June this year is a month we'll never forget. At 2.45am our phone rang with a call we thought would never happen...A KIDNEY HAD BEEN FOUND FOR MATT!!! I felt numb then excited then scared. Matt bless him was soooo excited. After 18 years of dialysis the thought of no more dialysis sessions was fantastic!!
We frantically packed our bags while the taxi was making its way to collect us and take us to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. Our first stop however was Bishop Smiths home for a much needed blessing. This was far too important to not have the hand of the Lord with us!!
We arrived at Edinburgh at 8am to be greeted by some very friendly staff in the Transplant HDU. This was the beginning of rigorous tests and examinations by all sorts of doctors and surgeons. Matt was given dialysis and we waited for the results of the final crosss match to see if the transplant was able to go ahead. Matt had a bit of a cold and cough which was a concern to me. The team however decided that this would not prevent the transplant. Although it was not ideal, Matt had waited 10 years for this call and the team wanted to go ahead. By 6pm the results were back from the cross match- everything was looking okay however there was a slight unerlying reaction going on which meant that there were increased risks of rejection. This may require more agressive measures to prevent rejection and the decision was ours to make.
What a position to be in and time was running short. Did we take the risks or not? I really wasn't sure at all I wanted to say no as I didn't want anything to happen to Matt but Matt really wanted a kidney and a dialysis free life. The surgeon asked if I wanted to talk with Dr Fluck, Matt's consultant in Aberdeen. I was keen to do this as we have full confidence in him.
Dr Fluck advised us to go ahead as Matt's current health issues are long term dialysis related. In short, he really needs a kidney and Dr Fluck promised Matt wouldn't be as ill as before. That was it, the decision was made we were going to go ahead.
By 7pm we were on our way to theatre. Janine waited in the ward for me and went with Matt to the anaesthetic room. I held his hand while he was having the anaesthetic, I kissed him told him I love him. He said "love you too" closed his eyes and that was him ready for the op.
Janine and I sat outside the hospital for a bit and then I decided Janine should go home so I put her on the bus to Dunfermline and was looking forward to seeing her the next day after her work.
On returning to HDU, I was met by Steve the Charge Nurse waho informed me they STOPPED THE TRANSPLANT!! He couldn't event tell me if Matt was okay. He was to contact the doctors when I returned. My heart sank, I called Janine to come back as I didn't want to be on my own.
The doctor quickly came and told me Matt was okay but he aspirated during the anaesthetic and was now on a ventilator in ICU. This is apparently very rare and unlucky. Typical I thought alway happens to Matt!!
The team had deliberated whether to go through with the transplant and called around various specialists. It was agreed that it was too risky to continue and I really feel the right decision was made.
After two days in ICU Matt was taken off the ventilator, moved to HDU, then the renal transplant ward and then transfered to ARI where he spent three days.
He's back home now trying to recover from the ordeal. He has been quite unwell with all of this and is receiving close monitoring and juggling of meds to try to improve his bloods.
The plan now is to get him back on the list in the next few weeks if things continue to improve.
PERHAPS NEXT TIME WE'LL BE THIRD TIME LUCKY!!
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