Mayo Clinic, the miracle hospital!

[Susan]

I know many of you have read The Klein's blog and are following Jess' recovery. It is indeed a miracle! My husband and I received one of the miraclous gifts from Mayo Clinic in Phoenix as well, yesterday. Ron has been on kidney dialysis for 3 years and on the kidney transplant list for 4 years. Yesterday morning at 8:30 the phone call came that we had been waiting so long for. "This is Mayo Clinic calling and we have a kidney for Ron. Please call us asap." Ron looked at me and the expression on his face was one of disbelief! He called the Transplant Coordinator and was told to come to the hospital immediately. I had called in sick to work, so was already home. We jumped in the car and drove the short distance to the Mayo and checked in. They were so busy that they did not have a bed immediately so we sat in the lobby till 12:00 and then went up to a room. They started prepping him for surgery and finally the kidney arrived from San Diego! It was expected to be there by 1:30 but arrived at 4:00 (darn that CA traffic!). He was in the operating room by 4:30 giving them just time to biopsy the kidney to see if it was good, and started surgery at 5:00pm. The young female surgeon came out at 7:30 to tell me that they were finished and it was a very easy surgery! The kidney immediately started to work as they placed it in Ron's body. Now came the long wait while he was in recovery. Finally at 11:30pm he was moved to his room and was talking and in good spirits. I am sure the morphine helped with that! This morning he was up walking with the physical therapist early and will probably come home on Sunday afternoon. It is amazing that for a surgery such as that, he will only stay four days! Please say a prayer for the family of the man in San Diego who had an aneurism and was an organ donor. They gave my husband the gift of life that we can never repay.

[Susan]

Today makes one year! No problems with the kidney so far! We are going to Mayo in Jacksonville for Ron's annual checkup mid month. Also, Marlow will have been with us a year on the 6th of April.....seems like he has been here forever! April is a good month for us!

[Lynne Fowler-Oodles of Doodles]

Hubby like new AND new puppy...you HAVE had a great month. I hope many more for you! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Ron from NJ.

[Susan]

Today is Ron's birthday and he was given a wonderful gift by the doctors at his check up today. NO MORE DIALYSIS! He is so happy! The kidney is doing great according to the labs done today! We have had a wonderful month!

[Susan]

Thanks, Adrianne! He does have a pill case that you set up for the week, but you have to count them out as you put them in. I was just worried something was wrong when he called...lol.

Happy Easter!

[Adrianne Matzkin]

Hi Sue,
Glad to read that things are going in a positive direction!! Does he have a medi-minder? Then no daily counting necesssary and no more extra 12 mile drives.
Have a lovely Holiday Weekend!!!!

[Susan]

Will do! I just had to go ant take 2 more pills that he forgot to take with him to the dialysis center. He has to be on a strict time frame in taking the many pills and he called me and said "I made a mistake", of course I ma saying "what is wrong???" and he said "I miscounted my pills, will you bring them to me?". I had to drive the 12 miles back there for two pills....lol. Men!! Now I have to be back there in an hour and half to pick him up.

[Lynne Fowler-Oodles of Doodles]

Fingers and paws are crossed for Ron and Mateo! Let us know ASAP!

[Susan]

Nurse Lola is still on duty! She wants to be right beside him all the time. We are going to see Mateo tomorrow afternoon. I can't wait!

[Lynne Fowler-Oodles of Doodles]

Susan, we are all pulling for Ron to continue to improve. Is Lola the "Nurse" still on the job? And Mateo? Any news in that department? Nothing makes you better than a new puppy to tend to...getting up every 2 hours to take the pup out, ya know. LOL Seriously, good vibes coming from the East Coast!

[Susan]

First checkup at Mayo was yesterday afternoon. The doctors all told Ron he looks really good and is moving around really well! The creatinine has dropped some more, but not enough to stop dialysis yet, so Ron is there this morning. He was in good spirits this morning and it is getting easier for him to move around. Now he is just hoping that Tuesday's checkup will be the day they say no more dialysis! He has to get up every two hours to go to the bathroom at night...lol. The doctor said his bladder probably shrank while in dialysis. That should change in the coming months.