Letter from Yaya and another gross picture!

We got more good news in our clinic visit today (*editor's note - she sent me this on Thursday)! 

 1) My creatinine has stayed at 1.2 to 1.5 for the last three weeks, meaning the new kidney is working great.  YEAH!

2) From this point forward, I only need to go to MUSC in Charleston every two weeks instead of every week.  YEAH! 

3) Two more medicines were removed this week, and the dose of one of the anti-rejection drugs was cut in half, so I'm only taking 23 pills per day instead of the 32 per day I started with.  YEAH! 

4) I feel so much better in every way.  And even though I can eat almost anything I want now, and I'm eating 3 meals a day (for the first time in 2 years), I've begun losing weight.  YEAH!

 

Thanks be to God and to all of you who have continued to pray for me.  God has heard us and blessed us abundantly.

 

Last Thursday, at their clinic visit in Charleston, Yaya's staples were removed. There were 23 in all! Since then, she's been moving around a lot better, although still not 100% healed.

 

 

Letter from Yaya

South Carolina man finds kidney donor for ailing wife after taking to the streets | Fox News

 

Cute story!!  This transplant occurred at MUSC last Wed (Sep 11) by the same surgeon who did mine.  We'll probably see them at the clinic this coming Thursday.  Everyone who loves their wife or husband say "Amen!".

 

Love,

Yaya

Letter from Yaya!

Yesterday, we left Greenville at 3:30am for our 2-week checkup in Charleston, and were back home by 2:30pm.  Needless to say, I aced the exam!  My creatinine level is down to 1.4, which is in the range the doctors are looking for, and indicates the new kidney is working well.  They did mention that my white blood cell count is still high, indicating that there is an “intruder” in my body (the new kidney!).  That’s why I’m taking extreme precautions against infection.  But they were very pleased with all the other results.  The other good news is that the staples have been removed, which is great since that was the most uncomfortable part.  So now I can walk and move better, and I think I’ll be back to normal soon. 

 

Many people have asked if I notice a difference since the surgery, and my first thought is that there was no choice:  Either a kidney transplant or go on dialysis.  But yes, I feel more energetic, and I’m so glad I don’t have diet restrictions.  Being on a low-potassium, low-phosphorous diet meant giving up so many things that are good and good for you, but that’s over now!  And I want to thank the two who made it possible:  God and Joe!

 

Thank you to all our dear friends for all the prayers, thoughts, notes, cards, Masses, and concerns that you have offered for Joe and I.  We are true believers in the power of prayer; we live by that rule.  Thank you!  Thank you!

 

To my Christian friends, don’t forget that Pope Francis has called for a special day of fasting and prayer for world peace from 1pm to 7pm tomorrow (Saturday, September 7).  Join in for special blessings!

 

Marta

Busy week!

Yaya went locally for blood work on Tuesday and then she drove with Yoyo to Charleston for her Thursday blood work. And all is well! Her creatinine level is 1.4, which is below 1.5 as we hoped! While in Charleston, they also took the staples out of her incision - 23 staples! So now she is moving around even better.

Pely went home on Wednesday. She will be missed! Thanks Pely for all the hard work you did these past few weeks!

From here on, it'll be twice weekly blood work (once in Greenville, once in Charleston), taking her meds, and continuing to rest whenever possible.

God has been so good to us! Thanks again to everyone for all the prayers and well wishes!

What's in a name?

Time for Frequently Asked Questions! We've gotten some friends-of-friends asking where the names "Yaya" and "Yoyo" came from - here's Yaya's answer!

Many have asked me where we got the names Yoyo and Yaya.  Well, here's the story. I just hope Joannie can "take it", since she'll be publishing it, because we still can't agree on all the details.  But this is my story and I'm sticking to it!

 

I always wanted to be called Abuela (grandma in Spanish, since I was born in Colombia, SA).  But when Abby, my first grandchild, was born 11 years ago, my plans got changed.  When she was just 14 months old, as I held her in my lap and looked into her eyes, she said, "yayayaya".  So I shouted "She's calling me Yaya!".  Joannie and I still have a "difference of opinion" over which she said first: Yaya or ball.  I remember telling Joannie that she had called me Yaya, and Joannie said, "Mom, she doesn't even talk yet".  At that moment, Abby looked at me and said "Yaya" again, in front of her Mom.  That was it; I was Yaya. 

