This is a note from Lili on Facebook (www.facebook.com):
I'm home
Today at 12:02pm
"It's been a busy couple of weeks. I got home this morning. And I was going to take a nap. But decided to do email. Have lots of emails. Plus, Scott and Marisa are giving me lessons on facebook. Let me first say THANK YOU guys. Everyone who prayed for me and my brother. I'm doing good. My brother is getting there. I can't wait to go to church. I miss it so much. Hope to see you all soon."
----------- Lili --------
Friday, August 22, 2008
Yay! He's better!
Hey Friends! Thanks for your prayer once again! Bob came home last night (Thursday, 8pm) and was a total different person!
I could not believe it, but he almost ate a whole hamburger; lately he would only take 1 or 2 bites before he start pushing his plate away. The diarrhea is completely gone, he's still on Flagyl until he finishes the medicine cycle. God is good.
If you can also believe it, he ate a whole steak sandwich for dinner. I tell you, it's refreshing to see him eat; a good sign that he's not afraid to eat! No more runs!
Bob's also walking faster; 30 rpms faster than a snail! Ü No word yet on when the staples will come out from his incision; maybe next week.
Did I tell you that his creatinine level is down to 1.9 since Wednesday, 8/20? Whoo hoo! Until next time!
I could not believe it, but he almost ate a whole hamburger; lately he would only take 1 or 2 bites before he start pushing his plate away. The diarrhea is completely gone, he's still on Flagyl until he finishes the medicine cycle. God is good.
If you can also believe it, he ate a whole steak sandwich for dinner. I tell you, it's refreshing to see him eat; a good sign that he's not afraid to eat! No more runs!
Bob's also walking faster; 30 rpms faster than a snail! Ü No word yet on when the staples will come out from his incision; maybe next week.
Did I tell you that his creatinine level is down to 1.9 since Wednesday, 8/20? Whoo hoo! Until next time!
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
In the hospital again, Bacterial Colitis
Today was not a good day; Bob’s diarrhea continued and so did the intense cramping. The cramping was so bad that Vicodin was of no help.
I was at work when I got the phone call. Lili told me not to be alarmed, but that they were going to take Bob to the emergency room at UCLA. To be quite honest, I was not worried, but instead got into “task mode.”
I left work, got home, and took him to the hospital. Along for the ride was Lili, my mother-in-law Eva, and Marina. We arrived about 10:00 a.m.
Vitals were taken, medication information noted, and medical history reviewed. The rooms were full so we had to wait in the lobby until a bed opened up.
Finally an emergency room bed opened about a ½ hour later. Same information again was repeated and re-repeated to each and every nurse and doctor that came in to see Bob. They were so busy in ER today that they had set him up for an IV, but never hooked him up to an IV bag until I got back from an early lunch 1.5 hours later! Aargh!
Anyhow, after hours (I mean hours) of waiting, seeing different doctors and nurses, they finally decided to do an EKG. Bob was having chest pains when he would cramp. The EKG was fine. This sound gross, but a stool sample as well as blood was drawn.
His creatinine level came down again! Praise the Lord. It is 1.9 mg/dl as of today; yesterday it was 2.2 mg/dl. The reading from the stool sample indicated that he has Clostridium Difficile Colitis. You can read more about here: http://www.medicinenet.com/clostridium_difficile_colitis/article.htm
Because Bob’s immune system is suppressed and he’s on strong immunosuppressants (to avoid rejection of the new kidney), any bacteria can cause havoc on his body.
As a result of this diagnosis, he was admitted to the hospital. He’ll be there approximately about 2 days or so. He will be taking an antibiotic named Flagyl http://www.medicinenet.com/metronidazole/article.htm.
He’s now been moved to private room in the Gonda Observation Unit, in the newer part of the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. That’s the update and I’m sticking to it!
I was at work when I got the phone call. Lili told me not to be alarmed, but that they were going to take Bob to the emergency room at UCLA. To be quite honest, I was not worried, but instead got into “task mode.”
I left work, got home, and took him to the hospital. Along for the ride was Lili, my mother-in-law Eva, and Marina. We arrived about 10:00 a.m.
Vitals were taken, medication information noted, and medical history reviewed. The rooms were full so we had to wait in the lobby until a bed opened up.
Finally an emergency room bed opened about a ½ hour later. Same information again was repeated and re-repeated to each and every nurse and doctor that came in to see Bob. They were so busy in ER today that they had set him up for an IV, but never hooked him up to an IV bag until I got back from an early lunch 1.5 hours later! Aargh!
Anyhow, after hours (I mean hours) of waiting, seeing different doctors and nurses, they finally decided to do an EKG. Bob was having chest pains when he would cramp. The EKG was fine. This sound gross, but a stool sample as well as blood was drawn.
His creatinine level came down again! Praise the Lord. It is 1.9 mg/dl as of today; yesterday it was 2.2 mg/dl. The reading from the stool sample indicated that he has Clostridium Difficile Colitis. You can read more about here: http://www.medicinenet.com/clostridium_difficile_colitis/article.htm
Because Bob’s immune system is suppressed and he’s on strong immunosuppressants (to avoid rejection of the new kidney), any bacteria can cause havoc on his body.
As a result of this diagnosis, he was admitted to the hospital. He’ll be there approximately about 2 days or so. He will be taking an antibiotic named Flagyl http://www.medicinenet.com/metronidazole/article.htm.
He’s now been moved to private room in the Gonda Observation Unit, in the newer part of the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. That’s the update and I’m sticking to it!
We finally got home @ about 8:00 p.m. We are soooooo exhausted! I am somewhat at ease at the fact that he will be well taken care of at UCLA. However, I do miss him at home. I want him to be better, but I know that God has a plan for him and this long road to healing.
Please pray for recovery. His kidney is doing well, the creatinine levels keep coming down (yay!); this bacterial infection is just another hurdle to overcome. I reprimanded Bob that he MUST wear a mask and keep his hands clean anywhere he goes for the next 2 months. You know how husbands are; they think they know it all… Ü I still love him though!
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
P.S.... by the way!
P.s.... one big post script!
I forgot to mention that if you every want the best, I mean the B-E-S-T Chicken Pozole ever, Stella Moreno is the Bomb! She make the best pozole ever. Thanks Moreno Family providing a meal to us... you have blessed us in more ways than one! We love you.
I forgot to mention that if you every want the best, I mean the B-E-S-T Chicken Pozole ever, Stella Moreno is the Bomb! She make the best pozole ever. Thanks Moreno Family providing a meal to us... you have blessed us in more ways than one! We love you.
Thanks to all those peeps that have been praying for Bob. I would ask that you not stop, as he is not doing too well. This morning our nephrologist had to start an IV because he was very dehydrated. My poor husband, he’s had a bad case of diarrhea these last 4 days. In a matter of 5 days he has lost 25 pounds! Not good.
Dr. Pham (nephrologist, http://www.uclahealth.org/body.cfm?id=458&action=detail&ref=18062) decided that most likely the cause of his ailment is one the anti-rejection drugs namedMyfortic. I read more about it on the internet, and it is a P-O-W-E-R-F-U-L drug, it is used to suppress the immune system.
It has been harsh on his body, and with the combination of a diuretic (Lasix), it’s no wonder he’s dehydrated! So, Dr. Pham has temporarily stopped the diuretic, the Myfortic, and one of his blood pressure (Nifedepine) meds until Friday to see if his condition improves. He’s been sleeping so much… Please pray that he gets better.
On our way home I felt really bad for him; he was having major cramps. He hasn’t been eating much of anything because he fears the inevitable will happen again; body bending cramps and several trips to the restroom. The cramps were so bad that we had to get off the freeway on our way home and stop at my sister-in-law’s (another favorite sis/Juanita Gonzalez) house on the way home to use the restroom!
I must give some good new though; his creatinine level is down to 2.2! This is wonderful! This means that the kidney is kicking in even harder! Praise the Lord. We are not out of the woods yet, it’s still a long way to recovery.
