DISCHARGE DAY!! 28 days in the hospital ❤️

Popping in for a quick update to let y'all know today is DISCHARGE DAY!

Patrick was released from the hospital today, and with the help of our fantastic friend Jim Palzer has gotten settled into his apartment at Transplant House - complete with fancy hospital bed that feels like a *real* bed (Patrick says he is going to sleep like a baby tonight).

He is doing quite well, although he still has some concerning leftovers of the trauma he has endured over the last few weeks.

His kidneys are still not 100% but the kidney team does think they will get there over the coming months. Progress is slow but still happening.

Also, Patrick has had high blood pressure, at times 165/100. Again, the doctors at UW say this might have been concerning if Patrick still had his old heart and was still in the throes of end stage heart failure. But after having just received a heart transplant, they are not concerned. I don't know if it will even out, or if they are treating it medicinally, etc. I just don't have a lot of information at this time.

I am attaching a photo of his new besties! Okay, they are his new medicine regimen, but they will be by his side (like a bestie), supporting him (like a bestie), and ever-present and ever-annoying (*ahem* bestie), for the rest of his life.

As Patrick resumes his regular shenanigans I will update everyone on how he's doing. The plan for now is his return by the beginning of August, and continued recovery!

26 Days Post-Transplant!

Patrick is expected to be released sometime this week. We have heard Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, so it could be anytime.

He is attempting to manage his pain since he doesn't want to be on a high level of pain medicine after being released, but it has been a difficult journey. After all the wrenching, pulling, and probing the team has done inside his chest, he is still in an incredible amount of pain. Patrick has never been one to quickly turn to pain medicine for ailments so I would expect nothing less of him. His desire to wean himself off of it is admirable.

He looks fantastic. He has sent me a couple recent photos of himself and there is no swelling. He is even down a kilogram from when he was admitted to the hospital on March 30th.

He sounds wonderful when I talk to him on the phone. After my post about struggling with my emotions he and I had a few deep conversations and things are better. It's no secret that when someone is in pain or terribly uncomfortable it can affect their mood. This is something Patrick and I have lived with for years.

He and I spoke about how hard it was on both of us during the year prior to his acceptance to the heart transplant list. Honestly, he was terrible! And honestly, I didn't handle it well.

Imagine looking at your favorite foods and knowing eating them will cause you extreme stomach pain, and will ramp up your heart failure symptoms.

Imagine having to sit on the sidelines watching your kids and wife play and sled and have fun, when you used to be the active, participating parent.

Imagine watching the weight fall of your body and unaccountably reaching your goal weight, only to see that number pass by ten, twenty, thirty pounds.

Imagine constant, 24/7, abdominal discomfort.

I can't imagine the mental anguish Patrick has endured over the last year and a half and longer, knowing he has likely only told me a fraction of it. So while I didn't always react well to his grumpiness, I can look back at that time in our marriage with grace and even fondness, knowing how hard it was and that we powered through it.

His mood has improved at the same time his diet has increased, and I look forward to cooking heart healthy meals for our entire family when he returns. He can eat an entire chicken breast and his only complaint will be the pressure of having overeaten, which delights him. Previously, eating a large amount of dense protein like chicken breast would have sent him to the hospital.

His kidney function is still not where the UW team wants it to be but he isn't in danger of needing dialysis any longer. And he is completely self-sufficient when it comes to personal care, although at times he requests help if he is in a lot of pain. A nurse stopped by to help Patrick bathe his back when it was time to take off the wound patch on his lower spine. And with the removal of the patch came the thorough cleaning of the spot, wiping away any dead tissue and making sure the spot was clean and free of anything that would continue to cause Patrick discomfort.

We are both looking forward to his discharge from the hospital and his entrance into the Transplant House. It will mark the beginning of his three months of local post-transplant care, and the start of the three month countdown to his return home. I am already looking for tickets for the kids and I to visit him in June, and we are so excited!

His sister and some friends are still working on the planning stages of the fundraiser and we are meeting tomorrow to hash out a few details. A completed, shareable flyer will be added soon. Thank you to everyone who has shared the one I already posted!

Again, don't hesitate to send in questions for the Q&A.

Until next time!

Fundraiser, Q&A In The Works!

This is the update I posted to Facebook a few days ago and forgot to post here. I apologize!

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It has been a while since our last update but that's because no news is good news. Patrick has continued to progress in his recovery, and is close to being discharged from the hospital to begin his transition at Transplant House.

We have the results of his second biopsy from Monday, and they weren't as good as the last one. They state in part, "Diffuse mild cellular rejection." The grade appears low, 1B, but that is an increase in rejection from the previous biopsy. I am waiting on a call from the hospital to see if I can get someone to explain that to me. Until that happens I can't worry. With as much as I have on my plate these days, that is something I don't have time for.

With that being said, I talked to Patrick about my earlier assertion that he is not the type to sit down and write out his thoughts and feelings. We have decided to open a Q&A for a future post and would love to answer your questions!

I'm asking that anyone with questions please put them in the comments of this post, or email us at the shop email [alaskasfarnorthernknives@yahoo.com], and I will speak to Patrick this week to record his answers and type them out in a follow-up post. This is your chance to delve into his terribly complicated, somewhat immature, love-filled, fascinating mind! He understands the plan and is expecting the questions.

Also, there is a local fundraiser in the works, being organized by Patrick's sister Nan. It will be held on May 20th at the Fairbanks Curling Club from 3:00pm until 8:00pm. We decided on Mexican foods which worked out well because that has always been one of Patrick's favorites. The full flyer will be available soon. We are currently accepting donations for food and supplies.

Oooone last thing - thank you to everyone who commented on the post where I did talk about my emotions. It was helpful to hear information about how Patrick's current medications could affect his attitude. You guys gave me the reminder I needed to up my grace when it comes to Patrick's current situation.

That's all for today. Again, ask your questions in the comments, or you can PM this page if for any reason you would like to ask them anonymously. Questions won't be attributed to the person asking them, but some subjects might be sensitive and there aren't many things I can think of that would cause us not to answer. We're an open book!