Non-tomato news: New Kidney Transplant!

Got a surprise call on Friday night, Feb 13th. On Saturday, Feb 14th, I received a new kidney. There was some uncertainty about long-term prognosis, because the kidney was on ice for over 22 hours. As a result of the period of cold and lack of blood circulation, the kidney suffered acute tubular necrosis (ATN). This is sometimes called "sleepy kidney." In ATN part of the functional cells of the kidney stop working and some of the cells die. After transplant, the kidney takes time to recover function and remove all the toxins a normal kidney clears. In some cases, the function is restored in a few days, in other cases several weeks to a month. In my case, the kidney starting making urine after a couple of days, but wasn't doing its job of balancing electrolytes and removing all toxins. There has been some improvement, and I last did dialysis 12 days ago. The lab values that should go down are going down, gradually. The numbers that need to go up are going up. So, it looks like (about a month after surgery) that it is safe to say that the transplant is going to work.

My mobility is still impaired due to a broken foot. The same weakness in my bones that caused so many problems in 2013 and 2014 caused me to break a bone in my other foot. I discovered the break just a couple of days before the transplant. For now I am wearing an orthopedic boot and trying to minimize any weight on the broken foot. I will have it evaluated in four more weeks to assess progress and to see if other steps need to be taken. For the first break, in 2013, I had three different surgeries with two different titanium plates. The foot finally healed while I was in a wheelchair for my damaged knees--a tale for another day.

In short, because of high levels of antibodies I expected to never receive a transplant. I thought that dialysis was going to be required for the rest of my life and I'd made peace with that circumstance. Turns out I was wrong. I'm looking forward to a changed life once the transplant is working fully and the medications are adjusted to reduce the risk of other infection.

David R

Dear David,

Congratulations on your new kidney !

My prayers are with you, hoping for yur total success.

Please keep us posted on your progress.

Becky

Congratulations on your new kidney!

I hope this is the beginning of a positive turn-around in your health; may more good things happen!

That is fantastic !
I missed your tomato pictures!

Don't think of it as a "sleepy kidney". It's like seeds that have to be cold treated before germinating. Best wishes!

Wishing you all the best, David!

Fantastic news

Wishing you continued improvement and good health, David! Have missed hearing from you, but figured things were slow during the winter months! So good to hear this news of your new kidney! All the best!
E

First tomatoes are planted outside. I have four Earthboxes with Husky Red Cherry plants from the local big box hardware store (Bonnie Plants). All my seedlings are otherwise too small, since they didn't get started until after I got home from the hospital after transplant. I had things ready to plant on Saturday, Feb 14th, but life interfered. Finally got planted a couple of weeks later. My daughter planted both plants and seeds, since immediately post-transplant I'm not supposed to have contact with soil. Should be okay in a few more weeks.

David R

Good for you to get a new kidney. We are happy for you. Take care of the new kidney and follow the rules. Hubby had hip surgery 8 days ago. He doesn't always follow the rules! :(

David,

Just finding this thread.

PRAISE GOD, FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW!!!!

I am sooooooooooooooo happy for you, and continue to thank my God for His mercy and grace upon you. I know your life will change!

Follow orders, and, at least wear gloves when you're working the soil. I've gotten so in the habit, its an automatic response to reach for the garden gloves soon as I unlock the door!

Hugs!

Linda ^^_^^, jumping for joy!

Making steady progress!

Also just found this David. So happy for you. So lucky. Those are hard to come by. Happy it was you 'cause I know you will take care of it. Jnette

David, I just read an article yesterday that said transplant recipients often develop preferences for the organ donor's favorite foods, music, movies, etc., that they never had before. There's a developing theory that many cells in the body, not just in the brain, to some extent carry information and memories. Wow.

Just wondering - you got anything like that going on? :>)

Not yet... I have pretty strong tastes and opinions, so it might be hard to overcome with cellular memory. I'll let you know if I suddenly stop liking bacon and tomato sandwiches! :)

DTR

Never heard that Ozark. Very interesting theory. Sounds like we all have tests for you David.

Congrats and continued recovery .

Still doing well. Kidney is working, but still have to frequently adjust dosing for immune suppressant drugs. At the moment, my white blood cell count is very low.

I'm eating cherry tomatoes from the Husky Red Cherry plants in the Earthboxes. The plants are loaded with green tomatoes and blooms. I added new strips of fertilizer before planting, but it is the same dirt as last year. Looks like it is even better!

Tomatoes in the garden are starting to bloom. There are a few small tomatoes on the Big Beef plants already. We'll see how long it takes to actually get ripe fruit... Nothing else planted, but if it dries out enough, next week I'll get the remainder of the space tilled again and plant yellow squash, cucumbers, and okra.

