Our son, Michael turned two and we celebrated with a party and a pleasant surprise. As we pulled into the parking lot of Chuck E. Cheese in the afternoon, in, turns a small black car with guess who, DRIVING??? SERGIO!!!! The kids were so happy and surprised!!! He flew in at 1:30p.m. from New York and made it on time to celebrate Michael's birthday at 3p.m.
Sergio was released from his surgeons/doctors in NY and will now be in the care of doctors at Jackson Memorial. His biopsy results came in and they were good news. The kidney is functioning as it should and the few minor glitches are being handled with some extra medication. Thank you all again for the support and prayers and unconditional love. I will continue to post periodically on his progress. :o)
FB PIXEL CODE
ELEVATED LEVELS (KIDNEY)
Sergio went to the surgeon on Monday and was told his creatinine levels are a little elevated (2.2) Consequently, he had a biopsy done today (12/16/08.) Hopefully, these high levels can be corrected with a better diet or more fluids?? Don't know - just my assumption. Will ask questions and return with a response. More positive vibes please! We got the biopsy results on Wednesday, Dec. 17th. He has every intention of being home for our son's 2nd birthday on Thursday the 18th. Imagine that!! Crazy, I know!
AMAZINGLY KIND WORDS
I received this email from an old friend of mine from grade school. I was so moved by it that I felt the need to post it:
Subject: Hi
"I know that lately you’ve had some bad days and set backs on your health. But, I just wanted you to know that I truly admired you. You’ve grown up to be an amazing woman, mother & wife. No one would want to be in the shoes of you & your husband when it comes to the health issues. But on the other hand, many wish they were in your shoes when it comes to the true love between you two. The gift you gave your husband is not only brave, but that of true love. Many, even married ones, will never feel that. So, when you have a bad day, know that like your family, others truly admire you.
Besos"
Subject: Hi
"I know that lately you’ve had some bad days and set backs on your health. But, I just wanted you to know that I truly admired you. You’ve grown up to be an amazing woman, mother & wife. No one would want to be in the shoes of you & your husband when it comes to the health issues. But on the other hand, many wish they were in your shoes when it comes to the true love between you two. The gift you gave your husband is not only brave, but that of true love. Many, even married ones, will never feel that. So, when you have a bad day, know that like your family, others truly admire you.
Besos"
DOCTOR VISITS ON 12-10-08
So two weeks and a few days after donating my kidney here I am having to go back to the doctor. I went to the doctor today and it turns out all the redness and itching on my torso area is an allergic reaction - suture lesions. The incisions are super-duper red and the rash has spread a lot. Steroids (Methylpred) were prescribed for six (6) days. Methylprednisolone ((Methylpred) is a corticosteroid hormone (glucocorticoid).
It looks pretty horrible and I am having slight pain on right side too. Freaking out just a little.
On the happy and positive side, Sergio went to the doctor today and had his stitches removed. He has quite the huge incision and those staples were big. Sorry for the gory description but it's true! He says he took his iPod with him and turned it up full blast so he would be totally distracted. He said he will never be able to listen to Julieta Venegas again in the same way! He's driving too! Hmm,,,wonder if I should ask the doctor if he's suppose to do that? I guess it's fine now - I hope. His anemia is going much better and his Prograf dose was lowered which is a good thing.
It looks pretty horrible and I am having slight pain on right side too. Freaking out just a little.
On the happy and positive side, Sergio went to the doctor today and had his stitches removed. He has quite the huge incision and those staples were big. Sorry for the gory description but it's true! He says he took his iPod with him and turned it up full blast so he would be totally distracted. He said he will never be able to listen to Julieta Venegas again in the same way! He's driving too! Hmm,,,wonder if I should ask the doctor if he's suppose to do that? I guess it's fine now - I hope. His anemia is going much better and his Prograf dose was lowered which is a good thing.
KNOW SOMEONE WHO NEEDS A KIDNEY?
If you know someone who is in need of a kidney transplant, I highly recommend contacting this organization, which helped me to get a lot of the information I needed. Laurie Reece is the Executive Director at the Alliance for Paired Donation Program. They work specifically with the concept of pairing you up with other people to exchange "swap" kidneys, if you don't have a direct match.
http://www.paireddonation.org/
Laurie Reece (512) 461-1977
Go to Google and check out the "Alliance for Paired Donation" program.
This is a great option if you or your friend/family member do not have a direct match for a kidney.
An average of 18 people die each day while waiting for organs. Become a donor today if you can!
You can also do research on www.unos.org
Go online and read about it. Good luck!
http://www.paireddonation.org/
Laurie Reece (512) 461-1977
Go to Google and check out the "Alliance for Paired Donation" program.
