The randomness of me

OK, so I didn't actually spend much time in the sun today, but the title seemed to work for me and my happy shiny mood!

Watched Team America: World Police last night with Sarah, and we both laughed and giggled throughout the movie. It was soo funny. Sarah has gone camping today and tomorrow in Edson, and yes I know you may think it is sappy, but I totally miss her.

Didn't sleep much, as I got home late, and was up by 8:30 (which is really sleeping in for me!) Started to do a bit of laundry, when I talked to Tanya who was short some people for a fund raising Bingo, so I went to help her for the afternoon.

Was really tired by the end of that though. I never did much, but I think the short sleeps the past couple days caught up with me. Crashed from 430 to 730 though, and feel more rested now, but a tiny bit of naseau right now.

Sugars are still amazing. Pretty much perfect. I look forward to showing them to Dr. Shapiro on Tuesday. I don't think I have ever been more proud of my readings ever! No insulin in 6 days and 5 hours and counting!

And introducing..... Nathan!

So today was like the second best day ever.

Why you ask??

Simple. But let me back up and provide the context. Today after work, as I mentioned earlier, I met my friend Sarah after work, and we went to Taste of Edmonton and ate a wee bit, and then hopped on the LRT to go to K-Days. Had a super great time, watched a horse race, went and saw a circe-de-soleil type performance (which was great!) and then watched Twisted Sister, yes Twisted Sister. It was like live from 1984.

Anyhow, it was a great night, one of the best I have had in a long time, and I walked Sarah home at about 11, then left to come home. 5 minutes or so later she called me, and asked me point out if I thought we should date?? Well it turns out that she has had a crush on me for some reason for some time (and I have felt the same way too), and finally got the nerve to ask me. Way to go Sarah!

I am on cloud nine. I never imagined that another incredibly good thing would come out of July 2005.

I know I should be sleeping, and my body is tired, but my soul is celebrating.

Having another pretty good day, although I am tired a bit after work. For some reason I have a bit of muscle cramping. I am sure that is just another side effect of whatever drug.

Coming up on 3 days insulin free... Simply amazing is what I say to that.

Apparently those little cells I got are quite hardy, and were the perfect amount for me! I never dreamed that I would ever be off insulin completely, but as long as my sugars are below 8 at mealtimes, it will continue to be so.

My average sugars for the last 2 weeks are:

Before Breakfast 6.4
After Breakfast 8.7
Before Lunch 6.2
After Lunch 7.6
Before Dinner 7.0
After Dinner 7.2
Before Bed 6.8

For a grand total average of 7.1.

Pretty cool hey!

In other news.. thank god I do not have to pay for this. I have read estimates that the cost of having an islet cell transplant is $100,000, give or take. Go health care card!

I have not had to take any insulin since Monday at dinner time. That makes it about 49 hours (and counting) so far.

Amazing. What else can I say. Now that is really the word I keep using, but I still cannot think of a better one.

I felt real good again today, and had a real good day at work. I started early, and stayed a bit later, as well as a shorter lunch, in an effort to try and make up some lost time. Will try to do the same on Thursday and Friday as well.

On Friday my friend Sarah wants to take me to Kdays - and see Twisted Sister! Hopefully the weather is nice, and much fun will be had by all. Sarah I met through the CDA as a volunteer, and she used to be an islet cell researcher! Always good to have one of those in your circle of friends! Her little sister is diabetic, and that makes her very motivated to do what she can to help. I am always a little inspired after talking to her.

Also this weekend (long weekend btw) I am picking up a futon I bought from a girl at work. It will be nice to have more places to sit then the only 1 couch that we have now. Plus when my roommate leaves after christmas, I will have some furniture. Time to start reacquiring possessions. I am definately going to stay at this apartment. The only question is whether to get another roommate or not.

Lucky day 13.

Had to come home a little early today as my naseau was a bit insane.. but despite that I feel OK now, just needed a bit of sleep I guess.

Today was insane going to get my blood done. The place opens at 7, and there was about 30 people in front of me when I arrived at 710. But I managed to get out of there by 8, then off to work.

Tomorrow I see the program psychologist, and then clinic after that, so it will be a busy AM for sure.

Hope everyone reading this is happy and healthy!

I wrote my letter to my 'donor' family today. It was difficult to start, but once I started writing it started flowing, and ended up being a page and a half. It is not super-polished prose by any stretch of the imagination, but it expresses my thanks the best way I am able to.

July 12 will always be a bittersweet day in a way, both the day I received a new lease on life, but also the day that someone else has died.

Other then that I took it pretty easy today - reading a book for a few hours was the most stressful thing I did all day.

