Over the Hump...We Think

Well Derrek has had a rough couple of days since we've been home. I've kept him on pain medication every four hours since Sunday. He's also taking a medication for gout that they prescribed at the hospital. However, today he is getting everywhere on his own (with crutches). He showered!!! (It's been a week.) The swelling in his knee went down. We took a drive. Although his day got off to a very rough start (long story) there was definite progress today.
We did get into our local doctor on Monday. I had to have my cousin/brother-in-law (yeah, its weird, I know), Adam come help me get Derrek to the car and into the doctor's office. He was so weak and on the verge of passing out all morning so I needed a big guy to catch him!!! I feel like I was failing him as a nurse because I couldn't get him to eat or drink enough!!! In fact, he's still not. It started with his fear of having to go to the bathroom and anticipating how we were going to get him there (it was scary every time!) and I think all of the medication is affecting his hunger too. I was really wishing Monday morning, he still had an IV pumping fluids through him. Dr. Peet was great and very thorough and ran some blood tests. Derrek's levels of uric acid (the acid that crystalizes in your joints to cause the excrutiating pain they call gout) weren't even as high as the last time he went to see Dr. Peet for gout in his toe. His kidney & liver function were off or low or something. For example his creatinine is at 1.7. Dr. Peet scheduled an appointment with a kidney specialist that comes to Fredericksburg every week or so. At first, we were alarmed and scared and thinking that the transplant hospital did not cross all of their "T"s. BUT when you stop and think about it, there's no way Derrek's kidneys and bodily function, at this point, could resemble normal. To me, it makes complete since that his gout has flared up because gout is directly related to kidney function. We just don't know how our nurses and surgeon and last doctor (Dr. Obeng) didn't assume the same thing and know exactly what to do to make Derrek comfortable when it happened. So, we just felt like we could have been educated a little better about all of it.
Well, Derrek called Chris because, really, he's like our nephrologist (kidney doctor) at this point. He's well educated and we don't know anything. Chris consulted with his doctor at the hospital and reported back that what's happening to Derrek is normal for a donor. We're just not sure why they sent us home to go to our own doctor for the gout. Even better, Chris' nephrologist called Derrek first thing this morning and told him there is no reason for him to go to another specialist especially two weeks from now and that he would see him tomorrow. So, we're headed back to San Antonio tomorrow but this doctor said he would get the gout cleared up and explain what's going on. Derrek's gout is getting better by the hour now but we still have alot of questions about controlling his gout from this point on. Chris has been a great help!
Now, an update on Chris: he's still in the hospital. They hoped he would be out on Monday but they're closely monitoring him. He's still feeling pretty good, I think, and they let him take walks outside now! But, from what I understand, his new kidney is producing too much urine and they're working on tweaking his medication to control it. We're excited to see him tomorrow!!!
Derrek is pretty exhausted after his outing today. Here he is on our trip to Sonic...
His color is still off and he is suffering cold sweats off and on all day long. I still cant' get him to drink or eat enought BUT I have good feelings. I think he'll be well on his way to feeling good by Saturday, which also happens to be his birthday!