 

Two weeks later, my husband Joe came up to me and said:  If you are a "Yaya", I guess that makes me a "Yoyo".  We all thought that was so funny, we all started teasing him by calling him Yoyo, and the name stuck.  Once when we took all of Joannie's kids to Lowe's for a kid's project workshop, the workshop teacher told me, "I don't know which is funnier, that they call him Yoyo, or that he answers them!"

 

So now we are the Yoyos!!!!  We found out later that, in fact, "Yiayia" is Greek for "grandma".  Little did we know that Abby was bi-lingual before age two! :-)

 

That's close enough so we'll leave it like that! :)

On being an organ donor...

From Yaya:

While I was in the hospital last week, many lives were saved.  A person died and three different lives were saved by receiving his two kidneys and his liver.  Two days later, another person died and three more lives were saved - one with a kidney, one with the liver, and a type 1 diabetic received the pancreas and a kidney and is no longer diabetic.  A day later, a 20-month old baby was saved by receiving a portion of a donated liver.

 

If you're not already an organ donor, consider going to the Department of Motor Vehicles to sign up to be an organ donor after your passing.  You go to the DMV because they mark you as an organ donor on your driver's license.  Imagine what a legacy you can leave behind!

Picture time!

As Yaya says, this picture isn't for the faint of heart, but lots of people asked for it so here we go...a picture of the kidney!

Originally, Yoyo had a big piece of paper he'd signed with the same message but I guess it didn't hold up well for a photo so they wrote it out on a whiteboard.

Also, we took these pictures for fun. The first is from Yaya and Yoyo's wedding (a certificate and flowers)...

And this second one with their matching hospital IDs, a letter of congratulations on their match from MUSC, and a "bouquet" of medicines.

We're so happy for you both!

Going Home!

Yaya has been officially discharged! Yaya, Yoyo, and Pely are checking out of the hotel and are on their way home. I don't have any information beyond that - but it's good news!

I'd like to add a reminder that Yaya is still not able to receive visitors. Her immune system is really suppressed so that it doesn't reject the new kidney. Even though she may feel fine, she's likely to get sick very easily. So we would appreciate it if everyone could hold off on visiting for a few months. Once she's back home, she'll be back on the computer and on the phone. That'll have to do for now!

Thanks everyone or all the prayers and support during this past week. The next few weeks will be all about recuperating. There will be a lot of back and forth to the clinic in Charleston as well. Continued prayers are appreciated!

Letter from Yaya...

Dear friends,

I cannot tell you how thankful Yoyo & I are for all the beautiful messages, the prayers, and the good wishes we have received from all of you!  Joe & I cannot emphasize enough how much it meant to us.   God decided last week that I must live on; the gift of life that Joe gave me did not really sink in until I was able to walk down a long hospital corridor to ring a bell to indicate another life had been saved.  It was very emotional to me and for about 15 nurses that were there! 

 

Joe was released the day after surgery, and now, 8 days later, he was able to drive himself to daily Mass.  What a blessing to have such a speedy recovery!  After the actual day of the surgery, neither of us have needed heavy-duty pain medication, and that, without doubt, is because of all of your prayers.  My best days started yesterday, and I'm doing so well I might be allowed to go home tomorrow (Thursday).

 

Our two wonderful children, William & Joannie, took care of us!  They were tireless and giving and made us feel so special.  We are so proud of them.  We're also so thankful to their families and others that helped to make it possible for them to be with us.  My sister, Pely, has also been fantastic, and will stay with us for a couple of weeks as we continue to recover.  What a great team we have!

 

For the immediate future, I have be extremely careful in my exposure to infection since my immune system has been greatly reduced while I adapt to the new kidney.  It is kind of hard to be squirting hand sanitizer every 15 minutes!  It's pretty interesting how this works:  No buffets or salad bars, eating as soon as food is cooked, and (unfortunately) limiting visitors for a while.  The first 3 to 6 months are the most critical, then the immune drugs are reduced and things can get back to the new normal, whatever that will be.