This is a great option if you or your friend/family member do not have a direct match for a kidney.
An average of 18 people die each day while waiting for organs. Become a donor today if you can!
You can also do research on www.unos.org
Go online and read about it. Good luck!
STRANGE RASH
Well, after 2 weeks and a few days I have developed some strange rash in my torso area and on my incisions from surgery. At first, the itchiness started on my incisions themselves and everyone was saying that it was healing . Then it started to spread. Last night I was up from 1:30a.m. - 4.a.m. like a dog with fleas! I don't think it could be the actual incisions because I have a rash a lot of other areas like my sides and under my breast area that are not even close to the small cuts.
I am dreading all kinds of things wondering what it could be. I, of course had to "google" my symptoms and I don't really have a definitive conclusions. Could it be shingles (G-d forbid!), bed bug bites (eek!), allergic reaction to the steri-strip tape? (it was not all over my body the tape), late reaction to anesthesia?
Since I don't have my M.D. hat on anymore, I'm taking a Benadryl and going to the doctor tomorrow!!
I am dreading all kinds of things wondering what it could be. I, of course had to "google" my symptoms and I don't really have a definitive conclusions. Could it be shingles (G-d forbid!), bed bug bites (eek!), allergic reaction to the steri-strip tape? (it was not all over my body the tape), late reaction to anesthesia?
Since I don't have my M.D. hat on anymore, I'm taking a Benadryl and going to the doctor tomorrow!!
TWO WEEKS AFTER SURGERY
Two weeks after donating my kidney and coming home from the hospital things are moving along. I drove today again for the first time since the surgery. I obviously could have driven way before but I have a lot of over protective powers that be in my life! It went well. I was still a bit uncomfortable making some turns and stuff, so I grabbed a Starbucks coffee, did some groceries and opted to chill the rest of the day. Still not 100%. I have this strange rash that I better keep an eye on.
Sergio ventured out last night into FREEZING weather much to my disappointment, but I guess that's what you do when you are "living" in New York and are cooped up all day. He's been going to clinic and everything seems to be going the right way. He has some incision pain and says that coughing and sneezing are pretty rough (I can relate to that one!) All in all, it's pretty amazing where we are now as compared to 2 weeks ago. :o)
Sergio ventured out last night into FREEZING weather much to my disappointment, but I guess that's what you do when you are "living" in New York and are cooped up all day. He's been going to clinic and everything seems to be going the right way. He has some incision pain and says that coughing and sneezing are pretty rough (I can relate to that one!) All in all, it's pretty amazing where we are now as compared to 2 weeks ago. :o)
FROM MICHAEL BERG's POST
Taken from Michael Berg's post, which I felt was quite inspiring and wanted to share:
Something Can Always Be Done, We Can Always Create Change
All of us at one point or another have faced a situation in which we felt our hands were tied. No matter what we did or said, we knew we couldn’t change the outcome. ”The doctor diagnosed me with…the lawyer said this…the psychic predicted…”
This idea of “it’s over and there’s nothing I can do about it” is one which my teacher (and father) Rav Berg has railed against his entire life. What I have learned from him, and wish to impart to you this week, is there is always something we can do.
Always.
There is a beautiful story in ancient times about King Hizkiyah, King of Judah 715-687 BCE. One day as he lay on his sick bed, he was visited by the Prophet Isaiah. “God has sent me to give you a message. Prepare your affairs, you’re going to die. You are not going to live.”
Quite a message! It wasn’t enough that he came to tell him he was dying, but he made sure to emphasize he was not going to live, (which the kabbalists explain was a code for, there is no hope for him the afterlife, either.) Stunned, the King asks, “Why?”
“Because you did not try to have children in this world.”
The King pleaded with the Prophet, telling him the reason for not attempting to procreate was because he had a prophetic vision in which he saw his offspring causing great destruction to the world.
“Never put stock in what you see!” the Prophet answered. “Even if it is a divine vision. Don’t worry about things beyond, what is not in your control. You have to do what you need to do and what is right.”
The King saw the merit of the lesson, and with renewed hope asked if he could marry the Prophet’s daughter. “Maybe with my merit and your merit combined, the offspring will be righteous.” His solution was rebuffed, the Prophet soberly informing him that the decree was signed, and nothing could be done about it.
To this the King replied, “I don’t want to hear your prophecy! Get out of my house. This is what I have learned from my great-grandfather King David: even if the sword is on one’s neck, he should not give up hope, for he can always draw mercy to change it.
The prophet leaves and Hizkiyah elevates and changes his consciousness and then he prays and his supplication for more life is granted.
This is our lesson. There is never a moment when we should to accept a decree, a prediction, a diagnosis, or anything. In King Hizkiyah’s case, God himself said it’s over and he refuses to accept. And with that consciousness, he changes the decree! If he had accepted the finality of the news he would have not had changed the decree and he would have died.
