On February 28th, 2022, at 2:28 am (I know because I looked at the time as my eyes were jarred open), I was startled awake by the unexpected ringing of my cell phone. Thinking of my children, my first thought was, “Oh, this can’t be good.” Groggily, I answered the phone, thinking the worst but hoping for the best. The woman on the other end asked me, “Are you ready for your new kidney?” Well, that jarred me awake. She asked, “How soon can you be here?” My partner shouted out of the blue, “We can be there in thirty minutes. I was taken aback, and I can tell so was the person on the other end of the line because she laughed and said, “Well, can you give me an hour or so to get everything set up?
Me thinking: Ok, wait, can I have some time too? First of all, I’m on peritoneal dialysis right now. It takes at least 45 minutes for me to drain and unhook myself from the machine. Second, I have to take a shower before heading off to get major surgery (Come on. Really?).
On the way to the hospital, I revealed to my partner how excited and afraid I was. I was excited to be getting my new organs, but I was also afraid about how something could go wrong. I mean, I’ve read stories of people going in for simple operations and never coming out. He kept trying to reassure me that everything would be fine.
Me: I kept praying and also trying to reassure myself that everything was going to be fine.
We were told to enter through the emergency entrance of the hospital. The guard who was taking us through security checks to allow us access to the building told us that he had a kidney transplant three years ago. He told us about his experience receiving his new kidney. He said it was the best decision he had ever made in his life. Hearing his story gave me hope and confidence that my surgery would turn out to be a success.
After changing into my gown, everything else was pretty much a blur. I was in a whirlwind of thoughts. Everything moved along pretty quickly because they had to make sure the organs stayed viable when it was time to do the transplants. There are a few things that had to happen before being given the new organs:
- You undergo additional thorough medical evaluation to ensure that you are in the best possible condition for surgery. The transplant team conducts final assessments to ensure that you are medically stable and ready for surgery. This is done to confirm that there were no new developments or concerns that need to be addressed. The evaluation included additional tests to assess your overall health. This may involve reviewing:
- Medical records.
- Laboratory results
- Imaging studies
- You will receive detailed instructions on pre-operative fasting, medication protocols, and other specific guidelines to follow before surgery. It’s important to follow these instructions carefully to minimize the risk of complications during the procedure.
- Intravenous (IV) lines are placed to administer fluids, medications, and anesthesia during surgery. The transplant team ensures that IV access is established and functional before proceeding with the procedure.
- The transplant team will also prepare you for surgery by explaining the order of the transplants (if you have multiple ones), providing instructions and obtaining consents (i.e. the surgery, blood transfusions, etc).
- You may receive different medications before surgery to prevent infection, manage pain, and reduce anxiety. (They assured me that these medications would help with my comfort and well-being during the pre-operative period.)
- The transplant team reviews the surgical procedure, risks, benefits, and potential complications with you and your family members. Any last-minute questions or concerns are addressed, and consent for the surgery is obtained.
- Vital signs such as heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen saturation are monitored closely to ensure that you remain stable and within safe parameters before surgery.
- The transplant team provides emotional support and reassurance to you and your family members as you prepare for the surgery. They understand that this can be a stressful time and do their best to create a supportive and comforting environment.
When a double transplant is performed involving both the kidney and liver, the liver transplant team would operate first. This is because the liver is a more complex and time-consuming procedure compared to kidney transplantation. Once the liver transplant is completed successfully, the kidney transplant team will then perform the kidney transplant. This sequential approach ensures the best possible outcome for the patient.
Both transplant teams wanted me to have a clear understanding of the procedures I would be undergoing and the sequence in which they would occur. It was to help alleviate my anxiety and ensure that I was well-informed and prepared for the transplant surgery.
Experiencing all of this was a bit overwhelming. As the day wore on, I started to slip into a melancholic mood because I was by myself during this time and everything was moving very fast. But I felt comfort in knowing that my family was praying for me through the whole process. This was an incredibly scary surgery I was about to have, and I needed that blessed reassurance. Before my surgery, when I had a little quiet time, I also prayed and asked God to see me through this and to guide the surgeons’ hands as they did their work. I also prayed that he would see to it that the anesthesiologist administered the appropriate dosage of anesthesia. I have heard of people waking up during surgery, or some not waking up at all. I didn’t want either of those to happen to me.
The last thing I remember was laying flat on my back with my arms out doing the usual countdown when everything faded to black….
#transplant
#k333idneysurgery #kidneytransplanteee
