Friday

Since I had that stomach virus I've generally felt worse. It's not unbearable or anything, but I'm feeling more uncomfortable. It doesn't help that yesterday evening I decided to stop taking the pain medicine in an effort to get rid of certain side effects (TMI alert: I just want to be able to go to the bathroom!!!). I woke up in the middle of night in a good deal of pain and decided that was a really stupid idea, so I just have to hope that all the laxatives work soon. The pain is a different pain than in the beginning, it's almost like it moves throughout recovery. Anyway, this morning I decided to try to make myself feel a little better...I straightened my hair, plucked my eyebrows, and painted my nails. I also put on yoga pants (instead of just giant sweats or pajamas), and my friend Dona and I went to lunch at the Amish market. I looked a hot mess (not matching and hugging a small kidney pillow to my side...also going out with no makeup is never a good idea!), but it felt good to get out of the house and get my mind off of my discomfort. Tomorrow I think I'll try to walk around Target a little and I'm hoping to make it to my nephew's basketball game on Sunday. I'm trying to function without doing too much...it's a tough line to distinguish because I don't realize I'm doing too much until after I do it, but I'm working on it.

A cute side story: Last night I spoke to my friend, Alicia, on FaceTime. I was showing her my incisions, when her adorable 2 year old daughter, Brooklyn, lifted her shirt and starting showing me her stomach. She said she gave her "kit-ney" too. It was so cute! Although her mother's parenting might be questioned if she tells that to a stranger...

While I don't have too much to update, I should take a minute to acknowledge how much I've been taken care of over the last week. My older brother took me to the hospital the other day when I was sick and he should've been sleeping. His wife, my sister-in-law, checks on me just about daily, gave me flowers, made me a card and a fiber one bar tray and even baked me my favorite cookies (chocolate chip without the chocolate chips!). My friends who visited, called, texted, sent cards and gifts...all was so appreciated. And my sistah, Kerry, who not only visited during my original stay, but hung out with me on my second stay to the hospital, without me even having to ask her to. My parents have both gone out of their way to make sure I wasn't alone at the hospital and that I was being completely taken care of. They've lost sleep, and had to worry an awful lot. My mom has literally waited on me, hand and foot, even when I don't want her to. She's gone over and above what any one person should do for another. While I've never regretted donating my kidney, I've apologized to them multiple times, as I feel guilty for having so interrupted their lives. There's no way I would've been able to donate had it not been for all the support I've been given so I'm incredibly grateful.

Here's my tray right now...I don't take medicine for anything so it's funny that I've got so many meds in front of me...