I Like Morphine

Greetings friends and family! This is Erin dictating her first update to baby sister Sarah. I tried to make the entry myself, but computer usage is blowing my mind right now.

I had a bit of a rough morning, but I'm feeling much better now. Early this morning, my nurse wanted to get me up and walking, but when I sat up for the first time, I became very dizzy and nauseated and nothing seemed to help. We tried pretty much everything, even a nausea medicine in my IV, but to no avail. After several hours, the doctors and nurses decided it was most likely the pain medication that I was on (diladin), so they switched me to a morphine drip. Since the medication switch, I am feeling much, much better and will probably be getting out of bed to take a walk very, very soon.

My new kidney is functioning really well. They actually had to take me off all blood pressure medications, because I have a normal blood pressure now. My creatanine level, which was around 2.7 pre-op, is now at 1.8 and dropping, which is fantastic. I am also peeing like a champ! I still have my catheter, but my urine output has been great! I no longer have blood in my urine.

I have developed what is hopefully a temporary case of diabetes. The doctors have said this is probably due mostly to the high dosages of steroids I am on combined with the many other stresses on my body. It's nothing major right now. The nurses are checking my sugar periodically, and I have received a few small doses of insulin via injection.

I actually was just able to take a walk (5:00pm). It felt good to be able to get up and move around. I was also able to take a sponge bath, which was great.

I was able to see Brenda briefly today. She was up and moving around for awhile and came down to visit my room. She is doing well but had a pretty tough time in recovery right after the surgery. She was having a lot of pain due to scar tissues from some previous surgeries. She has had some nausea problems throughout the day, but it seems to be getting better now. I stopped by Brenda's room on my walk, but she was sound asleep, so I wanted to let her rest. I am still overwhelmed she was willing to go through all of this for me and for our family. I am planning on getting up and taking at least one more walk tonight. I am hoping that we both gets a good night's sleep tonight.

Today is my Dad's birthday, so we have birthday cake waiting in Brenda's room. It is also Brenda's Mom & Dad (Aunt Peggy & Uncle Dave's) 54th Wedding Anniversary.

I would love to see everyone, but since I am still not feeling very well I probably won't be up to having any visitors until at least late Thursday or maybe Friday. Feel free to send me an e-mail or give me a call to see how I am feeling. I am in Room 310 at the Mayo Clinic. Feel free to give my cell phone number a call if you would like.

More updates to come...