Please keep me in your prayers as well. I need Him to keep my life balanced, and right now I feel that I’m being pulled in so many directions that I can’t concentrate on one thing. By the time I get home from work, I am mentally exhausted. Please forgive me if I don’t return phone calls or have taken the time to visit; I hope you understand. Boo hoo. Enough about me.
Lili. I think she is homesick. Please pray that the doctor will give her clearance on Thursday (8/21) to go home this Friday. Lili has been a wonderful guest in our home, and I love her so much like a sister. But, I know that she dearly misses her husband Scott, her son Nathan, her daughter Marisa, and of course, Pepsi, her faithful dog. She misses his wonderful doggy breath! Just Kidding!
Now… last but not least; thank you to my dear friend Luz Reyes! This lady is the bomb! I love her dearly; she's been a superb supportive friend. She brought over a butt-kickin’, finger flavor lickin’ chicken soup! Y-U-M-M-Y, with a capital Y. Thank you my friend!
Another special mention goes out to: Frank & Miryam Olmos. Frank is Bob's dad, and Miryam is his wife. They brought over some delectable homemade chicken with cheese, and onion with cheese enchiladas! Miryam even baked us a yellow bundt cake, complete with the drizzled icing. Thank you Lord for providing for our needs when we need it.
Gracias Frank y Miryam, mis suegros en parte de mi esposo!
Dr. Pham (nephrologist, http://www.uclahealth.org/body.cfm?id=458&action=detail&ref=18062) decided that most likely the cause of his ailment is one the anti-rejection drugs namedMyfortic. I read more about it on the internet, and it is a P-O-W-E-R-F-U-L drug, it is used to suppress the immune system.
It has been harsh on his body, and with the combination of a diuretic (Lasix), it’s no wonder he’s dehydrated! So, Dr. Pham has temporarily stopped the diuretic, the Myfortic, and one of his blood pressure (Nifedepine) meds until Friday to see if his condition improves. He’s been sleeping so much… Please pray that he gets better.
On our way home I felt really bad for him; he was having major cramps. He hasn’t been eating much of anything because he fears the inevitable will happen again; body bending cramps and several trips to the restroom. The cramps were so bad that we had to get off the freeway on our way home and stop at my sister-in-law’s (another favorite sis/Juanita Gonzalez) house on the way home to use the restroom!
I must give some good new though; his creatinine level is down to 2.2! This is wonderful! This means that the kidney is kicking in even harder! Praise the Lord. We are not out of the woods yet, it’s still a long way to recovery.
Please keep me in your prayers as well. I need Him to keep my life balanced, and right now I feel that I’m being pulled in so many directions that I can’t concentrate on one thing. By the time I get home from work, I am mentally exhausted. Please forgive me if I don’t return phone calls or have taken the time to visit; I hope you understand. Boo hoo. Enough about me.
Lili. I think she is homesick. Please pray that the doctor will give her clearance on Thursday (8/21) to go home this Friday. Lili has been a wonderful guest in our home, and I love her so much like a sister. But, I know that she dearly misses her husband Scott, her son Nathan, her daughter Marisa, and of course, Pepsi, her faithful dog. She misses his wonderful doggy breath! Just Kidding!
Now… last but not least; thank you to my dear friend Luz Reyes! This lady is the bomb! I love her dearly; she's been a superb supportive friend. She brought over a butt-kickin’, finger flavor lickin’ chicken soup! Y-U-M-M-Y, with a capital Y. Thank you my friend!
Another special mention goes out to: Frank & Miryam Olmos. Frank is Bob's dad, and Miryam is his wife. They brought over some delectable homemade chicken with cheese, and onion with cheese enchiladas! Miryam even baked us a yellow bundt cake, complete with the drizzled icing. Thank you Lord for providing for our needs when we need it.
Gracias Frank y Miryam, mis suegros en parte de mi esposo!
Saturday, August 16, 2008
A Day Out...
Sometimes people think that staying home, watching television, eating, and sleeping without care of the hour is the best thing that can ever happen to happen to us. That’s what we strive for when we get home from a long tedious day at work, dealing with traffic, and/or school, is it not?
Well sometimes we get what we ask for, and it always isn’t fun. In Bob and Lili’s case, it is a temporary bitter sweet situation. They are both so grateful that (including me) the ordeal of the transplant is over, however, there is still a long way to full recovery. This duo has been home since Friday (Lili, 8/8/08) and Monday (Bob, 8/11/08) taking advantage of all these coveted pastime activities of uninterrupted rest.
The fun has stop sometime, right? Well these two slow moving, expert napping; resting professionals are now stir crazy! Can you believe it; they got a case of cabin fever! After careful thought and planning, it was decided that we would all go see “Pita” (little Danny Gonzalez, nephew, 10 years old) play football. Pita plays for The Saints for the city of Santa Fe Springs, in Southern California. The team strategized and strived so hard to win, but with no avail, they got creamed (supposedly there is no official score taking at this age, but you know how that goes among spectators). What happened is that the most experienced and older kids from last year have moved a team higher for older kids; leaving the younger and less experienced ones behind.
It was a good game. The day was beautiful, hot day, and cool breezes. Bob got to exercise by trekking across the field (at a tortoise pace), got some sun, and exercised his diaphragm and vocal cords by cheering, coaching on the sideline and yelling for Pita to knock the other kids down! Lili was more demure, she was like a vacationer enjoying the scenery and watching her brother enjoy the game.
Well sometimes we get what we ask for, and it always isn’t fun. In Bob and Lili’s case, it is a temporary bitter sweet situation. They are both so grateful that (including me) the ordeal of the transplant is over, however, there is still a long way to full recovery. This duo has been home since Friday (Lili, 8/8/08) and Monday (Bob, 8/11/08) taking advantage of all these coveted pastime activities of uninterrupted rest.
The fun has stop sometime, right? Well these two slow moving, expert napping; resting professionals are now stir crazy! Can you believe it; they got a case of cabin fever! After careful thought and planning, it was decided that we would all go see “Pita” (little Danny Gonzalez, nephew, 10 years old) play football. Pita plays for The Saints for the city of Santa Fe Springs, in Southern California. The team strategized and strived so hard to win, but with no avail, they got creamed (supposedly there is no official score taking at this age, but you know how that goes among spectators). What happened is that the most experienced and older kids from last year have moved a team higher for older kids; leaving the younger and less experienced ones behind.
It was a good game. The day was beautiful, hot day, and cool breezes. Bob got to exercise by trekking across the field (at a tortoise pace), got some sun, and exercised his diaphragm and vocal cords by cheering, coaching on the sideline and yelling for Pita to knock the other kids down! Lili was more demure, she was like a vacationer enjoying the scenery and watching her brother enjoy the game.
By the time the game ended, it was time to each lunch. On our way to go see a movie, we picked up Marina at the Schneebergers’ house. At that time, Bob really needed to use the restroom (hence the diuretics) and could not wait to get to the cinemas. I suggested stopping at Chick-Fil-A since it was closer in the parking lot than the theatre (I did really want to eat there and figured we’d kill to birds with one stone). Bob got off, I parked the car.
We went inside, and man did we get the best customer service ever! Also, there was a chance to give a small testimony of God’s work in our lives, too! When I started ordering, a thought came to mind, “Could I use the coupons from my Entertainment Coupon (www.entertainment.com) book even though they don’t pertain to this certain location (Imperial Hwy, La Habra, CA)?” The cashier inquired with his manager and verified “positively, yes!” Woo hoo, I was so excited. With my coupons, I got 2 orders of buy one, get one free meals for the four of us. Linda Garrett (the manager) was awesome, real genuine in her work ethic to give exceptional customer service.
After we finished our meals, we thanked her for great customer service. As we did this, she noticed my pendant on my necklace. I was wearing a silver with blue opal Star of David pendant. She cautiously asked me if I was Jewish (it’s interesting; I get this reaction all the time. After all, when was the last time you saw a Mexican-American woman who looks Hawaiian wearing a Star of David necklace?). I told her that I was not, but that I had been to Israel last year with a friend. When I told her this, she was intrigued as to what my experience was like, what was my impression of the people there, the scenery, and so on. As quickly as I gave her my answers, she would ask me more. At one point, I told her about the Old City and the Wailing Wall, that’s when Bob chimed in “Tell her all about it!”