So happy for you David. Boy, the older we get the more it seems we value the amazing things that modern medicine can do. Just wish it didn't take so long to get some of these things thru the FDA. Oh well, appreciate what we have when we have it huh? Jen

Happy to hear you are still doing well, David. And glad you are enjoying tomatoes already!

One of my co-workers started dialysis a few months back and he is on the transplant list now. The waiting begins, as I'm sure you know.

So glad to hear you are doing well with your new kidney. Thank God for people that donate. I was on anti kidney rejection med awhile back for an auto immune disease that didn't want to stop attacking me. Wish I could give it to you. The meds back then was $750.00 a month. Wow.

Also glad to hear you are enjoying some nice fresh tomatoes. The first ones of the season are always such a treat. You mentioned fertilizer strips. What's that?

Our okra is about 3 to 4 inches tall right now.

I'm not David, but fertilizer strips are used in Earthboxes. They are part of the kit. Makes growing veggies super easy.

Lisa, hmmm, must be something new. I have used a lot of Earthboxes, but not recently and have never heard of them. Sounds kind of like a tape with fertilizer stuck to it someway. Or, slow release?

I don't know bc I just add fertilizer, as per the instructions, but if you go to the website it has them for sale with the EBs or in the replant kit. As far as I know they've been available for a long time.

How do you add fertilizer?

I create a 2-inch fertilizer "strip" when I pour the granulated, time-released fertilizer around the perimeter of the EB. Or, down the center to divide it in half for a plant on either end...

Lightly misting it in keeps it in place. No shipping charge incurred...

Same here GG but I have been tempted when they offer free shipping or end of season sales to buy the EB fertilizer strips. But I can use the fertilizer I have on hand in EBs and the garden super easy.

The time release fertilizer is easy 'cause you don't have to worry about burning. Other than that I just mix the Peters triple 20 soluble in the water and water it in. Easy. Have any of you tried Red Siberian tomato? Suppose to be 55 days. We'll see.

I just mean strip in the context that I dig a very small trench, then pour fertilizer evenly down the box. That makes a "strip" of fertilizer. Sorry for the confusion.

I was away for a few days. My wife and I took a short vacation to celebrate her birthday and my 90-day transplant anniversary. I could finally travel by air after 90 days post transplant. :)

David

David did you add dolomite too? Congratulations on your recover. : )

I know what you mean DAvid. Anyone that ever used an earthbox and followed the instructions knows., You have a strip along the back of the box, like you said, a shallow trench, and put the fertilizer, if I recall and it has been a lot of years since I used an earthbox instructions, but seemed like it was 2 cups of fertilizer in the trench and that was it. The wicking of the water kept the fertilizer feeding the plants.

Like I said, its been a long time since I did it, so David point out where I am wrong. Absolutely wonderful about your transplant.

Lisa, also used the dolomite lime as specified. I mixed it into the potting mix (not soil).

90 days , so far , HOORAY for you .!

Ok, thanks. I also use the trenching method but EB does sell fertilizer strips. If using the trench method EB says 2 cups of fertilizer or 3 cups of organic fertilizer. I have 12 EBs. I really doubted how they would work in the TX heat but they did fantastic. I use them mostly for Dwarf Tomato plants.

This video has me anxiously awaiting the weekend, so I can prep my Earthboxes to plant something new! That flashing is "duh bomb!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86ZdcdIozGg

With high chance of rain predicted that sounds like a great idea. My EBs are on my covered deck so at least I'll be out of the rain. The Mosquitos and lightening are another story.

GG what are you going to plant in yours? I know the placement of the strip of fertilizer depends on what your growing. At this point I could grow rice. : /

You and me both, LOL!!!

I'm actually thinking of using my Earthboxes as seed flats. They're just sitting there collecting rainwater and mosquitoes (I need to put some tulle over those fill tubes with a rubberband...)

I'm going to start more tomato seeds in June, and transplant them in August. If I start them outdoors in the EBs, I won't have to do any hardening off. Or, I could start 'em inside and pot them up to the EBs until they're ready to go in the ground in August.

Whatcha think?

Or, I may just try to start some cuke or squash seeds in them. I've figured out that if I pound some 12" rebar into the ground on both sides of a row of EBs, and bend some pvc over them, I can cover the whole shebang with tulle, and make a hoop over the row.

Since you've taught me I can have success against the SVB, I might just give it a go.

Bottom line is they're just sitting out there sucking up my garden air. They need to earn their cost, LOL!!!

What'd you plan on growing?

Good you are both in Texas. jen

Don't want to hijack David's thread.. I grow dwarf tomato plants in most of my EBs.

Sorry, David!

We'll pick it up elsewhere's, Lisa.

No problem, at least there is some discussion going on! :)

DTR