Medication Guidelines for Transplant Patients

A guide to the things you should and should not do while on post-transplant medications.

Read full article here: http://www.angelcove.us/articles/transplantmeds.html

Kidney Stone Update

It seems like it has been forever since Greg had a kidney stone. Driving him to the hospital emergency room was not a fun thing, but we are happy to say it was his only kidney stone! The oncologist today said that there is no sign of any kidney stones on his x-ray or CT scan so there is a good change we will never have to go through that again. He was sent on his way from the doctor's office with a prescription stating that he needs to continue to drink lots of water. Sure, it was music to my ears, but I think it was the biggest relief that Greg has ever had in his life.

Ironic how he was able to make it through a double lung transplant and he never gave much thought to the procedure and recovery time. Heck, the only major things he hated about it was one portion of the prep and the chest tubes. Now, if we bring up his kidney stone incident, his face turns green and his eyes roll in the back of his head. He stated it as one of the most horrible pains imaginable to man. Given that I have never had one, I cannot confirm or deny that statement. However, I can say that my husband is a very strong man and he does not make statements idly.

From each experience we learn something new and it is growing from that experience that matters most. Since his kidney stone incident, Greg has been drinking 2 pints of water a day (not including all the fruits he eats). It just goes to show that the most painful or complex situations can usually be fixed with something very simply that you have at your fingertips.

Caremark Transplant Medication Recall

As I answer the phone, the woman on the other line says the following in a very calm matter:

Hello, I am from your home medicine delivery company, Caremark. This is courtesy call to let you know that we are running a recall on your husband's medication Azathioprine. Could you please check your husband's medication and describe what the pills in the bottle look like so that I may confirm that he received the correct medication?

Half of me chuckled, thinking how the woman would react had I told her "no" instead of going to check the medication. I know it is a polite way of saying that I need to go and check but such urgencies do not escape a wife when such a statement is made that the medication her husband is taking may be wrong and may kill him. Needless to say, I ventured over to the cabinet and pulled out the large bucket with all of Greg's transplant medications. As I looked at them, I realized it was going to take me a couple of minutes to locate the one bottle out of the more than dozen or so I had before me. I told the woman to hold, found the bottle, picked up the phone, and then stuttered as the name of the drug left my tongue. They are small yellow pills with a score mark on one side and the numbers 54043 on the opposite side.

My heart raced in those few seconds of silence as the woman on the other line checked her records. Why she didn't know beforehand escapes me! A small sigh came from the other end of the phone when she confirmed that he did have the correct medication and she then apologized for the inconvenience. Hmm, an apology for possibly sending my husband the wrong medication that could have killed him and calling to make sure you didn't? I laughed and told her to feel free and call back anytime they think they had sent us the wrong medication. I would much rather have the inconvenience of a phone call rather than a funeral.

All-time High!

Greg couldn't wait until he got home to tell me the news. As soon as he walked out of the Pulmonary Function Lab, he called me on his cell phone and I could hear the smile on his face. My wonderful husband has hit an all-time high of 86% overall lung function (FEV 4.09)!!

Normally he does more poorly when in the hospital lab since the spirometry tubes aren't as flexible. So, this was an amazing and truly blessed result! Not only were the respiratory therapists in awe of this, but they also kept praising him on how diligent he is on sending in his lung function spirometry tests from home every week. It seems that no other patient is as consistent with either doing their spirometry on a regular basis or even sending it in.

Needless to say, it was a great day for him. He even stopped by a job site in Madison to take some pictures of a new construction his company is working on. He showed up with hard hat, ear protectors, and medical mask (just to make sure any construction dust didn't enter his lungs)! Talk about a change of life... This is the same man that, only a couple of years ago, was on 4L of oxygen 24/7 and hardly even able to get off the couch to get himself a drink of water. All I can say is... What a blessing! Thank you Lord!

Transplant Visit and Full Disclosure

It still feels strange to me. Greg receives his transplant clinic appointment information and I don't have to make plans to take the day off. Why? Because my husband is well enough to take the 2-hour drive himself. Once upon a time, it used to be me that would have to drive him everywhere because either he was on breathing machines (such as a ventilator) or he was lugging around an oxygen tank. Now 1.5 years post-transplant, and I am still not used to him making the trip to the hospital every 3 months or so.

No, I don't want to take the day off or sit in the hospital for hours and hours today. It is just that, for so long, I had been in control of his health and now I just sit on the sidelines and wait for him to give me information. The problem is that he is a man and often forgets to give me certain details of the visit because, to him, the information does not warrant bringing up again. So, I have to take the information he does give me, ask the right questions, and pray that I am given all the information correctly.

Why does it bother me? Well, it isn't that it bothers me; it is more the fact that any information now could help me to make decisions for him in the future. For instance, a while ago, he comes to tell me he has a low grade fever of 99.8 degrees. Normally, this wouldn't be much of a problem but then he continues to tell me how he has had it for a couple of days. This is a significant difference! If he were to have passed out or had any problems which kept him from being able to talk to hospital officials, I would have told him that this was the first time he had the fever. This could greatly impair the correct treatment for his illness given that his immune system is almost non-existent!

When a person is very sick or has had an organ transplant, even the smallest of details is the most important. Alas, he is a grown adult and needs to be left to his own devices at this time. He needs to take responsibility for his health and I cannot act as an overbearing protector. It is just that I don't want to lose him. I don't want to be a widow at such a young age of 32. I love my husband greatly and want nothing more than for him to be healthy and live a long and happy life. But, for now, I must sit and bite my tongue... Praying that I receive all the information I need to make the best decisions for his health should anything ever happen to him in the future. Hopefully tonight brings nothing but good news from the transplant clinic visit.

Happy 4th of July!

We just wanted to take this opportunity to wish everyone a happy and safe Independence Day! We have spent the morning getting our Labrador Retrievers nice and tired in preparation for the wonderful fireworks tonight. The pups will be tucked away safely at home while we head out to Greg's aunt's house for a family gathering and to watch the fireworks display in the park across the street. This is part of our normal yearly ritual and although Greg's favorite uncle is no longer with us (it was his favorite holiday), we continue the tradition at their house.

Life is meant to be enjoyed to its fullest and we have learned that even though some of our loved ones cannot be with us in body, they are always with us in spirit. Tonight, we will enjoy the holidays, celebrate life, and remember that those we love are never far away.

Transplant Support

We're in this together with this design displaying the words "Organ Donation & Transplant Awareness. Be A Hero. Be An Organ Donor" and three hands holding a green awareness ribbon. Simply titled: "Transplant Support"

Angel Cove creates beautiful designs to promote the overall and general importance of organ donation and transplants. Bring awareness of your family member's, friend's, or your own life-saving organ transplant or just promote the overall and general importance of organ donation and transplants on clothing items such as t-shirts and sweatshirts, as well as mugs, hats, bags, buttons, and stickers.

Check out these other great organ donation & transplant awareness products and designs:

• Angel Cove Tissue & Organ Donation Awareness
• Partner Organ Donation & Transplant Awareness Stores