My first reaction was “does she really want to hear it?” I guess Bob must have read my body language and hesitation, and kept insisting that I tell her. So anyway, I told that in July of last year, I got the opportunity to pray at the Wall and inserted my little note, with the prayer to God to heal my husband. I told her that I know that the Wailing Wall is in no way magic, but it was so powerful to be there nonetheless, and pray with my whole heart and soul for this miracle. How quickly I forget, I told her that I hadn’t remembered this event until 2-3 days before the operation. Now here we are, standing before her, our first lunch out in public since the transplant! Bob and I introduced her to Lili who was waiting by the door with Marina.
Linda was so touched by the story that she stopped the next employee walking by her to share our story with him. Of course the young man (employee) was trying to have the same reaction, but couldn’t; though he was very respectful of what was told to him. All he could say was “congratulations.” Linda, still caught up in the emotion and wonderment of this, decided that she had to do something to celebrate, she could not let us go without recognition. She decided to give us all free desserts on the house, and a la mode to boot! Wow!
We were so thankful to her for her unexpected gift. It turns out that she was half Mexican and half Jewish. The Mexican side of her family is Christian and the other half Jewish! She was excited and touched by God’s work in Bob and Lili’s life. We finally left, but not without her giving us lots of hugs individually.
When was the last time you walked into a restaurant and hugged by a manager you just met? God is good; and it was good to share!
Tomorrow we will attempt to go to church. Bob will have to wear a mask whether he likes it or not! Ü
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
p.s. One more thing, a special thank you goes out to Ric, Lisa, and Tiffany Fox for bringing us a spectacular dinner last night. We partook of rotisserie chicken, mashed potatoes, steamed sweet corn on the cob, soft rolls with creamy butter; and to polish it off, yummy cupcake ice cream!
Friday, August 15, 2008
Tired....
So tired. We went to UCLA this morning (5:30am) for Bob to have some blood drawn and check his creatinine levels, phosphorus, and all the other good stuff. Sorry people, they forgot to give us the read out; it was not the normal routine, and we forgot to request it, too. =(
Anyhow, at 8:20am he got a dosage of Zenapax (anti-rejection drug) intravenously. You can read more about it here: http://www.webmd.com/drugs/drug-5383-Zenapax+IV.aspx?drugid=5383&drugname=Zenapax+IV From my understanding, this should be the last IV dosage. For the rest of his life, he'll be on anti-rejection pills.
After the treatment, I asked Bob if he felt well, and confirmed that all was okay! Well good for him. The swelling (water retention) on his ankles is something the doctor is workin' on. They upped his dosage of Blood pressure meds; could be high because of the swelling.
Good news, since his transplant, he no longer has that copper penny taste in his mouth anymore! He says his taste buds are back! Isn't that wonderful? Miraculous!
Our next visit is Tuesday, August 19th... @ 5:30am! F-U-N. I will try to get rest, I know that Bob has and still is...! I will keep you updated.
p.s. Thanks to all who called and encouraged Lili on her birthday yesterday. I'm sure she misses home and her family. Thanks for all your prayers, too.
Bob is taking phone calls... feel free to call!
Anyhow, at 8:20am he got a dosage of Zenapax (anti-rejection drug) intravenously. You can read more about it here: http://www.webmd.com/drugs/drug-5383-Zenapax+IV.aspx?drugid=5383&drugname=Zenapax+IV From my understanding, this should be the last IV dosage. For the rest of his life, he'll be on anti-rejection pills.
After the treatment, I asked Bob if he felt well, and confirmed that all was okay! Well good for him. The swelling (water retention) on his ankles is something the doctor is workin' on. They upped his dosage of Blood pressure meds; could be high because of the swelling.
Good news, since his transplant, he no longer has that copper penny taste in his mouth anymore! He says his taste buds are back! Isn't that wonderful? Miraculous!
Our next visit is Tuesday, August 19th... @ 5:30am! F-U-N. I will try to get rest, I know that Bob has and still is...! I will keep you updated.
p.s. Thanks to all who called and encouraged Lili on her birthday yesterday. I'm sure she misses home and her family. Thanks for all your prayers, too.
Bob is taking phone calls... feel free to call!
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Getting there… and a birthday to boot!
Before anything, Bob’s creatinine level is down to 3.0 as of Wednesday, August 13th!
Okay, yesterday was day number eight from the kidney transplant. We’re still trying to get the hang of it all… Lots of pills, lots of things to do!
Anyway, as I had indicated before, for the next 4 weeks we have to take a log of L-O-T-S of data. One of these things is to take Bob’s blood pressure 4 times a day. We (or shall I say more like me) had a scare yesterday. According to my notes, if Bob’s blood pressure goes higher than 170, than I MUST call a certain number for help. His blood pressure was 188 over something high… I got so nervous! I called the number @ UCLA and they were all busy or on other calls, or who knows what. AARGH!
I left messages, pleaded my case for someone to return my call, ASAP… Finally, what seemed forever (five minutes), one of the transplant coordinators called me back. I gave her the 411 and I guess since she could hear my desperation, she simply advised me to have Bob pop another one of those blood pressure pills and all should be better. PHEW! What a close call. I checked his BP again in one hour and it was better, 162 over something. Thank you Lord!
We have another wonderful trip scheduled to for another clinic (blood works, incision check-up, etc) @ 5am tomorrow at UCLA; please pray that his creatinine will have gone down more. Our goal is for Bob to be at 0.6 to 1.2 mg. for his kidney to be functioning at a normal healthy level.
To the Moreno Family (Dave, Stella, Puffy, Marcella, and Sofia): Thank you for the awesome-tasty Chicken Pozole! Girl…. You make a kickin’ pozole! Henry, Nancy, Lili, my kids all were marveling in the rich flavor of it all… Your pasta/green salad, mmm… delicioso!
A special mention! It is Lili’s birthday today! She is five decades and twelve months old today! Did I ever tell you that she’s my favorite sister-in-law in all of Vegas? May God bless her and keep her around for many more years. I love you Lili!
I encourage you all to give her a call; my home phone: (562) 941-6883.
H-A-P-P-Y B-I-R-T-H-D-A-Y-!
Okay, yesterday was day number eight from the kidney transplant. We’re still trying to get the hang of it all… Lots of pills, lots of things to do!
Anyway, as I had indicated before, for the next 4 weeks we have to take a log of L-O-T-S of data. One of these things is to take Bob’s blood pressure 4 times a day. We (or shall I say more like me) had a scare yesterday. According to my notes, if Bob’s blood pressure goes higher than 170, than I MUST call a certain number for help. His blood pressure was 188 over something high… I got so nervous! I called the number @ UCLA and they were all busy or on other calls, or who knows what. AARGH!
I left messages, pleaded my case for someone to return my call, ASAP… Finally, what seemed forever (five minutes), one of the transplant coordinators called me back. I gave her the 411 and I guess since she could hear my desperation, she simply advised me to have Bob pop another one of those blood pressure pills and all should be better. PHEW! What a close call. I checked his BP again in one hour and it was better, 162 over something. Thank you Lord!
We have another wonderful trip scheduled to for another clinic (blood works, incision check-up, etc) @ 5am tomorrow at UCLA; please pray that his creatinine will have gone down more. Our goal is for Bob to be at 0.6 to 1.2 mg. for his kidney to be functioning at a normal healthy level.
To the Moreno Family (Dave, Stella, Puffy, Marcella, and Sofia): Thank you for the awesome-tasty Chicken Pozole! Girl…. You make a kickin’ pozole! Henry, Nancy, Lili, my kids all were marveling in the rich flavor of it all… Your pasta/green salad, mmm… delicioso!
A special mention! It is Lili’s birthday today! She is five decades and twelve months old today! Did I ever tell you that she’s my favorite sister-in-law in all of Vegas? May God bless her and keep her around for many more years. I love you Lili!
I encourage you all to give her a call; my home phone: (562) 941-6883.
