5 FRIDAYS FOLLOWING MY KIDNEY TRANSPLANT WITH THINGS LOOKING UP.........DAY 31...

Today, September 25, is the fifth Friday following my kidney transplant on August 25, at the Mayo Clinic Hospital Arizona, in Phoenix. It was four weeks ago today that I was initially released from the hospital, three days after my transplant and three weeks ago today that I was readmitted to the hospital for the urinary tract / bacteria in the blood infection I contended with for a few days. Thanks to the adept diagnosis and the timely treatment the Mayo team of doctors and nurses carried out and the antibiotic regimen I am taking, they successfully eradicated my severe abdominal pains and stopped my infection. On the kidney transplant front, my incisional wound's pain continues to diminish and I am only having to take my percocet pain med or tylenol, every 24-36 hours at this stage of my healing. I am also walking further distances daily as is recommended, with lesser difficulty than it was a month ago, in the first weeks just after my transplant. Jeremy was awake and up at work caregiving for me right at the scheduled time of 8 a.m., without a wake up call required. My morning meds and breakfast appeared in short order on the table positioned in front of me, while I watched the NBC News Today show. A bowl of raisin bran, bacon, yogurt, a glass of milk, and a cup of coffee were my chosen breakfast menu this morning. Father Oliver has also awoke and will be down for his breakfast shortly and then we will decide how we are going to spend this totally open, unscheduled, day. My Mayo Clinic medication refills will arrive by mail today and I will need to go to Walgreen's up the street and get my other prescriptions, not provided by Mayo Clinic Pharmacy. I must also replenish my weekly supply of nuts, the cashews and peanuts I have missed so very much since my renal failure was discovered, 2.5 years ago...I just received an informative phone call from Mayo Clinic radiological nurse, Eileen, who called to discuss the Kidney Biopsy and Ultra Sound I will be undergoing on Monday. Her explanations and answers about the procedure were letter perfect and confidence building, as she told me that it is a short and straight forward procedure...I am looking forward to having chili beans and rice for lunch, before we go to pick up the mail. One of my favorite mid morning news shows, "Andrea Mitchell Presents", has begun on MSNBC, so I will sign off until later.........All My Best in Jesus the Christ, Fr. Troy