New from Bruce

12/08/2009

Sorry for the delay,

After hospitalization last week I came home Friday Dec. 4th in the afternoon. I was put back in the hospital for low Hemoglobin and high Creatinine levels. So once they got those under control they sent me to my dogs.

Creatinine level they want between 1 and 4 and I was at 6.1 when hospitalized. Friday I went home I was down to 5.1.

The hemoglobin was around 6 and they want that 10 to 16.

Over the weekend at home I managed to get my levels better yet, I just got back from Grand Rapids about an hour ago for one of my two weekly trips down there. Today my Creatinine is 4.6 and Hemoglobin is 10.1. So, were on the right track.

I also had another procedure today draining fluids from around my incision area, a tennis ball size fluid build up. More needles. 6 pokes to get a IV in last week and three to find blood today. I just don't give up blood easy.

I would like all to know a little about being a donor, The "Gift Of Life" is Michigan's Organ and Tissue Donation Program. It takes more than Signing the back of your Mi. Drivers license to donate. You also need to register with the Michigan Organ Donor Registry. On top of that a next of kin must OK it at time of death. People who sign donor on their license and that is all will be buried with their organs.

There is a huge need for organs, so take the time and register properly, (giftoflifemichigan.org) the waiting list is huge and takes most years to receive a Kidney or whatever they need. I got lucky do to a perfect match within 90 days of being on the list, that is very uncommon.

At the fundraiser dinner this coming Sat. there will be pamphlets from the Gift of life on how to register.

One interesting fact is every organ, no matter where harvested in Michigan has to go to Ann Arbor to the "Gift of Life" to get processed and then literally get a cab ride to the hospital in need. And yes I have heard some stories of the cabbie taking a nap with a surgical team waiting. My Kidney was harvested down state and got a cab ride to A2 and another cab ride to GR. Wild!

More to come soon now that I figured out how to access this blog.

By for now, Thanks for all the support.

Bruce