H-A-P-P-Y B-I-R-T-H-D-A-Y-!
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Finally Home
Bob is finally home! After speaking to a nutritionist, a social worker, and a nurse who explained his kidney aftercare, we finally were dispatched from the Ronald Reagan Medical Center @ 4pm. We didn't home until 5pm. Traffic, isn't it wonderful? (one hour for 30 miles)
Anyway we are not clear out of the woods yet. There is much more work to do, besides taking new medications. For the next four (4) weeks, we will have to weigh him, log his blood pressure (4x a day), his tempurature (2x a day), go to check-up clinics twice a week (all the way to UCLA @ 5am), and take all kinds of precautions.
These precautions include having to wash our hands constantly. Not sharing any eating utensils, cups, or drinks, or food. He can only eat fully cooked meals; sorry Bob, no more eggs over easy or medium-rare steaks... =(
Also, we will have to avoid big crowds, especially indoors. That might mean missing church, or just wearing a face mask and keeping away from people who are sick or getting potentially sick, that is. Lots of washing of hands. Can we say "mommy dearest?"
p.s., sorry you big huggers out there, we'll either put those hugs on hold or just air hug from a distance! Ü
For those keeping tabs on his creatinine level, on Monday it was 3.6! It is going down slowly but surely.
We have another clinic follow-up (one of many to come) tomorrow. They will take his blood at 6am, they meet with the doctor right after (hopefully no later than 8am) to read the results, check his creatinine, check his long scar, and also check the log readings on of different required criteria that I will have filled out. This will be for the next 4 weeks.
Please pray that I get a hang of this. Of course taking data is nothing new to me, just another task that needs to get done. It can be overwhelming, especially for the person (Bob) who's sick and his personality changes. Is it just me, or are men just whiny cry babies when they get sick? I'm not complaining, just making a statement, wink, wink... I love him to death but sometimes I just want to... Ü
On another note, I want to thank some special people who have been there to support us with meals. Thanks Brian & Helen Walker for the yummy lasagna, salad, garlic bread and cookies. My whole family LOVED it, especially the garlic bread.
Thank you to Alex, KJ, and Olivia Jauregui for the homemade enchilada casserole, the Mexican rice, and delicious ice cream. My nephew Nathan had to big plates of the enchiladas.... yum, yum!
Luz Reyes: Amiga, mi amiga. You know I love you so much. Thanks for writing to me, your words are always so encouraging. You are beautiful in every sense of the the word.
Loida: mi hermana, te amo mucho. Gracias por tu ayada y tu apollo! Gracias por quedarte y cuidar de Bobby cuando era mas necesario! Gracias por todo!
Lili is still here until the 22nd, she cannot leave until she has her follow-up on the 21st of next week. No driving or traveling.
I will keep you posted on the creatinine levels as soon as possible; like I said, tomorrow is another follow-up.
Thank you to everyone that has been praying! Don't stop. I would request that you pray for the following:
Bob:
For patience in his recovery. It is hard for him to rest and recover. He wants to do a lot, but his body says "NO, rest!" For being consistent with his medications... That the creatinine would consistently keep coming down. That the swelling come down on his ankles (water retention)...
Mireya:
For guidance in juggling work, finances, clinics for Bob, sorting medications, and being patient with mood swings when Bob is not feeling well. That I would give my children the attention they need when I'm feeling overloaded and overwhelmed.
This list can go on, but these are the most important that I can think of....
Thank you dear friends and family! We love you all... If you decide to come for a visit, please come only if you are not ailing from something. This request is imparative and not meant to doubt your hygiene or health, it's just that Bob's immune system is very low, and the smallest common cold could send him to the hospital very quickly.
Thanks for your understanding.... Mireya
Anyway we are not clear out of the woods yet. There is much more work to do, besides taking new medications. For the next four (4) weeks, we will have to weigh him, log his blood pressure (4x a day), his tempurature (2x a day), go to check-up clinics twice a week (all the way to UCLA @ 5am), and take all kinds of precautions.
These precautions include having to wash our hands constantly. Not sharing any eating utensils, cups, or drinks, or food. He can only eat fully cooked meals; sorry Bob, no more eggs over easy or medium-rare steaks... =(
Also, we will have to avoid big crowds, especially indoors. That might mean missing church, or just wearing a face mask and keeping away from people who are sick or getting potentially sick, that is. Lots of washing of hands. Can we say "mommy dearest?"
p.s., sorry you big huggers out there, we'll either put those hugs on hold or just air hug from a distance! Ü
For those keeping tabs on his creatinine level, on Monday it was 3.6! It is going down slowly but surely.
We have another clinic follow-up (one of many to come) tomorrow. They will take his blood at 6am, they meet with the doctor right after (hopefully no later than 8am) to read the results, check his creatinine, check his long scar, and also check the log readings on of different required criteria that I will have filled out. This will be for the next 4 weeks.
Please pray that I get a hang of this. Of course taking data is nothing new to me, just another task that needs to get done. It can be overwhelming, especially for the person (Bob) who's sick and his personality changes. Is it just me, or are men just whiny cry babies when they get sick? I'm not complaining, just making a statement, wink, wink... I love him to death but sometimes I just want to... Ü
On another note, I want to thank some special people who have been there to support us with meals. Thanks Brian & Helen Walker for the yummy lasagna, salad, garlic bread and cookies. My whole family LOVED it, especially the garlic bread.
Thank you to Alex, KJ, and Olivia Jauregui for the homemade enchilada casserole, the Mexican rice, and delicious ice cream. My nephew Nathan had to big plates of the enchiladas.... yum, yum!
Luz Reyes: Amiga, mi amiga. You know I love you so much. Thanks for writing to me, your words are always so encouraging. You are beautiful in every sense of the the word.
Loida: mi hermana, te amo mucho. Gracias por tu ayada y tu apollo! Gracias por quedarte y cuidar de Bobby cuando era mas necesario! Gracias por todo!
Lili is still here until the 22nd, she cannot leave until she has her follow-up on the 21st of next week. No driving or traveling.
I will keep you posted on the creatinine levels as soon as possible; like I said, tomorrow is another follow-up.
Thank you to everyone that has been praying! Don't stop. I would request that you pray for the following:
Bob:
For patience in his recovery. It is hard for him to rest and recover. He wants to do a lot, but his body says "NO, rest!" For being consistent with his medications... That the creatinine would consistently keep coming down. That the swelling come down on his ankles (water retention)...
Mireya:
For guidance in juggling work, finances, clinics for Bob, sorting medications, and being patient with mood swings when Bob is not feeling well. That I would give my children the attention they need when I'm feeling overloaded and overwhelmed.
This list can go on, but these are the most important that I can think of....
Thank you dear friends and family! We love you all... If you decide to come for a visit, please come only if you are not ailing from something. This request is imparative and not meant to doubt your hygiene or health, it's just that Bob's immune system is very low, and the smallest common cold could send him to the hospital very quickly.
Thanks for your understanding.... Mireya
Saturday, August 9, 2008
mmm, mmm!!!
Thanks to Dave and Terri Coleman for the fabulous dinner tonight! We ate like champions! This was on our menu tonight:
3 big rotisserie chickens from Polly's Pies
homemade mashed potatoes
beautiful green salad with Champagne dressing
soft wheat buns
and.... 2 big pies
We are so grateful that you provided this dinner... the rotisserie chicken was so juicy and the mashed potatoes creamy! The Boysenberry pies hit the spot, too.
I just spoke to Bob about 1/2 and hour ago, and while he was visiting with cousins, he was able to enjoy an awsome steak dinner. Wowee.... I am so happy for him. I was so glad to hear from him, he sounded very upbeat.
I will be visiting him tomorrow morning and give you updates later.
p.s. By the way, Lili is recovering in our home and doing wonderful. Her pain has been under control by way of meds every 4-6 hours.
3 big rotisserie chickens from Polly's Pies
homemade mashed potatoes
beautiful green salad with Champagne dressing
soft wheat buns
and.... 2 big pies
We are so grateful that you provided this dinner... the rotisserie chicken was so juicy and the mashed potatoes creamy! The Boysenberry pies hit the spot, too.
