Today, 2 years ago, September 24, 2010, I had my heart transplant after waiting only a few hours on the waiting list. Today, is my day for reflecting on my ongoing journey. A to give thanks to my donor and my donor's family. This weekend I'm going rock climbing, which I have been doing since about 3 months ago my transplant. I'm still struggling to get my fitness back.
Anyway, at this time I like to do a kind of checklist or inventory of the issue I'm dealing with thus far and how it going.
1. BK Virus - My virus count are down and I've been Asymptomatic since Jan 2009, so I can't really complain about that.
2. ITP - As of the beginning of August my platelets were 80km as high as they had been in a year, though ~120k is considered safe and 300k is considered normal. Let hope for continued unexplained improvement
3. Gallstones - likely I have passed all of the large one (excruciating pain) though I still get twinges of pain here and there. It's coming out. Luckily it's laproscopic surgery and they will be able to take it out before the end of the year (for my insurance).
5. Barrett's Disease - For those of you who don't know, I now have Barrett's disease which is ..I don't know what to call it, abnormal changed cells in the esophagus. They are considered pre-cancerous and are typically caused by chronic acid reflux syndrome. I don't have acid reflux so it goes down as yet another unexplained issue. Sometimes I think someone is out to get me, but they aren't having much luck, I'm too strong. Anyway, the cells are confined to a very small area and are non-dysplastic, meaning they aren't really mutated, so at this point they are just going to monitor them.
5. Depression- well, I don't know what to say about this. It's still being managed with medications, my dose hasn't changed. I'm feeling ok...better, but I would say it's still tentative. There isn't really a plan to get off the medication right now. I'm just moving forward, and keepin tryin to get better, more optimistic, more motivated.
Well, that's pretty much it. No rejection so far, my BP is well controlled and I haven had a major medication or dosage change in at least a year. Everything with my heart is great, though sometime I kinda feel like the rest of me is falling apart.
1 comment:
Hey, I am glad you posted an update! How was the rock climbing this weekend? I lost so much muscle mass in my back from laying in bed for so long, I could not imagine rock climbing.
The BK virus is so rare, but I know 3 people that it has affected.
I hope your ITP continues to improve, that, even the littles things are annoying, you know?
I have never had gallstones and I hope I never have them! My mother had hers taken out months before they did it laproscopiclly, so she has a huge scar. Why do you have to get it out before the end of the year?
I am having trouble with acid reflux because of medication and I hope nothing happens. Before Tx I NEVER-ever had a problem with acid reflux, but since day one the medication had made me sick, so I have the prescription strength for 2 medication because the doctors are afraid of ulcers if it is giving me that bad acid reflux.
Can I ask what you are taking for the depression? Is it depression or anxiety? Since tx, I seem to have severe anxiety, I think it is caused for the prednisone, but they keep putting me on depression medications, I dunno, it is hard to get through to them on the emmotional side. I feel like the treat it like all the other medications (like the start off perscribing everyone prednison, prograf, and cellcept, and if you are feeling a little down, lets pop in a prozac). Have you tried therapy. I have just gotten to the point where I do not want additional pills, and I don't want to feel "high" or be in that mind altered state that a lot of those medications cause.
So happy to hear about the rejection, and all you excercise helps that bp-good job!
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