Six Week Check

I had my six week check this morning - I think that's meant to be six weeks after the operation, but in fact it is now exactly six weeks since the surgeon checked me on the week after the op.  This little slippage is because the surgeon's discharge letter took ages to get to me, and I was waiting for it before booking the appointment. Eventually I gave up and booked it anyway. On Monday last week I chased them for the letter and on Wednesday it arrived, postmarked Monday.  Guess what? On Thursday a copy of the letter arrived, postmarked Tuesday! Sigh.

The check up was done at the Churchill Hospital where I had my initial tests done, and was absolutely fine. I don't have the blood test results yet of course, but I shall now be getting access to the patient view thingy on-line where I will be able to see lots of stuff about me.  

The consultant said that creatinine after the op was 149 which gives eGFR of 44.  In March it was 81.4, so it's on the right side of 50% of what it was. This is what one would expect as my remaining kidney is the larger of the two, and that 44 should increase a bit in time as my own kidney reacts.  So I look forward to today's blood test results (not forgetting that eGFR is really a very rough guide only).

My BP was checked twice today as the first reading was so low; the second was 112/71 which is still very low for me so I'll settle for that.  I'll have bloods done again in six months by my GP and then back to Churchill in a year's time for the annual check. I made a point of seeing the transplant nurse who looked after me last year - it's lovely when even a person who just managed my tests over a year ago looks pleased to see me, and looks even more pleased to discover how well I am post-op. I feel very comfortable with the prospect of being in their care if I ever have any renal issue in the future. I feel that they, like St George's, really do look after kidney donors.