I just spoke to Bob about 1/2 and hour ago, and while he was visiting with cousins, he was able to enjoy an awsome steak dinner. Wowee.... I am so happy for him. I was so glad to hear from him, he sounded very upbeat.
I will be visiting him tomorrow morning and give you updates later.
p.s. By the way, Lili is recovering in our home and doing wonderful. Her pain has been under control by way of meds every 4-6 hours.
This morning...
Get directions on how to visit Bob:
http://www.uclahealth.org/body_med.cfm?id=572&oTopID=572
Please don't call my cell phone unless it's an emergency, it's hard to keep on top of calls. Thanks for understanding.... Mireya
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This morning I woke up @ 7:45am thinking of my husband. Although I know he's being well taken care of at UCLA, I sure feel lost without him at home. So, I figured I'd take care of some things that are important to him. I went outside and watered his plants, front yard and back. I got to thinking, "what a nice garden I have," and then thought, "My honey sure puts time into it."
Since he's not been able to work, his newfound hobby is gardening. It started out slowly, but he's grown to like it. He's either digging up the plants to put them in a different part of the garden or thinking about where x-y-z plant will be better off at another location. I love this about him. I like watching him take pride in our garden. Of course not all of it is to my liking, but he has good taste, and does a splendid job of it. I'm sure he's learned more about pesticides, bugs, plant types, and weeds in the last year than in his whole entire life. Before, he could care less about the yard, much less the combination of colors of flowers and trees, and foliage.
Watering the plants and grass this morning made me miss him, a lot. While I was doing this, Marina came out to tell that my sister Loida was on the phone for me. At first, I was not in the mood to answer it since I was deep in thought of Bob. I was thinking about how I felt that he was not here, wishing that he was already here so that we can just laugh about this and make jokes, and just banter back and forth off each other, always in fun. You know, he's my best friend. Ü
Anywhoo, I mustered some strength to sound cheerful over the phone, but as soon as I heard her voice and asked me the polite question of "how are you doing this morning, did you get enough rest?" All I could answer was "sure," but right away I just started crying. It just came pouring out.
Loida, my sister, my little sister, she's has been awesome, words cannot describe how helpful and important she's been to me in these last few days. She's been sleeping over in Bob's room these last 3 nights. Since she's a nurse, and she's been diligently taking notes on his every move, his every shot, his every reading, and of course keeping an eye on all the nurses that have been tending to Bob. All nurses now know her...wink, wink! They know that she expects a full report!
As soon as she heard me crying, she said, "Don't worry, I've got good news. He is doing so much better. The doctors are ordering actual food (although restricted) and no more liquid diet! He even gets to drink coffee!" I thought, "Yes, thank you Lord!"
Loida said that he might even be able to come down to the patio and sit in the sun... I sure do hope so.
I asked about his creatinine level, and this morning it is 4.1, compared to 5.5 from last night. This is good. This means that his kidney is filtering better, thus working more! Again, normal is about to 0.6 to 1.2 milligrams (mg) per deciliter (dl). It's going to take time, but God is goodl; all the time.
In this meantime that I'm on the phone with Loida, Marina comes out again to get my attention. It turns out, we have no hot water! How funny is that.
You see, about 4-6 months ago, I noticed that our water heater was leaking. I brought it to Bob's attention. But, as you know, Bob is the expert, and I'm just the plumber's wife... What do I know? Hmm...
In those 4-6 months, I reminded him (subtly) what about the water heater? Not once, not twice, but many times, did he say, “don’t worry about it, I’ll take care of it, have I ever done anything to jeopardize our family or let things go bad?” “Besides, I’m waiting to go to this plumber’s convention so that I can purchase this x-y-z unit that will save us a lot of money. And since I’m a plumber I will get a good price on it.” This convention was in the beginning of June. He had been saying this since April or May.
Well, I had many answers for that. But being the dutiful Godly wife that I am, I said “honey, I trust you, you’re the expert.”
Cold showers are fun. My poor sister-in-law (lili, the donor) had to take a cold shower this morning. She said she kept waiting for the warm water, but it never came! We all laughed about it.
Bob’s ears must have been burning! As we were at the table talking about it, and I was calling my nephew Frank & brother-in-law Dan to help me buy and install a new one, Bob called the house phone.
At first I thought about not saying anything since I did not want him to worry. But then I got a bright idea! I decided to tell him. My brother in law Dan was there at the hospital visiting him! Now, you know brothers. If one brother asks for a favor, there usually is procrastination. But… now we’re talkin’ about Lili! I had collateral!
You see, Lili is the favorite sister (my opinion, that is)… So when I mentioned it to Bob, I told him to tell Dan that Lili had suffered with a cold shower this morning and that her incision hurts….. If course the shower part was true, but not really the other stuff! Ü
So. Dan (thank you), with the help of my son Bobby and nephew Nathan (a.k.a. Hercules), they have their work cut out for them today. God is good!
I could hear over the phone that Bob was happy and content. I’m happy.
Thank you Lord for providing for our needs. Thank you God for watching out for us. You love us dearly, although we don’t merit it. Help us to rely on you more! --Mireya
http://www.uclahealth.org/body_med.cfm?id=572&oTopID=572
Please don't call my cell phone unless it's an emergency, it's hard to keep on top of calls. Thanks for understanding.... Mireya
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This morning I woke up @ 7:45am thinking of my husband. Although I know he's being well taken care of at UCLA, I sure feel lost without him at home. So, I figured I'd take care of some things that are important to him. I went outside and watered his plants, front yard and back. I got to thinking, "what a nice garden I have," and then thought, "My honey sure puts time into it."
Since he's not been able to work, his newfound hobby is gardening. It started out slowly, but he's grown to like it. He's either digging up the plants to put them in a different part of the garden or thinking about where x-y-z plant will be better off at another location. I love this about him. I like watching him take pride in our garden. Of course not all of it is to my liking, but he has good taste, and does a splendid job of it. I'm sure he's learned more about pesticides, bugs, plant types, and weeds in the last year than in his whole entire life. Before, he could care less about the yard, much less the combination of colors of flowers and trees, and foliage.
Watering the plants and grass this morning made me miss him, a lot. While I was doing this, Marina came out to tell that my sister Loida was on the phone for me. At first, I was not in the mood to answer it since I was deep in thought of Bob. I was thinking about how I felt that he was not here, wishing that he was already here so that we can just laugh about this and make jokes, and just banter back and forth off each other, always in fun. You know, he's my best friend. Ü
Anywhoo, I mustered some strength to sound cheerful over the phone, but as soon as I heard her voice and asked me the polite question of "how are you doing this morning, did you get enough rest?" All I could answer was "sure," but right away I just started crying. It just came pouring out.
Loida, my sister, my little sister, she's has been awesome, words cannot describe how helpful and important she's been to me in these last few days. She's been sleeping over in Bob's room these last 3 nights. Since she's a nurse, and she's been diligently taking notes on his every move, his every shot, his every reading, and of course keeping an eye on all the nurses that have been tending to Bob. All nurses now know her...wink, wink! They know that she expects a full report!
As soon as she heard me crying, she said, "Don't worry, I've got good news. He is doing so much better. The doctors are ordering actual food (although restricted) and no more liquid diet! He even gets to drink coffee!" I thought, "Yes, thank you Lord!"
Loida said that he might even be able to come down to the patio and sit in the sun... I sure do hope so.
I asked about his creatinine level, and this morning it is 4.1, compared to 5.5 from last night. This is good. This means that his kidney is filtering better, thus working more! Again, normal is about to 0.6 to 1.2 milligrams (mg) per deciliter (dl). It's going to take time, but God is goodl; all the time.
In this meantime that I'm on the phone with Loida, Marina comes out again to get my attention. It turns out, we have no hot water! How funny is that.
You see, about 4-6 months ago, I noticed that our water heater was leaking. I brought it to Bob's attention. But, as you know, Bob is the expert, and I'm just the plumber's wife... What do I know? Hmm...
