Erica's Got a Brand New Kidney

03/03/2025

Another Monday another doctor. A new one this time though... cardiologist. Not for anything wrong or going wrong, but let's call it maintenance. You know like a classic car, or Commodore 64. Old parts, but you need to keep them running. More tests coming up this week for my bariatric sleeve surgery, and more followup doctors appointments including of course the monthly infusion for anti-rejection for the kidney transplant. I've now been to four of the hospital buildings on VCU campus, but don't worry I have a goal. I'm gonna get to all of them eventually. Well maybe not the Children's Hospital. I already gave probably 3 years of my 9 lives too Detroit children's and Mott's Children's Hospital in Michigan. I think I paid my dues.
This month has some dog sitting, and I wanna do a guided art walk this Friday, but I've been having a really rough time with shortness of breath and being lightheaded from almost 2 weeks now. For one week I'm pretty sure I had a head and chest cold, I had a fever and and was stuffy, but now I'm not sure what's going on. did I mention the cardiologist? My EKG was perfect! More than likely it's either dehydration or allergies. I should probably get on board and go see an actual doctor about the whole allergies thing. I feel like I've had some rough spring the past few years so maybe it's time.

02/25/2025

I thought February was going to be my last visit with the bariatric surgeon before planning the surgery. My doctor wants me to consult with one other doctor in the practice and add one more test before we schedule a surgery date. It wasn't very reassuring to have to push out another month. I'm tired of being told I'm a difficult case. It's starting to feel like the doctors are expecting this surgery to fail. I know that's not the case. No doctor is going to let me move ahead if they think the surgery is not viable. Angie and Phil are a great support system. I can't believe how lucky I am to have family and friends who are my constant well of support. I wish I felt like the doctors and I are working toward this together instead of me meeting all these requirements only to be told let's just do one more test. I want to feel like I have one win in my future.

11/13/2024

I've had my third visit with my bariatric dietitian and on December 7th I will hit my halfway point. I was hoping I was going to feel a little more excited at this point I really feel nervous. It's not the food part so much. I have a great support system for that. It's all the unknowns. Sometimes you have trouble taking pills after a gastric sleeve surgery. Sometimes you'll find that the vitamins or food now cause you nausea and dumping syndrome is very painful and even the best patient sometimes end up eating Something that has hidden fat or sugar that they weren't aware of. 

10/06/2024

Working with specialists we have decided that a gastric sleeve would be the next step in my long-term health management. I have been dealing with long-term chronic pain in both knees which has made weight loss and maintenance very difficult for the past six to seven years. In the next 5 months, I will meet with dietitians, ENT, gastric surgeons, sleep specialists, and anesthesiology.
I have started listening to podcasts and studying the new diet that will help me make this surgery successful. I wish this was the magic bullet that is sometimes portrayed in the media.
Just like a kidney transplant, this is a drastic treatment with no guarantee of success. The first drastic drop in weight is temporary with 1/3 to half of the weight loss to be gained back after 3 - 5 years. Still, the long-term benefits for the longevity of my current transplant and life far outweigh (pun intended) any risk. I also have the support of Angie and Phil and a group of my closest friends. There is still a lot to learn, and if you want to join me on this journey I will be writing about it here. I find keeping any type of journal medical or otherwise is vital to making sure I am taking care of my mental health just as much as taking care of my physical. So, more to come. :)

10/03/2023

Ii can feel overwhelming but you just have to take a little at a time and work with a specialist and team that you trust.

Having a hard time understanding Nephrotic Syndrome?

Protein-spilling kidney diseases are complicated, intricate, and confusing, and trying to explain them to friends and family can be incredibly challenging.

Nephrotic Syndrome is not a disease, but rather a broad term encompassing a range of signs and symptoms that occur when the kidneys spill protein into the urine.

Here is an informational page you can use to help explain what's going on in your or your loved one's body. To view more resources, click the link below!

https://nephcure.org/livingwithkidneydisease/

06/11/2023

It’s our last day in Punta Cana. It’s been beautiful weather and some wonderful memories made I have swam in the ocean during a rain storm. Thank you Hanna for letting me share your Birthday with you.