Sugars are amazing, and I have not taken any insulin in more then a day and a half. I feel really good.

That's right, 11 days ago the deed was done.

I am feeling overall better and better every day. Yesterday I was feeling so good I went to O'Byrne's for a little Captain Tractor show, and it was fun, although by the end of the night I was very tired. Tonight I am planning on going for dinner with some friends from school, so we shall see how that goes. I have not done much today though - got a haircut, and took it easy generally.

I am still amazed by how this is working. Sugars are overall very good (except today after lunch - I over ate some foods that I probably should not have had...)

More to follow....

It is amazing how well this is working. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that my sugars would ever be under control.

Here are the last couple of days readings;
5.4 - 7.1 - 5.7 - 6.9 - 6.6 - 6.7 - 7.3 - 10.7 - 5.3 - 7.3 - 5.1 - 7.7 - 6.9 - 9.2 - 5.9 - 8.2 - 8.9.

All that since lunch time on Tuesday. I have taken a little bit of insulin, but nothing major that is for sure.

Now all is not roses and sunshine. The drugs are still causing some upset stomach, and I now have a sore in my mouth, but minor overall.

I look forward to going to clinic on Tuesday, and having them see my numbers. When was the last time I was proud of my sugars??

Well then. It has been a hectic week. About 1 week and 1 hour ago I had my Islet Cell Transplant at the University of Alberta Hospital.

Wow. I was amazed, shocked, and stunned when I got the call that afternoon at work. Worried, scared, and excited also slipped into there somehow as well! Quite the cauldron of emotions.

To sum up:

The operation itself went really well, I was awake for the whole thing, and watched on the monitor as they basically fed the new cells into my liver through a catheter. I have a tiny tiny wound on my right side - it basically looks like I got a really big needle. Anyway, at the end of that they wheeled me back up to 3G2, the transplant unit at the hospital to recover. My roommate's name was Ira, and he had just had a double lung transplant a few weeks earlier. And you thought I was bad off!

That night however, I started having some problems. Nausea problems. It turns out I had a violent reaction to one of the immunosuppressents - Sirolimus. Not fun at all. But I did learn it really is better to throw up something as opposed to nothing. Who would have thought that? The first 4 hours after the transplant they were testing my sugars every 15 minutes, then every 30 for the next few after that, until we got to every 2 hours. I was also having multiple tubes of blood drawn every couple of hours as well. My poor arm is a wee bit bruised to put it lightly.

I was in the hospital until last Friday - the 15th, and by then was feeling marginally better. Had my brother and sister come and see me a few times, and a few other friends - but I don't know about you, but entertaining in a hospital bed with 4 IV's in your arm is not my idea of fun!

So anyhow I was starting to feel more decent until the powerful anti-nausea drugs wore off. Then Saturday and Sunday I was mega sick again. So badly that I thought that I should just let the new cells die, and go back to how things were. But today after a bit of advice from one of the Islet cell nurses, I decided that it is better to dig in my heels and try my best. So that is where we are today. I don't wish my weekend on anyone though. Let us just leave it in the past. Nothing to be done about it now.

I am taking right now (down from a total of 3798129837214 pills a day a few days ago)

Tacrolimus - 4 pills in the AM, 4 in the PM, for immunosuppression
CellCept - 4 pills throughout the day for immunosuppression
Septra - 1/day for infection prevention
Baby Aspirin - 1/day to prevent clotting
Lovenox - 2 injections/day a blood thinner
Vitamin E - 2/day for fun
Niacinamide - 3/day for I do not remember what. I think it is a vitamin though.
Insulin - still a little bit, maybe about 10% of what I was taking previously.
I need to test my sugars 7 times a day, something which I will have to get used to again. Normally I am a 3-4/day type of guy.

The really good news is that the highest my sugars have been since this happened is 8.2. Mostly though in the 6-7.5 range. I have not been low, and I am pretty pumped about that!

This morning when I shaved and showered I realized that I had lost a ton of weight - not surprising when I ate next to nothing for the better part of a week. I weighed 68.5 kg right before the operation, and this morning I weighed in at a grand total of 61.5, and that wearing heavy clothes and full pockets! So 15 pounds in 7 days. Yikes. My appetite is starting to come back though, but not as fast as I would like it to. No pictures of me until I fill back out a bit though. I look like I have been through Stalingrad or something.

Anyways - enough for now, but I am going to try to use the blog as a running commentary on all the stuff that goes along with these wonderful things going on.

This is backdated to the minute I was wheeled into surgery for my transplant.

I got the call at 230 that afternoon.

More to follow