You’ve Got to be Kidneying Me – Part 3 of 3

Now I love soup and I like jello, but I wanted some meat and potatoes. I had no problem drinking only the bottled water they were giving me though. So I fight to get out of this bed. I sit on the edge and my 4′ 10″, 130 lbs wife is helping me up. I was 5′ 11″, 230 lbs at the time. So she is having a hard time, but she wants me up and walking too. I finally make it up and with the very first step I could tell that this wasn’t going to be an everyday walk in the park. I’m holding, rolling the IV stand with my left hand and I have my right arm around Lita so she could help hold me up.
With every step I feel pain running down the left side of my body. We get about half way down the hallway and I have to come back, almost didn’t make it back. Finally got back to the bed and was so happy to get to lay down again. When the nurse showed up, we told her that I did walk. Next meal I got some solid food, chicken and vegetables, I believe it was. It wasn’t the greatest meal, but it was an improvement.

I was in the hospital for almost a week. When it was time to go home, I was walking on my own, but speed walking was definitely out of the question. Of course I had to take a wheel chair to the ground floor and my sister and brother-in-law picked us up at the front entrance. The ride home was pretty comfortable except for the occasional bump or dip we encountered.

My sister and I compared scars. Hers was about 2 inches long, mine was 12 1/2 inches. I win, I think. Of course I was in a lot more pain than she was too, especially since she wasn’t in any pain.

I should mention here that the place where I worked at the time was People’s National Bank. They have since changed to Compass Bank, but I want you to know that the management at that bank, let me take off work for 2 weeks to have this procedure done. They said not to worry that I would still have my job when I returned. Not every place would do that for you. I really appreciated them being so nice.

At home it still wasn’t a picnic, especially for Lita. I was moaning, groaning and complaining for about a week and all she could do was listen and do her best to get me to shut up.

I remember one particular day, I’ll never forget this either. I was so tired of laying down so the next time I had to go to the restroom, I decided I was going to get up and go, instead of using the little bed pan I had. Well as I was getting up, I had 1 leg off the bed already, I felt the most horrific pain I have every felt in my life. Even to this day, I have never felt something that hurt so much. So there I am, 1 leg hanging off the bed, scared to move even an inch because every time I did move the pain came back. I still have to go to the bathroom and I’m getting tired of ‘hanging’. So after about 15 minutes, not exaggerating, I final forced myself up and to the bathroom. I’ve been kicked in the testicles before and even that didn’t hurt as much as that pain did. Guys that should give you an idea of just how bad that pain was.

I’m happy to say that both my sister and I are doing well after all these years. So many kidney transplant patients never make it to 5 years, so what we have accomplished really is an achievement.

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On a humorous side of this story. Well I guess that pain was humorous for y’all, just not for me. On a humorous side for everyone, including me, my sister starting craving Big Red. She didn’t like it much before, but I drank it all the time. Coincidence? I don’t think so.

Another tidbit about the day of the operation. It occurred on April 19, 1995. Some of you history buffs out there may recognize that as the day of the Oklahoma City bombing. My sister told me later that when she woke up that was the first thing she heard on the news. I didn’t hear it. I was just happy to be waking up at all, but not as happy as Lita.

Our father wrote a poem about all of this. It's called The Supreme Gift and is on my Steemit blog. Please take the time to read it. He is not a professional and it’s not a poem that will bring him any fortune or fame, but it came from his heart and it was special to both of us.