Notice the difference. This is not just an understanding. It is a consciousness. If you understand the concept but still allow the thought in your mind that yes, maybe it is over, maybe the doctor, lawyer, accountant, psychic is right, then you won’t be able to change it.
You can apply this lesson in the biggest and smallest of ways. Even when it comes to studying Kabbalah there are times when we come up against concepts that seem bigger than us and impenetrable. In these instances we want to apply this consciousness by saying, I can push myself.
This is a consciousness we want to awaken this week. It is not easy to achieve, but it is the key to truly having the power and ability to change anything and everything. There is always something that we can do to create change.
Something Can Always Be Done, We Can Always Create Change
All of us at one point or another have faced a situation in which we felt our hands were tied. No matter what we did or said, we knew we couldn’t change the outcome. ”The doctor diagnosed me with…the lawyer said this…the psychic predicted…”
This idea of “it’s over and there’s nothing I can do about it” is one which my teacher (and father) Rav Berg has railed against his entire life. What I have learned from him, and wish to impart to you this week, is there is always something we can do.
Always.
There is a beautiful story in ancient times about King Hizkiyah, King of Judah 715-687 BCE. One day as he lay on his sick bed, he was visited by the Prophet Isaiah. “God has sent me to give you a message. Prepare your affairs, you’re going to die. You are not going to live.”
Quite a message! It wasn’t enough that he came to tell him he was dying, but he made sure to emphasize he was not going to live, (which the kabbalists explain was a code for, there is no hope for him the afterlife, either.) Stunned, the King asks, “Why?”
“Because you did not try to have children in this world.”
The King pleaded with the Prophet, telling him the reason for not attempting to procreate was because he had a prophetic vision in which he saw his offspring causing great destruction to the world.
“Never put stock in what you see!” the Prophet answered. “Even if it is a divine vision. Don’t worry about things beyond, what is not in your control. You have to do what you need to do and what is right.”
The King saw the merit of the lesson, and with renewed hope asked if he could marry the Prophet’s daughter. “Maybe with my merit and your merit combined, the offspring will be righteous.” His solution was rebuffed, the Prophet soberly informing him that the decree was signed, and nothing could be done about it.
To this the King replied, “I don’t want to hear your prophecy! Get out of my house. This is what I have learned from my great-grandfather King David: even if the sword is on one’s neck, he should not give up hope, for he can always draw mercy to change it.
The prophet leaves and Hizkiyah elevates and changes his consciousness and then he prays and his supplication for more life is granted.
This is our lesson. There is never a moment when we should to accept a decree, a prediction, a diagnosis, or anything. In King Hizkiyah’s case, God himself said it’s over and he refuses to accept. And with that consciousness, he changes the decree! If he had accepted the finality of the news he would have not had changed the decree and he would have died.
Notice the difference. This is not just an understanding. It is a consciousness. If you understand the concept but still allow the thought in your mind that yes, maybe it is over, maybe the doctor, lawyer, accountant, psychic is right, then you won’t be able to change it.
You can apply this lesson in the biggest and smallest of ways. Even when it comes to studying Kabbalah there are times when we come up against concepts that seem bigger than us and impenetrable. In these instances we want to apply this consciousness by saying, I can push myself.
This is a consciousness we want to awaken this week. It is not easy to achieve, but it is the key to truly having the power and ability to change anything and everything. There is always something that we can do to create change.
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 3, 2008:
Thank G-d all seems to be going well. Sergio is up & about, and his kidney is functioning well. He is going to the hospital clinic twice a week for check-ups and blood draws. His anemia seems to be getting better too. He even ventured out to his office in Long Island for a little while today. But I RE-ITERATE to him here publicly - take it slow!!!!! The biggest danger is that of infection (ie: bacterial infections) from people who are sick, germs or food from restaurants etc.... So, thank G-d he is doing well, but if you know my husband, you must help me in making sure he takes it slow!! (Love ya, honey!)
I am doing better in Florida. Going slightly crazy with the kids because terrible two's is NEVER easy, let alone with this recovery. I have hit a wall of itchiness!!! Crazy, I know but I swear I feel like I have poison ivy! Everyone says that it means my incisions (4) are starting to heal, hopefully that's true! Thank you again for keeping those positive vibes flowing!
I am doing better in Florida. Going slightly crazy with the kids because terrible two's is NEVER easy, let alone with this recovery. I have hit a wall of itchiness!!! Crazy, I know but I swear I feel like I have poison ivy! Everyone says that it means my incisions (4) are starting to heal, hopefully that's true! Thank you again for keeping those positive vibes flowing!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)