Progress

I get asked by friends who know what I've been going through recently if it is finally over. The honest answer is that I don't know, and the realistic answer is in all likelihood, no. That sounds depressing, but let me explain.

Most of the issues I've had since the transplant have been because of the hemorrhagic cysts in my diseased kidneys. Polycystic kidneys by definition are riddled with cysts, and those frequently become hemorrhagic, causing pressure and pain. That is the normal and expected pathology of PKD.

The good news is that after three weeks of more problems from cysts than not, the last two+ weeks have been mostly trouble-free. I have still had reminders of a cyst on my right side, including noticeable pain for several hours yesterday. [It's even talking to me while I type this.] However, I have been able to do most everything that I have wanted, limited more by lack of energy and strength than discomfort. I even shoveled snow from the driveway a while ago and lived to tell about it.

Yet, none of this good news negates the reality of my disease. As long as I have those kidneys (and for that matter, my liver, which also has cysts and has given me one painful episode so far), this won't be over. A cyst can become hemorrhagic almost instantly and without warning, and the pain can be anywhere from 1-10; there's no pattern or precedent that applies.

Given the severity of my recent episodes, there has been discussion of removing one or both of my diseased kidneys. Given their deteriorated state at the time of the transplant last March, they are not likely contributing much to my health. The removal process is much less invasive than the transplant process. Still, it is surgery and has risks which have to be weighed, particularly in my situation. I expect those discussions to get more serious in the next couple of months.

In the meantime, the extremely good news which overrides all of the above is that I have been given the gift of a new kidney that continues to function every bit as well as could have been expected. The rest of this is stuff; often painful and discouraging, but still just stuff.