In those 4-6 months, I reminded him (subtly) what about the water heater? Not once, not twice, but many times, did he say, “don’t worry about it, I’ll take care of it, have I ever done anything to jeopardize our family or let things go bad?” “Besides, I’m waiting to go to this plumber’s convention so that I can purchase this x-y-z unit that will save us a lot of money. And since I’m a plumber I will get a good price on it.” This convention was in the beginning of June. He had been saying this since April or May.
Well, I had many answers for that. But being the dutiful Godly wife that I am, I said “honey, I trust you, you’re the expert.”
Cold showers are fun. My poor sister-in-law (lili, the donor) had to take a cold shower this morning. She said she kept waiting for the warm water, but it never came! We all laughed about it.
Bob’s ears must have been burning! As we were at the table talking about it, and I was calling my nephew Frank & brother-in-law Dan to help me buy and install a new one, Bob called the house phone.
At first I thought about not saying anything since I did not want him to worry. But then I got a bright idea! I decided to tell him. My brother in law Dan was there at the hospital visiting him! Now, you know brothers. If one brother asks for a favor, there usually is procrastination. But… now we’re talkin’ about Lili! I had collateral!
You see, Lili is the favorite sister (my opinion, that is)… So when I mentioned it to Bob, I told him to tell Dan that Lili had suffered with a cold shower this morning and that her incision hurts….. If course the shower part was true, but not really the other stuff! Ü
So. Dan (thank you), with the help of my son Bobby and nephew Nathan (a.k.a. Hercules), they have their work cut out for them today. God is good!
I could hear over the phone that Bob was happy and content. I’m happy.
Thank you Lord for providing for our needs. Thank you God for watching out for us. You love us dearly, although we don’t merit it. Help us to rely on you more! --Mireya
Friday, August 8, 2008
Getting Better
Things are looking better, but not enough to leave the Intensive Care Unit. Yesterday's creatinine level was 6.0 (http://www.medicinenet.com/creatinine_blood_test/article.htm) and today was 5.5. So it is better, but not enough. High numbers indicate malfunction of the kidney, the lower the better. In his case, a good reading would be 0.6 to 1.2 milligrams (mg) per deciliter (dl). I'm still trying to understand this whole thing myself.
Good news, Lili is now home. She's had her first homemade dinner, compliments of Craig & Susie Kurth, from my church at Whittier Hills Baptist (www.whittierhills.org). Thank you Craig & Susie; those Beef BBQ Sloppy Joe's were delictable, and the pasta salad, molto delicioso!
I love my church family, they've been a wonderfully supportive! Today we had other visitors. They were Pastor Robert Bishop, Brian Walker, Ric Fox (I heard he was there, but I was konked out on Bob's gurney, underneath a sheet), Alex, KJ, and Olivia Jauregui. Other longtime friends that visited in the afternoon were Gilbert Dominguez, his son Randy, and Gilbert's dad, but Bob's adoptive dad, Alfred Dominguez. Thank you.
I want to say a special thanks to Brian Walker. He was so gracious to set up meals for our family (Swingles & my kids) this weekend. Believe it or not, these meals are a wonderful ministry to us, especially when no one is in the mood to cook, much less in this heat. Thanks again Craig & Susie Kurth!
Brian stayed for several hours in the morning to keep Bob company. They played Backgammon http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backgammon, and card games; and he even helped feed him! Thanks Brian Ü
Another "thank you" goes out the Jauregui's. We had a wonderful small walk in town in the morning to have breakfast (more like brunch) at Corner Bakery Cafe, in Westwood. Thereafter we walked over (Olivia and stroller, too) to have these amazing cookies at Diddy Riese Cookies. These cookies (http://www.diddyriese.com/home.php) are equivalent to what Krispy Kremes usted to be; there's people waiting outside the door to get their daily taste of homemade soft cookies. I had their ice cream cookie sandwich. mmm, mmm, mmm....! On behalf of Marina and I, thank you for this treat, and giving us a break away from the hospital.
As I blog about this, I feel a bit guilty because Bob is still on a liquid diet. The doctors and nurses are still keeping a close watch on his urine output. He's doing okay, but they still want more; apparently the kidney is still not fully awake. Bob is retaining some water and so he's a little bloated. That is to be expected, but please pray for the following:
Anyway, I was able to sponge bathe my husband, and despite him not liking it, I was very glad to do it. I hope that tomorrow will be a better day for him. Thank you Fidelia (his nurse) for taking good care of him.
That's it for now, until tomorrow. --Mireya
P.s. Sorry if I spider-web or ramble, it's sometimes difficult to keep on one thought when I have so many.
Good news, Lili is now home. She's had her first homemade dinner, compliments of Craig & Susie Kurth, from my church at Whittier Hills Baptist (www.whittierhills.org). Thank you Craig & Susie; those Beef BBQ Sloppy Joe's were delictable, and the pasta salad, molto delicioso!
I love my church family, they've been a wonderfully supportive! Today we had other visitors. They were Pastor Robert Bishop, Brian Walker, Ric Fox (I heard he was there, but I was konked out on Bob's gurney, underneath a sheet), Alex, KJ, and Olivia Jauregui. Other longtime friends that visited in the afternoon were Gilbert Dominguez, his son Randy, and Gilbert's dad, but Bob's adoptive dad, Alfred Dominguez. Thank you.
I want to say a special thanks to Brian Walker. He was so gracious to set up meals for our family (Swingles & my kids) this weekend. Believe it or not, these meals are a wonderful ministry to us, especially when no one is in the mood to cook, much less in this heat. Thanks again Craig & Susie Kurth!
Brian stayed for several hours in the morning to keep Bob company. They played Backgammon http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backgammon, and card games; and he even helped feed him! Thanks Brian Ü
Another "thank you" goes out the Jauregui's. We had a wonderful small walk in town in the morning to have breakfast (more like brunch) at Corner Bakery Cafe, in Westwood. Thereafter we walked over (Olivia and stroller, too) to have these amazing cookies at Diddy Riese Cookies. These cookies (http://www.diddyriese.com/home.php) are equivalent to what Krispy Kremes usted to be; there's people waiting outside the door to get their daily taste of homemade soft cookies. I had their ice cream cookie sandwich. mmm, mmm, mmm....! On behalf of Marina and I, thank you for this treat, and giving us a break away from the hospital.
As I blog about this, I feel a bit guilty because Bob is still on a liquid diet. The doctors and nurses are still keeping a close watch on his urine output. He's doing okay, but they still want more; apparently the kidney is still not fully awake. Bob is retaining some water and so he's a little bloated. That is to be expected, but please pray for the following:
- That the kidney would "wake up..." that is would start functioning more.
- That Bob would feel encouraged
- That he would be able to walk more for better circulation
- That I would have patience & not miss him so much when I leave the hospital
- That I would have no doubt that this is God's plan
- That God would be glorified, whatever the outcome is...
Anyway, I was able to sponge bathe my husband, and despite him not liking it, I was very glad to do it. I hope that tomorrow will be a better day for him. Thank you Fidelia (his nurse) for taking good care of him.
That's it for now, until tomorrow. --Mireya
P.s. Sorry if I spider-web or ramble, it's sometimes difficult to keep on one thought when I have so many.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
All these pictures were taken throughout the day yesterday, on Wednesday, August 7th. Lili is doing so great with recovery, that she will be going home sometime today, in the afternoon!
She will be staying in our home to recover until she's well enough to fly to her house in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Bob is doing so much better too. He's been resting and getting plenty of sleep, too.
In no special order, these are the people that came to visit him yesterday:
- His dad Francisco, with his wife Miryam, and half-brother, Frank.
- My Uncle Miguel, Tia Juanita, my cousin Jimmy with his wife Leslie, and their son, Jimmy Jr.
- Our tree hugger friends, David, Stella, Marcella, and Sofia Moreno. Torrey, we hope you get better from whatever bug you caught!
Bob had an awesome nurse today (pictured above), her name was Nadine. She was very attentive to his needs, very knowledgeable, and caring, too.
