Almost Six Months Afterward ....

Maybe I should re-name this blog, "Living with a Kidney Transplant". Although I had intellectually accepted the assertions of my transplant physicians that organ transplant is a treatment - not a cure - and that rejection was always a possibility, in retrospect, I didn't accept that reality emotionally. Not until shortly after my May posting, that is.

In early June, despite favorable test results, I developed edema in my leg with significant pitting - one indication of organ rejection. I was frightened. My Savannah physician, Dr. Dana Kumjian, promptly discontinued a couple of my meds and placed me on a diuretic, but my creatinine level rose significantly. Fortuitously, I was scheduled for my four-month post-transplant evaluation at Mayo. There, it was determined that the edema was caused by the since discontinued medications and a kidney biopsy revealed no signs of organ rejection. We returned home much relieved.

Since then, other transplant recipients have told me of similar, even more dramatic experiences. One person, whose 14-year old transplanted kidney functions well, refuses to have his fistula removed. His reason? "Well you just never know."

Meanwhile, I now have bi-weekly, rather than weekly, blood tests and my less frequent conversations with my transplant coordinator are less crisis-oriented. I've resumed my pre-transplant activities, continued to exercise regularly, lost a few pounds, and turned more energy toward the broader issue of organ donation awareness among African-Americans. A fellow member of the 100 Black Men of Savannah recently received a kidney transplant and I was pleased to be able to provide him with a modicum of emotional support during this period.

Finally, I recently sent a thank-you letter to the family of my deceased kidney donor, about whom I know nothing. Unlike the "feel good" media stories, I may or may not receive a reply from them. After all, everyone handles grief differently. Certainly, sending that letter was an important part of my own inner healing process.

And, oh yes, on July 31st Connie and I celebrated our 28th Anniversary at the Jekyll Island (GA) Club Hotel and then on August 5th we celebrated my 77th birthday at Ele's Fusion Restaurant here in Savannah. Yum, yum!