It has been a busy past few days but in mostly good ways. Macy and Erin’s kidney have surprised us all over the past 6 days and are recovering very well. So well that Macy was able to come home on Wednesday, just 5 days post op!

It has been super busy and hard to find time to rest, but Macy has handled all the ups and downs of the last week with grace. As a newly turned 18 year old there has been the pressure of now being an adult and a lot of education around how to manage her medications and keep this kidney happy. So far so good, Macy is definitely doing her part and taking all the instructions to heart.

Unfortunately, she has had a few extra concerns that we are managing. The high dose prednisone, coupled with higher doses of Tacrolimus have caused a bit of diabetes/high blood sugars, so Macy is having to test her sugars and give herself insulin when needed. Our hope is that this goes away as we wean down on the prednisone in the next 6 weeks. She’s also on blood thinners for the next 6 weeks and we have been navigating some extra bleeding. Finally, she does already have a urinary tract infection most likely from the foley catheter she had in for several days draining her bladder. The bacteria that the culture grew is resistant to oral antibiotics that she can take, so she is being treated with IV antibiotics through the local Children’s Hospital ER. We are having to go in once per day to get treated, but are then at least able to come home in-between. Not ideal, but better than the alternative of being re-admitted.

One thing we are not having to worry about at this point is recurrence of the FSGS. She does have a small amount of protein in her urine, but that is likely due to the high levels of blood in her urine and the uti. We know that we are never really out of the woods, but remain hopeful that Macy will not have to manage FSGS anytime soon. And given how quickly and aggressively it came back after her first transplant, this is nothing short of a miracle for our girl!

We are so grateful for all the support and we have definitely felt the love from every single message, gift card, email, text, meal, amazon gift etc.! It sure makes things feel a little bit more manageable when you know you have people there supporting you!

Now that we are home, Macy has to stay away from crowds and germs for a few more weeks, but she is open to healthy visitors in our home. Please just text us to check in, as we will be going to Denver every Monday and Thursday mornings for transplant clinic.

Macy’s living donor Erin is doing wonderfully and is recovering at home. She had her post op appointment yesterday and will not require follow up for 6 months!

Please continue to pray for Erin and her remaining kidney that is having to adjust to losing its friend and now do all the work! And that Erin’s donated kidney is not impacted by the uti and continues to make itself at home in Macy’s abdomen! Please also continue to pray for Macy’s spirit as she transitions from supporting a failing kidney to keeping a normal, functioning kidney happy and comfortable.