 

At every step of the way we have known that God would guide us, strengthen us, and hold us in His hands, and we have felt it every day.  Thanks again to everyone who has prayed for us; that is the best support we can get!

 

Love & hugs,

Marta

PS:  Joe, I love you not only because you gave me a kidney, but just because another day has passed.  Happy 435th (month) anniversary!

The Happy Couple, Together Again!

Exchange of hearts, 1977...

Exchange of kidney, 2013...

Yaya is out of the hospital! She'll be visited by a home health nurse and visiting the clinic in the hospital. If all goes well, she'll be headed home at the end of the week!

Yaya is out of the Hospital!

I arrived in Charleston this afternoon to a room full of smiling faces (with the Food Network on the TV), which is about all that needs to be said about how everyone is doing.

Mom was discharged this afternoon from MUSC earlier this afternoon.  Joannie and my Aunt Pely ran several times back and forth moving everyone's stuff from the hospital to our suite next door.

Her creatinine levels continue to creep downward. It is at 2.2, which is dramatically lower than it was pre-surgery.  In my opinion, Yaya looks better than she did before her surgery.  She's almost back to her normal self...talking with both speed and enthusiasm.

Dad is still a little sore, but moving around very well.

We'll be hanging out for most of today.  The home health nurse is scheduled to come here tonight and  tomorrow morning to check on Mom, then we'll head back to MUSC for clinics on Monday morning.

While this story is certainly about Yaya and Yoyo, something has to be mentioned about the amazing job Joannie has done in the last week.  Se has worked tirelessly and selflessly to take care of both Mom and Dad, while keeping me and everyone else regularly updated.  My parents are lucky to have a daughter like her, and I'm proud she's my sister.  Love you Greenie!

Day two!

Yoyo and I had a peaceful night last night and an easy, slow morning today. Yoyo is very mobile and is eating well. He's able to manage his pain with Tylenol. I'm keeping him hydrated and making sure he both walks around and gets good rest.

We went to the hospital around 10 this morning. Yaya has lots of doctors and nurses visiting throughout the day. She's gotten more education about her diet, her insulin schedule, and her medication. She is very alert and impatient to get rid of the catheter. Her creatinine level continues to drop - it'll be tested again in the morning.

Because she is so alert and steady, she's been upgraded out of her "fall risk" category. So she no longer has to wear yellow socks - she has blue! And yes, I took a picture because I think it's adorable.

I was mistaken yesterday about the IV. They've taken the insulin drip out of her IV so all she has is the saline. They'll be taking it out in the morning (and the catheter too) and if she can go to the bathroom on her own, she'll likely be able to leave in late afternoon.

If she is discharged, she'll be visited at the hotel by the Home Health Nurse on Saturday evening, and for blood work on Sunday morning. Monday morning will be a clinic visit at the hospital.

In addition to a donor pen, a green ribbon pin, a kidney pillow, and special cake, Yoyo got a t-shirt! He wore it today at the hospital so I had to get another picture. Don't they look beautiful?

Yoyo is free!

A lot has happened this afternoon! Big thing - Yoyo was discharged and we were free to go!

But other details first! In the hallway, across from the Bell of Life, they have this picture of the Angel Oak Tree. The colorful leaves they stick on have the names of kidney donors.

Yoyo now has a leaf!

But that's not all! He also got a special cake -

In case you can't read it, the receipt says, "Donor Cake - Thank you for your gift of life!" He also got a folder that includes a picture of him kissing Yaya at the Bell, a copy of the poem about the Bell, and also a "Certificate of Appreciation." Both Yaya and Yoyo have received a bright red pillow in the shape of a kidney - it comes with a permanent marker so that all the nursing staff can sign the pillow.

Yoyo has been doing really well today. He's gotten a lot of rest, walked around, and hasn't needed much pain medicine at all. His appetite is still small but that's to be expected. He was discharged around 4:30 this afternoon and we went to hang out with Yaya. She was getting her lesson in interpreting the medicine chart so we sat through that. Then I went to get the car (after a terrifying scare when I thought I'd lost our keys) and picked Yoyo up at the door.

