It’s been three weeks since I donated my kidney, and the
recovery continues. I realize that in
the back of my mind I had this expectation that I would be really feeling fine
by three weeks past surgery. I was
taking four weeks off work, and so the last week would be great, I would be
getting all sorts of things done around the house. Well, guess again!
I think I had this expectation because my husband was back
to work three weeks after his nephrectomy.
But he did come home for naps in the middle of the day.
Where I’m at right now:
the incisions are entirely healed.
The largest incision, below my navel, is rather lumpy and sore. When I walk, it feels jiggly and sore. I still have a feeling of tightness around my
chest, although that is gradually subsiding.
My back is sore, especially on the left side where my kidney was. And my digestion system still seems to be
having a problem with gas. As in the gas
seems to get trapped, and when I lie down it seems it helps to gurgle it’s way
through my system. And there’s just a
generalized sort of ache in my insides. All
of this isn’t pain, specifically, but soreness.
If I don’t move around, it doesn’t hurt at all. But when I get up and
walk around, it gets more sore. I have been really helped these past three
weeks by treatments from an osteopath, whose gentle hands helped to balance out
my body.
I am up and active for several hours every day, doing a few
errands, going for a walk, meeting a friend for tea…but I am always happy to
get home and lie down. I have a catnap or
two during the day for a few minutes, I am not having the mega-naps of last
week.
Something great happened today! I came across the blog of someone else who
was an undesignated donor here in Canada!
I hadn’t been able to find any of those, for some reason, and it was
wonderful to read her experience of donating.
So many similarities in the feelings she had as she told people about
her decision to donate. Her experience
was very different than mine, because the recipient was in the same hospital,
and there were some negative aspects to her hospital stay because of that. Here is her blog: http://tomakeachoice.blogspot.ca/
I visited an acquaintance of mine yesterday. He is in the hospital, having a kidney removed
because he has kidney cancer. So we had
the same surgery. I saw him one day
after surgery. He was up and feeling
great, and had not had any pain medication that day!!! Wow!
Just goes to show you how different every one’s experience is!