Monday, February 13, 2012

A Year Later

It's hard to believe that it's been a year since I posted.


Writing the blog came fast and furious in the year following the transplant. I was highly charged to relate my story. I wanted to spread the news of the miracle of transplant. I wanted to talk about my struggles with Polycystic Kidney Disease, End Stage Renal Disease and dialysis.


I had never been in contact with anyone who had had PKD Until I came home from my transplant and found an email from Amy about her husband Bruce's struggles with the same issues I had faced. Through my blog and the blogs of others we developed a small community in several states of people dealing with PKD and transplants.


Our blogs are now voices floating in cyberspace waiting to speak to those who search them out. And search them out they do. This blog has had more readers in the year of inactivity than in the years I was writing!


My posting did slow down after my story reached the transplant, but it picked back up after the BK Virus reared its head and I had another story to tell. And, after almost a year and treatment by reduced immuno-suppressants and Cidofovir infusions the BK count has been negative for over a year.


Now my health is good, well it's stable. The BK did its damage. Creatinine is steady but high 3.2% on the last lab, but better than it was a year ago. The Glofil test is slightly improved as well, but the kidney is still not functioning near 100%. Fluid retention is a problem and that's lead to weight gain, but energy and strength are good, better than they were in the 5-6 years before transplant.


Life is good. I am certainly in no position to complain. My natural organs failed over five years ago. It's a miracle to be alive!