05/15/2023

Still working in the gym.

04/16/2023

Yesterday was test of endurance vs pain. I rarely make it past 6000 steps a day due my knee pain ,but yesterday I was determined to push as much as I could. I walked the whole Dogwood Festival and then later did a walk around Roswell Mill. Today I will walk with a cane while I let my knee recover. I am still working on my weight loss, but I enjoy the win for now.

04/15/2023

I lost 10 lbs so far. I have 60 more to go. I am seeing a bariatric specialist in the next few weeks, but until then I gotta push myself in the gym as much as possible.

03/21/2022

Life on steroids

https://www.facebook.com/reel/428503292405171?fs=e&s=cl

03/06/2022

I’ve had a lot going on in the past few weeks. My blood work hasn’t been to good so we did a DNA test to check for signs of rejection. Looks like I have some slight signs of what could be rejection but we were not able to confirm it with a kidney biopsy. 
The kidney is situated now in a place where the biopsy needles cannot reach it. My team created a new plan for me.
Next week I’ll go in for three days of steroid infusions. I’ll be able to work from home next week so I can go in for the infusions and come back home and work.

If the infusions don’t work I will have a surgical biopsy. This means a bigger incision so the surgeon can move the needle deep enough to get a piece of my transplanted kidney tissue.

I think next week is going to feel pretty long but right now the best I can do is take care of myself and wait. i’ll make sure to update here whenever I get any new news. I hope everyone spring is starting off well. We’re having some beautiful weather here in Atlanta.

08/18/2021

I had my three month check up with my nephrologist yesterday. He encouraged me to schedule my Covid booster and reminded me to wear a mask and stay out of high touch point areas. His hope is for herd immunity on top of my vaccines so I have the safest environment possible. Getting any major illness like Covid, pneumonia, or flu can result in a rejection episode where my body would attack my transplant and try to kill it.
I’m doing everything I can to stay safe and take care of myself. I hope everyone out there is doing the same.

04/20/2020

“Nothing like this has ever been seen in terms of the number of people needing kidney replacement therapy,”

Ventilators aren’t the only machines in intensive care units that are in short supply. Doctors have been confronting an unexpected rise in patients with failing kidneys.

03/25/2020

I am in self-quarantine and doing fine. I saw my Nephrologist last week and my labs are good. I am able to work from home and get groceries and prescriptions delivered. The only hard part is I can't find an N95 isolation mask that can filter out the Covid virus. If anyone finds one they can spare please let me know.

11/23/2019

it's been 5 weeks since I injured my lower femur. I am still walking on crutches but the pain and swelling have improved. In the last 10 months, I have been able to lost 10lbs and so far I have not gained it back. I have decided to try the Noom app and see if that can help as well. It is hard for patients with chronic kidney disease to lose weight...although the doctors can never really give me a reason why. They just tell me to keep going to the gym and stay as active as possible. I hope to be off the crutches by December 15th, but only time will tell.

11/07/2019

Wow no pain meds after surgery!!!!

Doctors at the Cleveland Clinic have performed the world’s first kidney transplant using a single-port robot, according to a release from the Cleveland Clinic.

11/02/2019

Two years ago in October, I had knee surgery on my left knee. Since then I have been on a constant road of painful rehabilitation. I woke up Oct 13 with a painful and swollen knee and have been walking with a cane for over two weeks.
Today I learned that the MRI shows a sprained MCL, a bone spur, a few bone chips in the cartilage, narrowing of the meniscus, and adema throughout the bones in the knee. In short, it's time for a full replacement of the left knee. Here's to hoping I can get this done before the new year.

10/13/2019

Kidney biopsy can leave a lingering harm to a transplanted graph. To have other no invasive forms of detection that is covered by Medicare and other insurance can help extend the life of a transplant. This is a win for the transplant community.

A non-invasive blood test that relies on measuring expression levels of many genes to accurately classify patients as likely to be immune activated and potentially rejecting, or immune quiescent and stable.