1. In, oh let's say about August, it will become less and less important to mark how many weeks it's been since I received a donor's kidney.
Right now, though, while the kidney is still new and maturing and the surgical site continues to heal, it's important that I mark weekly anniversaries.
Today marked five weeks since the surgery.
At his point in my recovery timeline, I'm focused on two primary things and starting to figure out a third.
I'm focused, first of all, on self-protection. It continues to be important that I am cautious about being around people, especially if I don't know if they are ill or have been exposed to illness. In time, I can relax this caution, but, for now, I'll continue to stay home a lot, wear a mask if I do go into a public place, and be vigilant about staying clear of people who I learn are ill or have been exposed to illness. It's why I'll stay home from our Father's Day family dinner after my sisters were exposed to Covid last weekend, even though they both, thankfully, tested negative.
Second of all, I continue to treat my surgical site gingerly. I don't lift anything weighing more than five pounds. I try to keep my physical movements smooth and do my best not to overreach for items or needlessly stretch or strain my abdomen.
So far, all the signs are positive that, thanks to the help of medication, I'm not experiencing rejection of my kidney and, as I continue to have my blood tested weekly, all the signs are positive that my new kidney is off to a solid start clearing waste from my blood. It's doing its job.
2. At the same time that I am focused on self-protection and caution, I am doing all I can to help out around the house, performing light tasks like cooking and keeping the dishwasher emptied and loaded. Now that I can drive, I can also safely help out with grocery shopping thanks to being able to order groceries online at Walmart and have them delivered to the car out in front of the Smelterville store.
I did just that again today.
We had a few holes in our previous two orders and I filled those gaps in an order and drove out to pick up it up early this evening. The items were light enough that I could, without risk, carry them into the house and put them away.
Because I can take care of this and other light duties, Debbie can travel to Alaska this coming week for a wedding in Juneau and to see her niece in Fairbanks, trips we once had feared she might not be able to make. Now, however, we know that as long as someone comes in daily to scoop out Copper's litter box, I can take care of myself just fine.
3. On this windy, rainy day, I didn't get a walking routine started. It was not what I think of as a typical June day -- in fact, I saw pictures posted online of new snowfall at Silver Mountain.
So I rested and relaxed, mostly catching up on the past week's New York Times crossword puzzles.
And I contemplated where things stand on today's five week anniversary of my surgery.
No comments:
Post a Comment