Update

Well, its been a long week. Here's the update.

After going to the doctor last Friday and waiting 3 hours, I left without seeing a doctor. Evidently, he was dealing with someone on the phone while Kristie and I waited over an hour in person. I do understand though and I actually wasn't angry or upset, just disappointed that I didn't get to talk to him in person. He called me about a half hour later to apologize and indicated that Kristie should come in Monday for labs again and then they would make a plan.

Monday arrived and we went in for labs. Then Dr. Precht and Dr. Marks, the two top surgeons at the Transplant Unit, told us that two more tests would need to be done. First, a dye injection test and another biopsy.

So, Tuesday we did the dye injection test and they decided that everything looked good so they took the tube out of her kidney - remember the one that's been sticking out of her stomach for two weeks now? Yeah. that one. We were there from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fun times.

Wednesday, we actually had a doctor day off and Kristie went to her social program and her Drama Class - she's in A Christmas Carol where she plays Melinda and Young Scrooge.

Then Wednesday afternoon the doctors called and said they wanted to do a kidney biopsy on Thursday. Kristie had a biopsy two months ago and, unfortunately, it was not a good experience, painful. They actually go in thru the stomach and take a piece of her new kidney out to run tests on it. Not fun. They assured us that this time Dr. Precht would perform the biopsy and they would give Kristie what's called "conscience sedation" and that even though she would be awake and talking during the procedure, she probably wouldn't remember it later.

Thursday arrived, we had to be there at 8:30 a.m. for pre-admitting. The biopsy was scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Because of the new computer system they are installing at Swedish Hospital called Epic it took them 40 minutes to input all of Kristie's medications into the computer. Evidently, the transplant team's computer system does not link to Epic, so what should have taken 20 minutes to preadmit (and put in an IV) took almost two hours.

I sang the patience song.

At 11 a.m. they finally did the procedure. Twice. The first sample they got wasn't quite big enough. I didn't look...just held Kristie's hand and helped talk her thru it. The good news is that the conscience sedation worked like a dream and Kristie was awake and talking, didn't feel too much pain and doesn't really remember it.

After the biopsy she had to lay in bed (almost flat) with a heavy sandbag on her stomach for 5 hours. Yeah, 5 hours. So we got home about 6:30 p.m. Another 12 hour day with the docs.

She's had stomach pain ever since. Its Friday and I just called the doctors to tell them about the pain. If it continues they'll need to admit her to the hospital.

Kristie's been through alot and frankly we're all tired of it. I wonder at what point do you say, enough is enough?

And, to top it all off, her creatinine is 3.4, up from 2.0. NOT GOOD. It should be going down. A normal creatinine level is .08 to 1.0.

Please pray for some answers. Answers for her doctors and answers for me as her mother.

P.S. There is some good news. The kidney biopsy showed a healthy kidney. Then why is her creatinine 3.4? That's the question of the day.