In one of the pictures, you can also see our son Bobby. I was so proud that he came to visit his dad (remember my previous blog?), and it really touched Bob's heart to see him, too. After a long walk in the Westwood village, he and the others came back tired. He's the one all the way to the right napping. Thank you Jauregui's for your prayers in this matter!
In another picture, Bob's sister was able to finally see him. What a sight to see! She walked all the way from one side of the hospital floor to the other all they way, and see him. Lili was joking and commenting that a snail could probably have beat her at the pace she was going... I love Lili and her sense of humor!
Chris, my sister's boyfriend, he was here too! He's also a nurse @ UCLA Medical Center.ps... sorry Lili about the pictures. Make-up or none, you are beautiful!
He's doing better!
Praise the Lord! Bob is doing so much better. Although it was a rough night, he is now able to breath without any problems. The ultrasound of the kidney came back clear. They did have to flush out is bladder via the catheter, and poor thing, he said it hurt like razor blades, but they were able to flush out some small clots that were hindering the passing of urine...
He is now in deep sleep, resting.
He has has many different visitors today. Some of them were Pastor Bill Provo and Jacob Barron. What a treat! Bob and Bill are cut from the same rug. Thanks Bill for being such an encourager, and making him laugh, we love ya' man! Jacob, thanks for coming along, it's always nice to talk to you about soccer. Congratulations on your team getting 2nd place in Ireland against Manchester United!
Another constant longtime friend is Boris Herrera! I truly thank the Lord for his faithfulness in calling and visiting Bob while he's been in the hospital. Although you are not carnal brothers, Bob deeply loves you as one.
Bob's dad will be coming by later to visit him as well. I am so thankful to the Lord as well that because of this disease, he was able to reconcile with his father and have a relationship with him. Prior to 2004, if the kids ever asked Bob about their "abuelito," his response was "he's dead," or just simply changed the subject.
God always has a way of softening our hearts and making us see what's important. God broke Bob's pride in 2004, and with the help and urging of his Uncle Chuy (bob's dad's brother) he was able to start talking to his dad at an Olmos family reunion prior to his hospitalization, not knowing that his would be close to meeting his maker! Bob knew that he was sick, he knew that his kidneys were failing, but not to the extent that he was going to be diagnosed with a rare disease that would cause him to have renal failure.
I am so happy also that my sister-in-law Lili, whom donated the kidney, loves and knows the Lord as her Saviour. What a great testimony to people around her that she was able to give a great gift of life, however, it would not have been possible if God did not love her first! You see, as believers in Christ, life on this earth is temporary. Life with God is eternal! Why keep something that will be useful to someone else?
Lili, I love you so much. Words cannot express my gratitude towards you. Because of this gift, this means that you and I will be able to have Bob around much longer! My kids will be able to enjoy their father a longer time, and you will be able to enjoy of him as well! I respect and admire your courage to go through this ordeal for Bob.
Luz, my friend. Thank you for lending me your laptop so that I could keep all the peeps updated! What a wonderful tool. I am much obliged to you!
Well, all is well so far at the forefront. I will keep you updated more later on. ---Mireya
He is now in deep sleep, resting.
He has has many different visitors today. Some of them were Pastor Bill Provo and Jacob Barron. What a treat! Bob and Bill are cut from the same rug. Thanks Bill for being such an encourager, and making him laugh, we love ya' man! Jacob, thanks for coming along, it's always nice to talk to you about soccer. Congratulations on your team getting 2nd place in Ireland against Manchester United!
Another constant longtime friend is Boris Herrera! I truly thank the Lord for his faithfulness in calling and visiting Bob while he's been in the hospital. Although you are not carnal brothers, Bob deeply loves you as one.
Bob's dad will be coming by later to visit him as well. I am so thankful to the Lord as well that because of this disease, he was able to reconcile with his father and have a relationship with him. Prior to 2004, if the kids ever asked Bob about their "abuelito," his response was "he's dead," or just simply changed the subject.
God always has a way of softening our hearts and making us see what's important. God broke Bob's pride in 2004, and with the help and urging of his Uncle Chuy (bob's dad's brother) he was able to start talking to his dad at an Olmos family reunion prior to his hospitalization, not knowing that his would be close to meeting his maker! Bob knew that he was sick, he knew that his kidneys were failing, but not to the extent that he was going to be diagnosed with a rare disease that would cause him to have renal failure.
I am so happy also that my sister-in-law Lili, whom donated the kidney, loves and knows the Lord as her Saviour. What a great testimony to people around her that she was able to give a great gift of life, however, it would not have been possible if God did not love her first! You see, as believers in Christ, life on this earth is temporary. Life with God is eternal! Why keep something that will be useful to someone else?
Lili, I love you so much. Words cannot express my gratitude towards you. Because of this gift, this means that you and I will be able to have Bob around much longer! My kids will be able to enjoy their father a longer time, and you will be able to enjoy of him as well! I respect and admire your courage to go through this ordeal for Bob.
Luz, my friend. Thank you for lending me your laptop so that I could keep all the peeps updated! What a wonderful tool. I am much obliged to you!
Well, all is well so far at the forefront. I will keep you updated more later on. ---Mireya
3:00am Update
My sister Loida called again @ that time, but I' barely blogging now; I am so tired. I just woke up.
Anyway, she called at 3 am for another update. X-ray was fine, no fluids in the lungs. They gave him more medication for him to start urinating again (this is to make sure that the kidney is working), it's looks like it's working from what my sister indicated.
I am so grateful to have a sister like Loida. She's an intelligent nurse, a go-getter, and has access to all the hospital floors. She has been a tremendous help and support to Bob and me in this time of desperation. She stayed in the with Bob all last night and kept me updated. But best of all, she trusts the Lord.
Sometimes we make choices. You are probably wondering "well, why did you not stay with your husband?"
My best answer... I know that my beloved has the best care possible at UCLA ICU; my children (although big) need me to be strong and healthy for when their dad comes home. Also, as a mom, I need to spend time with them, especially Bobby. Bobby's having a hard time coping; his way to deal is to just continue his normal routine & go work @ Knotts, despite me urging me to call in for sick time. It is hard to see his dad this way.
As I write this, I am still torn as to whether I go home and rest, or just stay with my beloved. Please pray for guidance on my behalf.
Anyway, she called at 3 am for another update. X-ray was fine, no fluids in the lungs. They gave him more medication for him to start urinating again (this is to make sure that the kidney is working), it's looks like it's working from what my sister indicated.
I am so grateful to have a sister like Loida. She's an intelligent nurse, a go-getter, and has access to all the hospital floors. She has been a tremendous help and support to Bob and me in this time of desperation. She stayed in the with Bob all last night and kept me updated. But best of all, she trusts the Lord.
Sometimes we make choices. You are probably wondering "well, why did you not stay with your husband?"
My best answer... I know that my beloved has the best care possible at UCLA ICU; my children (although big) need me to be strong and healthy for when their dad comes home. Also, as a mom, I need to spend time with them, especially Bobby. Bobby's having a hard time coping; his way to deal is to just continue his normal routine & go work @ Knotts, despite me urging me to call in for sick time. It is hard to see his dad this way.
As I write this, I am still torn as to whether I go home and rest, or just stay with my beloved. Please pray for guidance on my behalf.
I am on my way to the hospital.
I love you all, and covet your prayers. --Mireya
Some good news
Chest x-ray completed, no fluids in there. Hmmm... why is he still having a hard time breathing? ...next, an ultrasound of the kidney.
Keep us in prayer....
Please do not call my cell phone, I will keep you posted as best as possible. I value and cherish your prayers. Thanks for your understanding. --Mireya
-----------------------------------
1:15am, 8/7/08
Loida just called. The kidney might have some kind of clot; it's assumed since his collection of urine in the past few hours has not been what they've expected. Bob is having a hard time breathing. A chest x-ray is in order. Most likely he will have to be dialyzed to help get rid of his retention of fluids not being expelled by the kidney.
Please pray.
