written on October 31, 2014
Today is day 14 – two weeks since the transplant. Still feeling really good, which is so awesome.
Today is also Halloween – only two more months left in the year. How did this year go by so fast? And yet, looking back, the summer months, as fast as they seemed to go by, really went by so slowly for me. I guess all that migraine pain and constant fatigue made every day a little more torturous than I wanted to admit. No more of that though – the new kidney is doing wonders for me, which is still so amazing to me.
My wife and I have been talking about me going home to help her take the kids trick-or-treating. I’m very much looking forward to the idea – my wife’s brother sent me a costume – a surgeon’s medical outfit – scrubs, gloves, mask, hat, the works. That way I can dress up and be safe from the germs of our kids. The only issue is will I have enough energy to make it through trick-or-treating?
A few people have told me this week they don’t think it’s a good idea – it’s too soon to risk it. The last thing I need right now is a setback, and seeing the kids, having them want me to pick them up, having them want to jump all over me, and more than likely wanting them to rip the mask from my face could all lead to potential issues.
I miss them though. And it’s Halloween, which for our son, who is 3 ½ years old, is a big deal this year. Aside from the candy idea (which of course he loves), he is so looking forward to putting on his costume (he’s the Flash this year) and running around with some friends (we go with a group of kids from the neighborhood). I’m looking forward to it also – I haven’t seen any of our neighbors since the surgery, so it would be fun to catch up.
I also haven’t seen enough of my wife. It is hard living in isolation like this – I like knowing that I can spend my days resting (which I am being quite successful at – meaning doing nothing all day long) and just getting better. But it is difficult to know that my wife is trying to take care of the kids by herself, while she is also trying to recover at the same time.
I’ve been thinking about the potential setback issue though. What I really don’t want is a setback, in any way. I know I’m supposed to have good days and bad days, but the truth is, I don’t want any bad days. My one really bad day so far was last Friday – the ER experience. I would really love that to be the last, and only, bad day I have. And why not? If I take care of myself and don’t do anything too risky (i.e. wear a mask when I’m around others, wash my hands constantly, don’t touch my nose or mouth without clean hands), why can’t I just keep having good days?
I’m expecting the recovery to continue going smoothly. The last two days I’ve started going for walks through the neighborhood where I’m staying. It’s so nice to be outside again, to feel the sun on my skin and breathe in the fresh LA air (it’s amazing how much car exhaust there is, every day). I’m feeling stronger – slowly but surely. I’m trying to push myself a little more each day, because I know that will help me get better faster. My bladder can hold up for over 2 hours now, so I’m getting a little more sleep at night. I’m still pushing that urine limit though – I really want to get to three hours between peeing. (It is so shocking to me that this is something I think about every day now – for 40 years I can honestly say I never thought about how much time elapsed between bathroom breaks for me. Now it’s on my mind quite a bit.)
Right now I’m expecting to call Uber and get a ride home (traffic is absolutely horrible in LA on Halloween, and to make matters worse, it’s a Friday and the apartment is just south of West Hollywood – the annual Halloween parade creates quite a traffic nightmare in and around WeHo. My wife isn’t up to driving to pick me up and my parents don’t like to drive after dark. So it’s either taxis or Uber – I figure I’ll try Uber, step into the 21st century as far as paying for a ride goes).
It is something I’ll be discussing with my doctor in clinic this morning though. If he thinks it’s a bad idea, then I won’t be going home at all. We’ll see what he says. I don’t want a setback, but it would be so nice to see my wife and kids. Even if it’s only for an hour or two.
UPDATE: After Clinic:
My doctor's immediate reaction to the question of going home to do trick-or-treating was "No. It's only been two weeks." Then he thought about it and said that if I was extremely careful, if I don't touch any of the kids and always wear my mask and limit the amount of time I spend walking and talking, I should be okay. He said if I do it, just be extra careful.
So I'm going to try it. It will be fun to see my wife and kids and the neighbors. And besides, trick-or-treating is always fun, especially when you have little kids. More to come!