We've checked in to our hotel now. It's definitely a lot quieter and more peaceful here. Yoyo has settled in nicely! In the morning we'll get breakfast and then head back to the hospital to spend a few hours with Yaya. It's only 10 minutes or so to the hospital so it's ok for us to go back and forth a bit. The hotel has parking right outside the door, and the hospital has wheel chair service so he can be picked up at the door - keeps the stressful walking to a minimum!

Yaya has had a very eventful day! They've been testing her blood sugar every hour and, as expected, it was high this morning and has tapered nicely into the normal range throughout the day. She's still on the insulin drip and the saline. From what I understand, through the night they'll start weaning her off both so that tomorrow she can lose the IVs altogether! She'll start a regular round of insulin at that time. She's got some swelling now but they say that's normal because of all the fluids they are pumping in. She should deflate some tomorrow.

They are watching her creatinine level. I've had several people ask if her kidney has woken up yet. Yes it has, but slowly. She's making urine (which is excellent) but the creatinine level is also important. They expected it to be high right after surgery but over the next few days it should return to normal, and that's how we know the kidney is fully functioning. This evening's test yielded results similar to six months before surgery (this is good news - a continued improvement from this morning). They expect tomorrow to be even better. I'm sorry I don't have definite numbers. This day has been too busy to remember details like that!

During her medication training, she had to read her chart (names of medications, dosage amount, and special instructions), and she had to answer any random question the nurse asked. Yaya definitely did her homework! She answered all the questions confidently and correctly. She was able to interpret the chart (blown up a bit to accommodate her eyesight) and understands how to make changes to it as directed. I am so proud of her!

She is definitely feeling better. She's had almost no pain meds today, has walked around several times, and is eating solid foods. She's still having a hard time with the phone - she gets interrupted a lot by doctors and nurses so it's hard to carry on a conversation.

I'll update again tomorrow when I get the chance!

Morning after surgery...

Things started (not) bright and (very) early - 5 a.m. was the first check of the day! Taking vitals (all good), checking urine output (all good), and asking about pain (medium).

Yoyo was able to get up out of the bed and walk around (to visit Yaya, of course), and was rewarded for his good behavior with a popsicle!

He gets tired very easily but he's feeling okay. It's hard to really rest here because they come in constantly for medicine, vitals, food, blood draw, and just general check-ins.

Yaya woke up feeling very good. Minimal pain, more alert than before the surgery, with just a sore throat. She's still not talking on the phone yet, saving her voice for the doctors and nurses. She got her first lesson about the medications she's taking. There was a short video to watch (which Yoyo also watched in his room) and instruction by the nurse.

Yaya also had to get up and move around. It's no surprise that she chose to go visit Yoyo!

And then they walked together to the corner to ring the Bell of Life! First Yaya...

...then a kiss...

...and then Yoyo!

And here's a ridiculous shot of their feet because I think the yellow slipper socks are adorable.

Both Yaya and Yoyo are eating real food for breakfast (bagel and yogurt for Yoyo, jello and grits for Yaya). We're all still sleepy so we're resting for the time being. I'll post another update later today!

Settled in for the night!

Phew! What a crazy long day! I wish I'd worn a pedometer today because I've surely walked 15 miles going back and forth between Yaya and Yoyo!

Here's a picture from this morning - Yoyo ready for surgery -

Yoyo waited in recovery, with his usual calm, for nearly 8 hours while we waited for a bed to open up on the 6th floor. He's needed almost no pain medication, has been drinking lots of water, and feels pretty good overall. When they finally brought him up, we got to stop off in Yaya's room so that they could see each other. We think that tomorrow his catheter will come out and he'll get to walk around - probably down the hall to Yaya's room!

