Is This Blog On? version 2.0

…and it looks like she’ll be home today so I’m grabbing this opportunity to post a picture of my marvelous dog, Nick. This is him in Wisconsin’s Kickapoo River. Four hours of canoeing and the boy swam and waded the whole way. Whatta dog! You just can’t beat a Border Collie. …well, you can but they’re so quick they easily get away so what’s the point?

So anyway….

She sounds much like her old self but tries to keep the laughing to a minimum as it hurts. We were remarking over the apparent success of this unusual weight loss strategy. They didn’t feed her solids until this morning and so in addition to the lost kidney weight, there’s no telling how much she wasted away. She couldn’t put away any more than one pathetic pancake for breakfast. Well done, Carin!

So this is it for me. As Carin prepares to resume control of her blog, I am gearing up to depart for Fort Myers Beach tomorrow. Thanks for having me.

By the way….I hear Sven is planning something special for his last post too.

George

First, an odd story:

Woman Claims to Have Diana’s KidneyA French woman, Francoise Gaellar, had a kidney transplant two days after Princess Diana died in a car crash. She believes that she received Diana’s kidney. As a consequence, she now feels urges to speak in English:”I found myself speaking English to my friends, something I don’t normally do because I have no reason to,” she says. “I cannot explain why I did this.”Is this evidence of a fanciful nature, or an indication she had indeed received an organ from an English-speaker? Improbable though it sounds, there are many documented accounts of organ recipients taking on characteristics of their donors.The French authorities aren’t allowed to say who people get their organs from. They also aren’t about to reveal what happened to Diana’s body after she died. But a Hospital spokesperson did say that: “Because of bioethical laws and other considerations, it would have been impossible for this type of transplant to have taken place in a French hospital involving a British citizen, particularly when that person was the Princess of Wales.”
Posted: Wed May 25, 2005

Now if I’d received Carin’s kidney, I’d be pleased to discover a new expertise in choosing a good bottle of wine.

George

This is a resin cast of the urinary vessels of a kidney. The red structure shows the major and minor calyces which receive urine from different sections of the kidney; passing it first to the renal pelvis and then to the urethra.

Looks kinda like coral, don’tcha think?

George

I think this was taken when she really let loose and moved up to the quarter slots. Too rich for my blood.

I’m posting this because I think she’s been pretty stingy with the pictures – unless, of course, our children are being sucked into jet engines.

Isn’t she adorable?

George

…we have updated scar information.

The first picture shows the scarring that results from the laproscopic procedure that had been planned. The second shows the scarring that results from the more traditional procedure that she ended up requiring. Both were taken one-year after surgery and neither looks too bad. Her husband assured me when I spoke to him on Wednesday that he fully intends to keep her.

She may have to give up bikinis but it seems to me that if she just takes it one step further and sheds only the top no one will ever notice the scar. …or her hair color. …or that she’s trailed by five children. …or that they’re standing on a beach.

George

I figured that she might be feeling somewhat conscious today so I gave her a call right after I woke up this morning at 5 am. Took her FOREVER to get to the phone. Strange how she’s still so groggy….

Of course I’m kidding you. I figured she might be up at lunch and would have her cellphone near if she was interested in calls.

Indeed she is beginning to feel bit better, certainly more awake, but I could tell that she’s somewhat uncomfortable. Weird drug effects, she says. She has been up though for a shower and is able to take a turn about the room. She hasn’t yet been to see her Dad as it would be a considerably longer walk and she wants to be more “put together” when he sees her. How nice, not wanting to trouble her Dad with the vision of her discomfort.

Reading, yes, even US magazine or the National Enquirer, has been out of the question though she admits they’d be the perfect thing at this point. She has about a two minute attention span with napping breaking out without warning.

Her doctor is guessing she’ll be released Sunday or Monday and I would advise her husband to acquire for her a nice riding crop or some other long, light & threatening stick before her homecoming. …just a little something to warn off a charging child or dog. You’d think kids wouldn’t forget that their parent has an injury when said parent is now incapacitated in the La-Z-Boy but they do. Best to raise a warning crop or yardstick before suffering serious trauma. Keep the buggers at bay!

The flower, by the way, is the kidney flower.

George

Medical Updates:

Everyone’s fine, and everything’s working fine. Father slept four or five hours, which in an ICU with hourly tests is pretty good. Now he’s reading Vince Flynn. Carin, we can’t get quiet the same details on, but she’s comfortable.

So, now as for Carin’s day-to-day life.

I showed up at Carin’s at 6:45 this morning. I was originals told that Husband would be leaving about that time. Instead, he was still getting ready. While waiting, I tested something. DLP actual works pretty well as a computer monitor, and Civ IV attracts little eyes on the bigger screen. His RSX had been in the shop for a while, but was ready for pickup today. The children woke, Husband got ready and we went to the dealership to get the car.

The Acura RSX is great fun, especially in second.

While we were out, #1 decided on breakfast – a bratwurst and a pork chop.

After returning, I’ve been watching the kids. Husband got some bagels and has done some laundry, and about 10 minutes ago, Husband has finally gone off to see to Carin. So I’m here. Two youngest children are watching Robots upstairs. First and Third are watching Big-O with me. Remaining child is down playing his MMO-resembling RPG.

And So lets see how things go. At some point, I’ll be getting pizza for the kids. Given the fight on getting #3 to eat her Bagel without toasting it, should be interesting to see how it goes.

Yes, I left the hospital for all of you…

I’m going to keep this as a quick little update, but as of 5:00…

In the words of the surgeon I talked to, the actual incision Carin ended up with is similar to what would happen in a non-laparoscopic surgery, so the results and complications of it should be minor. Even before that discusion, Carin’s Husband got to see her in recovery. In his words, she’s “out of it” but I suppose for now thats for the best. He was planning on returning to the kids, but another has been found to watch them for the evening, given the minor complication.

Our Father is was almost done with Surgery. One of the surgeons came and talked to ‘the family’ and everything on his side went fine. We were going to find out his location shortly after five, but I had to leave. Following his time in recovery, he will be/was sent to the ICU. They will spend an hour to an hour and a half getting him settled and checked out once he gets there, and only then will he be allowed visitors. That should be around 7:00 PM.

I’m in a class right now, and it’s sad when a grad class is so simple you can blog it, isn’t it?

Expect my next post to bring word of the father, and tomorrow…

Blogging the Life of Carin without Carin – The Brother alone with the Kids

Just got off the phone with Carin’s husband who reported that she is fine. The surgery ended up being more complicated than had been anticipated but she is fine, her Father is fine, the kidney is working and that’s all that matters.

Let’s pause to thank God for keeping them safe and for giving us all the gift of having this truly amazing woman in our lives.

Now for the details…

They did the laproscopic procedure as planned but somehow in the process her aorta was torn and an additional incision was required to repair it. That turned a 2-4 hour procedure into a 6.5 hour procedure and her potential 3″ scar into an 8″ one. She’ll also likely be in the hospital now until Tuesday.

I sent her husband on a mission to get her US magazine. I know, I know…but as smart as she is it’s really all she can handle right now.

George