Lord, you know my heart. Help me to be calm. Lord, watch over my beloved; I love him so much. May You give him comfort; You are in charge. --Mireya (at home, waiting for more news)
------------------------------------------------------------------
This is the address:
757 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095
Hospital Information: (310) 825-9111
Patient Information: (310) 825-8611
For directions on how to get here:
http://www.uclahealth.org/body_med.cfm?id=572&oTopID=572
-----------------------------------
1:15am, 8/7/08
Loida just called. The kidney might have some kind of clot; it's assumed since his collection of urine in the past few hours has not been what they've expected. Bob is having a hard time breathing. A chest x-ray is in order. Most likely he will have to be dialyzed to help get rid of his retention of fluids not being expelled by the kidney.
Please pray.
Lord, you know my heart. Help me to be calm. Lord, watch over my beloved; I love him so much. May You give him comfort; You are in charge. --Mireya (at home, waiting for more news)
------------------------------------------------------------------
This is the address:
757 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095
Hospital Information: (310) 825-9111
Patient Information: (310) 825-8611
For directions on how to get here:
http://www.uclahealth.org/body_med.cfm?id=572&oTopID=572
PLEASE PRAY.
My sister just called (12:38am, 08/07/08) to relay by phone that Bob is retaining some water in his lungs, and having quite a bit of trouble breathing.
I am waiting on news from my sister Loida (she's a UCLA nurse); she's at his bedside right now, in the ICU. I gave her Dr. Charles number and hope that they can reach her so that maybe she'll give some input on his critical care.
Lord, help me to trust. Let it be all for Your glory. Amen.
--Mireya
Loida, thank you for watching over Bob.
Please pray that the nurses get a hold of Dr. Christina Charles, his immunologist. Pray that this is NOT his immune disease (MPA) that is flaring up and causing the problem.
- Pray for Bob's immediate well being.
- Pray that he not stop trusting the Lord.
- Pray that I will trust Him right now and not be scared.
- Pray for my mother-in-law Eva; that she be calm.
I am waiting on news from my sister Loida (she's a UCLA nurse); she's at his bedside right now, in the ICU. I gave her Dr. Charles number and hope that they can reach her so that maybe she'll give some input on his critical care.
Lord, help me to trust. Let it be all for Your glory. Amen.
--Mireya
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Here's another link:
http://picasaweb.google.com/olmosrobert/EarlyInTheMorning
I'm still trying to get the hang of this, so just bear with me!
Anyway, Bob is now in the ICU for the night; nurses are keeping a close watch on him to make sure that he's producing enough urine around the clock.
Lili is recovering in her own private room on the same floor, but on the opposite side of the wing. She's a real trooper. She's very uncomfortable right now because of pain and soreness, but the nurses are also taking great care of her.
Big Scott and the kids are doing well. They are staying at a local hotel so that they can be close to her.
Marina and I are at home resting and will return in the morning to see my husband whom I love dearly.
Please still keep us in prayer as this duo of siblings recover. Praise the Lord for all His goodness, His mercies, and Awesomeness! I love you Lord! --Mireya
I'm still trying to get the hang of this, so just bear with me!
Anyway, Bob is now in the ICU for the night; nurses are keeping a close watch on him to make sure that he's producing enough urine around the clock.
Lili is recovering in her own private room on the same floor, but on the opposite side of the wing. She's a real trooper. She's very uncomfortable right now because of pain and soreness, but the nurses are also taking great care of her.
Big Scott and the kids are doing well. They are staying at a local hotel so that they can be close to her.
Marina and I are at home resting and will return in the morning to see my husband whom I love dearly.
Please still keep us in prayer as this duo of siblings recover. Praise the Lord for all His goodness, His mercies, and Awesomeness! I love you Lord! --Mireya
Lili's update....
By the way, Lili is doing wonderful.... she's still in the recovery room! Thank you for all your prayers.
it works!
Please excuse my typing.... it's hard to type on a laptop! Also, you may view all the pictures from this morning by clicking on Bob's picture.... it will take you to www.photobucket.com.
11:35am, I just got an update that the kidney has been connected and it's creating lots of urine! Praise the Lord! Who hoo!
It will probably be another hour or so to finishing time; then he will be in the recovering room for 2 hours...
P.s., we saw Blake and his mom Judy; they were here getting another plasma treatment. It was so good to see him. I took a picture but I will download that later...
Check out his blog: www.blakesnewkidney.blogspot.com
11:35am, I just got an update that the kidney has been connected and it's creating lots of urine! Praise the Lord! Who hoo!
It will probably be another hour or so to finishing time; then he will be in the recovering room for 2 hours...
P.s., we saw Blake and his mom Judy; they were here getting another plasma treatment. It was so good to see him. I took a picture but I will download that later...
Check out his blog: www.blakesnewkidney.blogspot.com
Monday, August 4, 2008
And the journey begins...
I will do my best to keep this up to date, as I am new to blogging on this kind of media! --Mireya
Robert (aka, Bob by me...) will be having a long awaited surgery of a kidney transplant, donated by his awesome sister Lili, from Las Vegas, Nevada. It will take place tomorrow at 8:30am, but with registration starting @ 6am! EEh gads....
All this could not have been possible without all your prayers, and of course, God's merciful grace of granting such a long awaited request! This journey started about 4 years ago in 2004. Robert was in the hospital for 3 weeks in the intensive care unit at UCLA Hospital, in Westwood. At the time, the doctors had no idea what was happening or why 75% of his lungs were filled with liquid and blood... after 2-1/2 weeks of tests and a lung biopsy, it was concluded that he has a rare immune disease called microscopic polyangiitis (MPA). You may read about this on this website:
http://vasculitis.med.jhu.edu/typesof/polyangiitis.html, or http://www.vasculitisfoundation.org/microscopicpolyangiitis.
Because of this disease, his kidneys were scarred to the point of them no longer functioning. Since 2004, he's been on dialysis with the hopes of receiving a transplant from a donor list, however, by God's grace and His timing, his sister Lili, after extensive testing and getting healthy, was a match for kidney donorship! Praise the Lord!
Anyhoo, here we are today, August 6, 2008, @ UCLA!
Lili was prepped and sent in @ 7:43am, and following her wasBob, at 8:25am. Attached are some pictures of this morning...
If you wish to visit him, he'll be at the Ronald Reagan Medical Center in Westwood, CA.
This is the address:
757 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095
Hospital Information:
(310) 825-9111
Patient Information
(310) 825-8611
Emergency Department
(310) 825-2111
http://www.uclahealth.org/body_med.cfm?id=572&oTopID=572
Robert (aka, Bob by me...) will be having a long awaited surgery of a kidney transplant, donated by his awesome sister Lili, from Las Vegas, Nevada. It will take place tomorrow at 8:30am, but with registration starting @ 6am! EEh gads....
All this could not have been possible without all your prayers, and of course, God's merciful grace of granting such a long awaited request! This journey started about 4 years ago in 2004. Robert was in the hospital for 3 weeks in the intensive care unit at UCLA Hospital, in Westwood. At the time, the doctors had no idea what was happening or why 75% of his lungs were filled with liquid and blood... after 2-1/2 weeks of tests and a lung biopsy, it was concluded that he has a rare immune disease called microscopic polyangiitis (MPA). You may read about this on this website:
http://vasculitis.med.jhu.edu/typesof/polyangiitis.html, or http://www.vasculitisfoundation.org/microscopicpolyangiitis.
Because of this disease, his kidneys were scarred to the point of them no longer functioning. Since 2004, he's been on dialysis with the hopes of receiving a transplant from a donor list, however, by God's grace and His timing, his sister Lili, after extensive testing and getting healthy, was a match for kidney donorship! Praise the Lord!
Anyhoo, here we are today, August 6, 2008, @ UCLA!
Lili was prepped and sent in @ 7:43am, and following her wasBob, at 8:25am. Attached are some pictures of this morning...
If you wish to visit him, he'll be at the Ronald Reagan Medical Center in Westwood, CA.
This is the address:
757 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095
Hospital Information:
(310) 825-9111
Patient Information
(310) 825-8611
Emergency Department
(310) 825-2111
http://www.uclahealth.org/body_med.cfm?id=572&oTopID=572
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