Post surgery -

Yaya is doing much better since she saw Yoyo. Apparently she didn't trust me to give an accurate report on his well being! She was so happy to see him, she started crying - those are tears of relief and joy, not pain, in that picture! Her catheter will likely stay in for 3 days while they monitor the new kidney's output. She's in some pain but they're giving her drugs when they can. One of the anti-rejection drugs is making her nauseous but they say that's normal and will go away soon. She's able to keep her pills down, so that's good.

Both are settled in for the night. I'll post another update in the morning when we hear more from the doctors. Yaya's medication education begins at 8 a.m.!

*Thanks to Ana for the translation!*

YA ESTAMOS INSTALADOS PARA LA NOCHE
QUE DIA TAN LARGAMENTE LOCO ! OJALA HUBIERA USADO UN PEDOMETRO HOY PORQUE CON SEGURIDAD HE CAMINADO COMO 15 MILLAS YENDO Y REGRESANDO DE DONDE YAYA Y YOYO

ESTA FOTO FUE TOMADA ESTA MANANA ANTES DE LA CIRUGIA DE YOYO

JOE ESPERO EN RECUPERACION POR 8 HORAS CON SU CALMA USUAL HASTA QUE TUCIERAN SU CAMA LISTA EN EL SEXTO PISO. NO NECESITO CASI MEDICINA PARA EL DOLOR. HA ESTADO TOMANDO BASTANTE AGUA Y SE SIENTE BIEN EN GENERAL. EN CAMINO A SU CUARTO PASARON POR EL DE MARTA PARA QUE SE VIERAN. CREEMOS QUE MANANA LE QUITAN EL ( CATHETER)   Y PODRA LEVANTARSE A CAMINAR. PROBABLEMENTE AL FINAL DEL HAL AL CUARTO DE YAYA -

 YAYA  SE SIENTE MUCHO MEJOR DESDE QUE VIO A YOYO. APARENTEMENTE NO CONFIO EN MI PARA DARLE UN  REPORTE  EXACTO SOBRE SU BIENESTAR. SE PUSO FELIZ DE VERLO Y COMENZO A LLORAR. FUERON LAGRIMAS DE ALIVIO Y ALEGRIA Y NO DE DOLOR. EN ESTA FOTO SE VE EL CATHETER QUE TENDRA PUESTO COMO POR 3 DIAS MIENTRAS QUE VIGILAN SU NUEVO RINON. ELLA ESTA CON UN POCO DE DOLOR PERO LE ESTAN DANDO SU MEDICINA CUANDO PUEDAN. UNA DE LAS DROGAS ANTI RECHAZO LA ESTAN CAUSANDO NAUSEA PERO DICEN QUE ES NORMAL Y SE LE QUITARA PRONTO. ELLA PUEDE TRAGAR SUS PILDORAS ASI QUE ESO ESTA BIEN.

 YA LOS DOS ESTAN DORMIDOS ASI QUE MANANA LE INFORMO MAS DESPUES DE QUE HABLEMOS CON LOS MEDICOS. MARTA TIENE UNA CLASE SOBRE SUS MEDICINAS A LAS 8 AM

LLAMARON DEL HOSPITAL ESTA TARDE PARA DECIR QUE LOS EXAMENES DE LABORATORIO SALIERON TODOS BIEN Y LA CIRUGIA ESTA PROGRAMADA PARA MANANA EN LA MANANA. YAYA Y YOYO SE REGISTRAN EN EL HOSPITAL A LAS 5:30 AM.

LA CIRUGIA DE JOE COMIENZA A LA 7 AM. EL DE YAYA A LAS 10 AM. LA CIRUGIA DURARA HASTA LA 1 PM. Y LUEGO PASARAN A RECUPERACION POR 7 HORAS. LES INFORMARE A MEDIDA QUE VAYA PASANDO TODO.

---

YAYA Y YOY FUERON HOY A HACERSE LOS EXAMENES DE SANGRE.

EL ULTIMO PASO ANTES DE LA CIRUGIA. LOS OTROS EXAMENES ANTERIORES COMO EL EKG  ( ELECTROCARDIOGRAMA ) TODAVIA SON VALIDOS ASI QUE CORTA TODO EL TRABAJO POR HOY. ESTAN ( ESTUVIERON ) LIBRES DEL HOSPITAL EL RESTO DEL DIA.

