank you so much for sharing with us. Would love to know how you get on with your check ups etc. Please post back and keep us informed.
Thanks
Di
xx

I have had my left kidney removed, after they discovered a calculi, that caused damage in the functioning of the kidney. I had less than 1.6% function. The stone was massive, and apparently been there for a long time. I had no pain in my side and this was totally out the blue.

My story actually started with a cough that kept me up at night and eventually my wife had enough and said i should get to the cause of the cough as i have been using nornal flu meds from doctors, and this never helped. I went to an old school friend, that started a doctors practice close to where we live, and he did all kinds of tests. Eventually he did a routine urine test and also an ecg. The ecg picked up some electrical patterns that was not normal. After being reffered to a cardiologist, the specialist told my wife and I, that i had dilated cardiomyopathy (heart failure) and that i needed to be hospitilised immediately.

In hospital i mentioned to the specialist about the results of the urine test and they did a kidney scan. This showed that the kidney was also not functioning!! So now i had heart failure and a kidney had to be removed. They told me that i could not have the kidney removed untill the heart could withstand the aenasthetic…..and it could take a year to be strong enough. In the doctors rooms, i asked the cardiologist, what the prognosis was if left alone, and he said 30% of people that have the heart disease only lasts about 5 years!!!

Well i spent some time int he hospital, resting and undergoing all sorts of tests and procedures. Eventually after almost five mnths of heart meds, they said that my EF rate is much better it increased from less than 20% to almost 45% where normal is 55% to 75%.

This resulted in my kidney being removed on valentines day….almost five hours in theatre. I had some severe abdominal swelling due to the gas, it looked like i had a soccer ball in my tummy!! The first week i battled to go to the loo, but this was also as a result of the meds. The pain meds has a side effect that prevents the body from making soft stools. So after some suppositories, i finally did the business and the tummy started subsiding.

I was also very weak, and slept a lot. After 6 weeks i started work, but am still feeling tired in the afternoon. I have some pain still at the wound site, and then also some at the side just below the ribs.

I also have some pain under the belly button area. I think that is from the scarring….but will check again with the doc….

Thanks for your informative blog…

I was never sick before, and am only 35. Two kids and wife. Do not drink excessively (About three or four beers a week) and do not touch hard liquer.

If you would like to know more just ask!

Reg,
Etienne

The very best to you both. How wonderful it will be to “have him back” and you can both get on with life and enjoy all things together.

Thank you so much for posting. 2012 will be a year to remember for you both.

All the best
Di
xx

Thank You Again!!

Yes the first few days of recovery I think we can all relate to.

The youngest altruistic donor in the UK is 25 years old and the oldest 82 years old. Upper age tends to be what I am asked about most. But of course the other end is also important. It all boils down to the health of the donor regardless of age or how they appear. I gather from what you said you had a few objections along the way.

Donating today is so totally different to say 10 years ago. The surgery is so much kinder to the body and also we are not sick being got better but very healthy people able to cope well with recovery.

I am so glad you are both doing well and that your cousin is now home. That is great news. Thank you for telling us about the both of you and how you have been feeling in the early days. It certainly helps knowing loads of other people go through the same recovery stages!!

All the best
Di
xx

Love and peace
X