Happy Valentine's Day!

How appropriate I am getting out on Valentine's day! I feel much better today. I have almost no pain - just a tiny bit of burning occasionally on my umbilical incision. My appetite is back and all systems are working properly. You have probably learned more than you ever wanted to know about my bodily functions over the last few days, but I wanted to give you a straight and accurate first-hand account of kidney donation, since we do not normally see it from this perpective. I still have a little bit of trouble getting out of bed or bending over. It hurts when I flex my waist.

Everyone at the hospital has been wonderful to us. The care was superb. Everyone* was very kind and caring, and practiced good hand hygiene. (Yes, I was watching.) They even had a person akin to a Child Life specialist who brought us puzzles and games, and a list of the quite extensive video library. The food was reasonably good and served in a room service style. I simply called and ordered my meal from a menu whenever I felt hungry. This is a very efficient method since it gives a much larger selection and eliminates wasted meal trays delivered to people who don't feel like eating. I think all hospitals should do this. The room was very nicely furnished and impeccably clean.

My dad drove us to our hotel in Pearland and now we are settled there comfortably to finish recuperating.

Here's our final inpatient picture.

(Look at the slideshow on the right to see us at our best.)

*There was only one nurse the whole time who was less than ideal and not paying attention to my pain issues. April, always the caretaker and dedicated nurse, even as she was recovering from her own surgery in a different room, hounded the charge nurse until my pain was well controlled.