Y EN LAS  BUENAS NOTICIAS....LA CIRUGIA VA A ESTAR A CARGO DEL  JEFE ( CABEZA ) DE TRASPLANTES. ESTUVO FUERA DE LA CIUDAD EN EL PRIMER INTENTO, PERO ESTA DISPONIBLE ESTA VEZ. DIOS TRABAJA EN MANERAS MISTERIOSAS , NO ES ASI ?? DEFINITIVAMENTE SENTIMOS QUE DIOS  ESTA VELANDO POR NOSOTROS

---

NOS ESTAMOS ALISTANDO PARA IR ESTA TARDE  AL  MUSC OARA LA SEGUNDA RONDA DE LA CIRUGIA

TENEMOS BASTANTE QUE EMPACAR

DIOS ESTA CONMIGO

 ORACIONES E INTENCIONES ESPECIALES.CONMIGO..

LAS PUEDO SENTIR !!!!

 TODOS LOS ANGELITOIS -  CON MIGO

YOYO ( PATRON DE MI FEICIDAD ) - CONMIGO

FOTOS DE MIS 7 NIETOS - CONMIGO

     EN FOTOGRAFIAS Y GRABADAS EN MI CORAZON !!!!!!

TENGOI CHEQUEADO :

MI BIBLIA

COMIDA/ SNACKS 

TRABAJOS MANUALES/ COSAS OARA HACER 

MALETAS

COMPUTADORA

HOMBRE, SIQUIERA QUE TENEMOS UN VAN !!!!!

 

MANANA (HOIY) FUE OTRO DIA  DIA DE CHEQUEOS DE ULTIMOS MINUTOS COMO ANTES. 

OREN  TODOS FUERTE ESPECIALMENTE  PARA QUE NO HAYA MEZCLAS ESTA VEZ

 

VOY A RECOGER A MI AMIGA DEBORAH  TIPTON EN CAMINO. LA PELY VIENE EL MIERCOLES Y NOS ENCONTRAMOS EN EL HOSPITAL

 

LES PIDO PORFAVOR QUE LE MANDEN A YAYA   EMAILS EN VEZ DE LLAMARLA. PUEDA QUE NO LO ADMITA PERO HA PERDIDO MUCHO SU VOZ

---

YOYO ACABA DE ENTRAR EN CIRUGIA.  JOANNIE ESTA CON MARTA Y LAS 2 ESTAN BIEN. LES DAREMOS UN NUEVO INFORME A LAS 9 AM.

---

BUENAS NOTICIAS. MI PAPA YA SALIO DE CIRUGIA Y ESTA MUY BIEN. JOANNIE LO PODRA VER `DENTRO DE POCO.

MI MAMA TODAVIA ESTA EN CIRUGIA....  SE DEMORA COMO UNA HORA MAS O DOS.

WILLIAM

Everyone's out of surgery!

Just got a text from Joannie...Mom is out of surgery.  Both Mom and Dad are doing well.  Joannie should be able to visit them in an hour or so.

Thanks for your continued prayers!!!

William

Yoyo is out of surgery

Good news! Dad is out of surgery and doing well.  Joannie will be able to visit him in a little bit.

Mom is still in surgery...she should be done in an hour or two.

William

Update - 10:30 AM

Joannie just arrived at the hospital.  She was told everything is progressing well.  My Dad's surgery is scheduled from 7-12, so they should be finishing with him soon!

Keep praying!

William

Update - 7 AM

Yoyo just went into surgery. Joannie is with mom and both are doing well. We'll get another update at 9 o'clock.

Update - Surgery is a go!

The call came in this afternoon from the hospital - all the blood work was fine and surgery is scheduled for tomorrow. Yaya and Yoyo will be checking in to the hospital at 5:30 a.m. (it's an early bedtime for all of us!)

Yoyo's surgery starts at 7:00, Yaya's at 10:00. The surgery will last until about 1:00, and then they'll be in recovery for several hours. I'll post details as they come in!

Surgery Prep is done!

