I'm still sore from my kidney transplant, but I feel a lot better. I am now officially back home and to GameSpot too. Good thing, I was going nuts living in a hotel for a week and a half. It felt like the box was caving in on me. Anyways, here is the whole 3.5 year story of what happened (shortened down, but still pretty darn long). Around January 04: Sick with Strep Throat but had no symptoms. March 04: Sick with Scarlet Fever and the Scarletina Rash due to Strep Throat infection that was still unknown. Given medication to get rid of rash, which later that month came back. Then given anti-biotics by pediatrician to rid me of Strep Throat. Unknown to me, the Scarlet Fever went in and attacked my kidneys, when I was given the anti-biotics, the Scarlet Fever was destroyed, but my body continued attacking, but was attacking my kidneys. April 04: Hospitalized at Legacy Emanual Hospital in Portland Oregon for acute renal failure. Met Randall Jenkins, who became my pediatric nephrologist. Kidney biopsy diagnosed me with Glomerulonephritis (an autoimmune disease where your body attacks your kidneys). Blood and protein found in urine. April 04 - March 06: Diet ristriced to 2 grams (2000 miligrams) of sodium per day. 99% of time people with this disease have full recovery. Very hopefull and living a mostly normal life (except medications, and checking weight and blood pressure daily). Around 2005-ish: Chronic back pain is bothering me, go in to see doctor. Have a bone density scan of my back which reveals Osteoperosis in my lower back due to prolonged prednisone use (a steroid that is supposed to decrease inflammation but has many terrible side effects). March 06: Still not resolved, went in for second kidney biopsy. Later that month, eating at a resteraunt when mom recieves a call on her cell phone. Dr. Jenkins delivered the awful news that my kidneys were failing, and at a very rapid pace. Later that day, mom promises she will do everything in her power to give me one of her kidneys. March 06 - May 31st 07: Literally suffering from many other problems seconday to kidney disease. Kidneys regulate everything in your body, trust me. Some problems include high blood pressure, bleeding in eyes (due to high blood pressure), hyperparathyroidism (don't even ask), arthritus, muscle pain, bone pain, weakness, low energy, and many many many other problems and side effects. March 07 - May 07: Many many tests for me and my mom to see if we were a match, so I could get a kidney from her. Also many tests to make sure she was in 100% perfect health. May 31st 07: Taken to OHSU (Oregon Health & Science University) to prepare for kidney transplant. My energy was so low the day before my transplant, I literally couldn't even walk. I had no kidney function at all. Lab tests showed had I not recieved a transplant the next day (June 1st 07) I would not survive another week unless I started dialysis. Why such a long wait? Well insurance companies won't pay for testing to see if someone is a match for transplant until the recipient is at 20% kidney function or less. They also won't pay for the transplant itself until the recipient is at 15% function or less. I literally had to suffer until the transplant. June 1st 07: Surgery begins, Dr. Berry (my surgeon) begins removing my kidneys because they are causing hypertension (high blood pressure), while at the same time Dr. Rayhill (mom's surgeon) begins removing mom's left kidney. My kidney's are destroyed and I am given mom's kidney (they flip it over and put her left kidney on my right side in the pelvic area). Dr. Berry (a world renowned transplant surgeon who has been transplanting for about 30 years) is suprised to see the kidney working in less than 2 minutes, the fastest working kidney he has ever seen. June 1st 07 - June 6th 07: At OHSU recovering from transplant. June 6th 07 - June 15th 07: At a hotel in Tigard Oregon, near Portland, because I had to stay in the area to be very closely monitored. June 15th 07: Very late in the night return home (finally). I'm sure I missed a few things, but it's hard to remember everything from 3.5 years. So now I'm back, thank god. I don't get to go out in public places right now because I can get sick easily due to the medications I am on (getting sick would harm the kidney). On July 1st 07 (1 month after transplant) I get to start going in public again but I have to wear a face mask. September 1st (3 months after transplant) I get to go in public without a mask. Right now I'm feeling a little ripped off of my childhood, but oh well, what can you do. Other than being sore I feel a lot better, my energy is returning, my appetite is back, and I've been going for walks again. On the downside I have permanent damage to my back, and I still get arthritus sometimes. But, at least I'm still alive.
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