Dana Daily

Maybe at some point I'll get back to blogging on a more regular basis. I used to love blogging but now it feels like one more thing I "have" to do. If there's one thing I've learned this year it's how to focus on what brings value to your life and joy to your heart, and if something feels like a chore, let it go, unless it's something you absolutely must do. So, here we are. Let's recap the last couple of months.  Sarah is driving. She passed her test with flying colors. I took my first business trip in 19 years to San Diego, and it was awesome. My first time traveling solo, and I loved it. Emily was scouted to play soccer in college, and attended her first coach's showcase in Columbus at Ohio Dominican University. Over Thanksgiving we all had COVID. Fortunately, it was mild. Unfortunately, we passed it along to Sal's Aunt Doreen who was here for the week. On December 2, Sarah, Emily, and I took a bus trip to New York City. For 12 hours we expl...

Here we are 8 weeks post transplant.  Sal's kidney is working well and he feels a lot better in general. That said, he was dealing with some issues, and "Surprise" those didn't didn't go away. I put "surprise" in quotes because it's really not a surprise. Fortunately he's able to drive now so he's been able to get himself to various doctor appointments and blood draws.  It's been extremely busy lately with soccer season underway for both Emily and Seth. Seth is also taking swim lessons on Tuesday evenings and learning how to dive. Sarah was nominated for National Honor Society, although some of the requirements are going to be a bit hard for her to attain by October 5. At least she'll know what she needs for next year, should she be nominated again. We are going to give it the ol' college try for this year. I am looking forward to a business trip to San Diego next month. I'm attending a conference for 2.5 days, but I decided t...

Sal was discharged on August 2. After being home for 24 hours, he woke up with a temperature and it continued to climb gradually all day. The general consensus was a possible UTI. So, back to the hospital he went - for three more days. They are treating him for a C. diff infection without being 100% sure that's actually what he has. Here we are 13 days later, and he's still having some of the same symptoms, despite being on an antibiotic.  Additionally, he still has swelling in his legs, although the bruising from the hematoma has resolved. My mindset is that every day we are one more day removed from the transplant and one more day closer to a full recovery and a more normal lifestyle. I think he's just frustrated by the whole thing. He wants to feel better, and from a kidney and surgery recovery standpoint he does, but these other issues are really getting him down. Tomorrow will be three weeks post transplant. The first two weeks were supposed to be the hardest, and afte...

Sal is anemic. They've been giving him hemoglobin during his stay to bring up his iron numbers, but today they officially classified him as such. It seems like this is a common issue, but it is concerning. His meds arrived at this house this morning so that piece of the "When Will Sal Come Home" puzzle is in place. The pharmacy at AGH also contacted me for payment for the meds that he will bring home with him from the hospital, so we're all set there as well. Now we wait. Will he be discharged today? Only time will tell.

Sal’s creatinine is a 2 today, not even 5 days post surgery. I don’t think anyone expected that. Still keeping an eye on the hematoma (it’s a bruise on his abdomen, side, and upper thigh). It could take a couple weeks to absorb/disappear. Walking and moving should help (which he’s doing a lot more of). Labs indicate kidney function is great and the bruising it isn’t painful so we watch and wait. BP has been great without meds (that he’s been on since his 20s). People don’t realize how important kidneys are to overall heath. Hoping to have the IV in his neck removed today, and at that point he’ll be able to shower and shave. That’s a big milestone to being able to come home. Shout out to to Sarah and Emily (and Seth too!) this week for being total rockstars. I’ve been in and out of the house all day long for 4 days now. If I ask them to do something, they do it. If plans / schedule change on a moments notice, they adapt. Sarah baked a pasta casserole that they heated up for dinner a cou...

I’m pretty sure if we hit the Mega Millions today, Sal would not be more ecstatic than he was when the catheter was removed this morning. His creatinine is down to 4 (another big drop)! Sal slept a lot today. His body has been through a lot and he hasn’t slept well in 3+ years so he has some catching up to do. We had plans this weekend to go to a couple Pirates games with Kurt and Kim. Obviously that isn’t happening, but they came into town anyway, and it’s been great having them here. We went to Middle Road Inn and Sarah waited on us. Then, we picked Emily and Seth up from Paige's pool party and came back to our house for a bit. Because they're car is in the shop, I ran them to their hotel (The Joinery) down by Point State Park.