Today Yaya and Yoyo went to give blood for the last round of tests before surgery. It was only blood work; the other tests (like the EKG) from the last attempt were all still valid so it cut down on the work for today. They're free of the hospital for the rest of the day!

And in other good news, the Head of Transplants will be doing the surgery for them. He was out of town during the previous attempt but he's available this time. The Lord works in mysterious ways, right? We definitely feel God is looking out for us!

Heading back to Charleston!

Letter from Yaya:

We are getting ready to depart for MUSC this afternoon for round 2 of our surgery!!!

 

Sooo much to pack...

 

God - with me

Prayers & special intentions - with me -      

    I can feel them!!!!

St Benedict (patron Saint of Kidneys) - with me

St Lucy (patron Saint of eyes) - with me

Yoyo (patron Saint of my happiness) - with me

Pictures of the 7 grandkids - with me -

    hard copy and also engraved in my heart!!!

food/snacks - check

crafts/things to do - check

suitcase - check

computer - check

 

Man, I am so glad we have a van!!!!!

 

Tomorrow will be another round of last minute checks just like before - everyone pray especially hard that there are no mix-ups this time!

 

I'm driving down tomorrow afternoon, picking up Deborah Tipton along the way. Pely is driving down on Wednesday and will join us at the hospital.

 

I kindly ask that you email Yaya instead of calling her - she won't admit it but her voice is near gone!

Surgery rescheduled!

Message from Yaya:

We got a call from MUSC about 5 minutes ago..

Joe does not have Hepatitis C!!  Thank God!!

 

Surgery has been scheduled for Wednesday, August 21st.

 

Sara (the coordinator for transplants) called Joe to tell him.  He asked if the surgery could be done instead on Wednesday the 14th, and she said another transplant was scheduled for then, and that they preferred not to do it then...  so it looks like the 21st will be the day!! 

 

...email, because my voice is still hoarse.

 

Joe left this morning to Tennessee. Coming back tomorrow.

 

Love to all,

Marta

Update on second blood test

From Yaya:

Just wanted to let you all know, I did not get the call from MUSC today, even though I left 2 messages reminding them that we were anxious to get the results for Joe's blood test.

 

I am writing you, as my throat is getting a little sore, so I do not want to talk on the phone.

 

If she calls tomorrow, I will let you know.

Keeping my fingers crossed!!!

 

Hugs and kisses,

Marta

An "awww" moment...

From Yaya:

Yoyo and I went to the bank and the guy says "Sir, how are you?"

Yoyo answered "Let's just say I would be happier if I had one less kidney!!"

 

Is that too cute or what???

More blood work...

Yoyo gave more blood on Wednesday. He got a call that afternoon that the test came back negative (which is good) and that second, different test would be done the next day. The next day they found out that particular test is only run on Tuesdays. No, we don't know why. So on Tuesday they'll run another test. If it comes back negative, then the surgery will be rescheduled for either the 14th or the 21st of August.

We'll do everything all over again - Yaya, Yoyo, and their caregivers will drive to Charleston that Monday, run last minute tests and training on Tuesday, and surgery on Wednesday.

Another detail on the surgery postponement -

From blood work today we found out that Mom's creatinine count (the critical measure of kidney function) was unchanged from last month, meaning that the heart catheterization didn't affect her kidney function.  This was a concern of having the procedure. 

While we're all disappointed the surgery has been postponed, the good news is that she's in good shape to wait another month for the transplant. 

As for right now, I think we're all going to go eat some gelato.

Sad news - surgery is postponed...

There was a problem with Yoyos blood work. They had to draw several vials of blood this morning and in the process, a woman in the lab collapsed. Paramedics came and it was chaos. And so it's possible there was a mix-up, a possible false positive for hepatitis-c.

As surgery is only done on Wednesdays, they are postponing the surgery for either August 14 or August 21. Yoyo has to go in tomorrow for a second round of blood work.

We know that God has a plan for everything and so we're trusting in Him to know what's best for Yaya and for Yoyo. Please continue praying for them!

On their way!

Yaya, Yoyo, Silvia and Pely are on their way to Charleston. All day Tuesday will be training, some testing (EKG, bloodwork, etc), and pre-registration.

