lkd notebook

[stevewin@windstream.net]

fellow living kidney donors,i donated on march 15th of this year to my brother ay emory transplant center[great hospital/great staff].about a month after the transplant i started a lkd notebook[kidney book]i have sections for lab results,bp readings,questions for my doctor or other medical personel,emails,web news ,and diet/reciepes[like i can cook,yeh!]anyway should i add any other sections?what have you found useful to help on this path that we are on?   steve windle                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                ps it is not the length between our birth and death,but what was in the middle and for this brief time in history did we make a difference?

[Fr Pat]

Dear Steve,
     Just to suggest that in the "blood pressure" section you continue to add the results of each new reading (using a machine at home, or at the drug store) and date so that you and your doctor can see any long-term changes over the years.
        best wishes,
            Fr. Pat

[Snoopy]

Hi, Steve.
  Congratulations on the donation. 
  I think your notebook is a great idea.  Expanding on Fr. Pat's advice about BP, you might like to keep a log of your physical symptoms and milestones, to keep track of how quickly you and your body return to normal in various ways.  Also, on the "psycho-social" level, how you feel about the whole process.  This could even include stuff about how your friends and co-workers reacted, family dynamics, etc.  All this might be interesting to the staff at the transplant center, so they have a better, more realistic basis for telling people what to expect.  Maybe you could also keep a list of suggestions, both for donors/donor candidates and the transplant center.  This could include a "Things I wish I'd known" section.
  And, naturally, the LDO list would be a perfect audience as you track your progress.  Good luck!
 Be well, Snoopy

[stevewin@windstream.net]

thanks snoopy62,i will add those sections and thanks to father pat. you have both helped me, and other lkd's on this path we are on!