They'll report to the hospital on Wednesday morning at 6:30 for surgery at 7:30! We appreciate all the prayers from everyone!

No phone!

Yaya discovered today that her phone is completely dead so if you haven't been able to reach her, that's why. She's feeling fine and waiting to be discharged from the hospital. They'll be stopping at the Verizon store on their way home to see if they can find out what's wrong. Only Yaya, right?! :)

Heart Cath a success!

Everything went well this morning! It was a lot of sitting around waiting but Yaya's heart is working well with no major problems! That means the transplant is definitely happening on July 31st! Thanks to everyone for their prayers!

Mass for Yaya and Yoyo

Just an FYI for our South Carolina friends -

Father Cooper at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Simpsonville, SC will be celebrating mass for mom and dad on Wed., July 31st.  Thanks so much to Fr. Cooper and the SEAS family for your support!

Letter from Yaya!

Hi Joannie & William,

I woke up this morning, and Yoyo took me to a memorable resort (Greenville Memorial)!  The first thing I did was change into a beautiful blue gown, and I was immediately offered a drink.  When I said "Not now, thanks", they insisted and I found out that all the drinks are administered intravenously, so I don't even need to hold the glass!  

About 45 minutes later they brought my first meal, served just like the fancy restaurants (that is a little food on a big white plate).  It consisted of a main course of chicken fricassee (hold the sauce, please) with seasonal vegetables (carrots that is), and of course bread and fresh butter (fresh to me!).  

The ambiance is cool with dimmed lights, very inviting for relaxing, but it's kind of like the rich & famous, I am interrupted every few minutes with a fan (the nurses love me) wanting me to give them something (an autograph or some bodily fluids).  The master of ceremonies (aka the doctor) came and assured me I'd bring down the house and would depart on Wednesday with a standing ovation, so that I can be on schedule for my next venue (in Charleston).  I got a lot of phone calls from family & friends wishing me well.  

I love it here because I have a new audience for all my stories about my wonderful grandbabies.  Everyone is so nice, they pretend to be interested!  I just finished my dinner, and I'm going to enjoy a quiet evening with the king (my Yoyo).  Miss you guys; try not to worry; I'll be praying for you!

Love you,

Mama

Heart Catheterization

Yaya is checking in to the hospital on Tuesday for a heart catheterization on Wednesday. This is the last step before transplant!

The doctor will be injecting her heart with dye to see how efficiently her heart is working. This is to be sure her heart can handle the transplant surgery. It has to be done as closely as possibly to the surgery date because the dye is not good for her poor kidney.

If all goes well (as the cardiologist expects), she'll head home Wednesday evening and the transplant will happen on July 31st. If it doesn't go well, she'll need to postpone the surgery and likely start dialysis.

MANANA MARTES , JULIO 23, 2013 SE INTERNA MARTA EN EL HOSPITAL PAFRA HACERLE UNA CATERIZACION DEL CORAZON. ESTE SERA EL ULTIMO PASO ANTES DEL TRASPLANTE. EL DOCTOR LE INJECTARA EL CORAZON CON UN TINTE PARA DETERMINAR QUE TAN EFICIENTEMENTE ESTA FUNCIONANDOSU CORAZON . ESTO ES PARA ESTAR SEGURO QUE SU CORAZON RESISTIRA EL TRASPLANTE. ESTO LO TIENEN QUE HACER LO MAS CERCANO POSIBLE AL DIA DE LA CIRUJIA UES EL TINTE NO ES BUENO PARA SU POBRE RIñON.......SO TOFDO SALE BIEN Y COMO LO ESPERA EL CARDIOLOGO, SDE PUEDE REGRESAR A SU CASA EL MIERCOLES EN LA NOCHE Y EL TRASPLANTE SERA EL 31 DE JULIO. SI NO VA BIEN, TENDRAN QUE APAZAR LA CIRUJIA Y POSIBLEMENTE EMPEZR DIALISIS. 

It's become obvious we're going to need a blog to keep everyone informed! Check back for more information about Yaya, Yoyo, and the kidney that binds them together!