I am not a musician and I know you are looking for that reply.
What you need to take into consideration is you may feel great after surgery, but what if you don't. I had a hard time with the sedation and CO2 gas. I didn't feel good for at least 2 weeks and that was pretty much not doing much. It took a month before I felt somewhat normal and wasn't exhausted just grocery shopping let alone carry the bags into the house.
If you don't have a back up plan for your performance schedule you will be doing a disservice to yourself and your church.
I truly hope you feel great, that you are up walking the halls 5 times the day after surgery and go home the next day, but sadly, very few do. I really would like for you to consider a backup plan. You might be able to do one service a day, maybe. Don't try to be Wonder Woman, you need to heal and rest after what is major surgery.
The centers sometimes paint a very rosey picture, but how many of them have gone through it. This surgery is major, they blow up your abdomain with CO2 gas, sedate you for 3-5 hours, cut, their way through all your connective tissue to get to your kidney, cut all the connective tissue off from around that, they nicked my spleen but at least my surgeon did tell me after the surgery, then force your body to now function on one kidney, close, put a binder on you , which wear as long as you can by the way, put you on a pain pump, which will be your friend at least for the first day. You will have all kinds of drugs and CO2 that your body and now one kidney has to filter out besides your normal waste by products, you will need to drink and eat even if you have to force yourself, if you can, I couldn't. They can't give you a lot for the nausea, as most interfer with urine production which they need to moniter at first of course. They want you up and walking as soon as possible, if you can, I had a very hard time the first day after surgery, almost passed out a couple of feet out my room, back to bed for me. You don't get much real sleep in the hospital, they take vitals are every shift change, last one for me was at 11 p.m. just got to sleep, again, labs at 4 a.m. shift change at 6 a.m., then breakfast or rounds, then daytime stuff, shower, nap, walk, if you can. I did not get any rest. Sleeping at home is no picnic either, I suggest a nest of pillows to sleep part way propped up with a pillow under your knees, or sleeping in a recliner. Your back might hurt, from the gas and position you are in during surgery. For at least 1 month, I couldn't stand for very long, I got a tired back and had to sit. You have a lot of healing internally to do.
So you see, it isn't all rosey, it might be, but what if it isn't. Besides, you have family responsibliities that I am sure you will want to try to take care of as soon as you are able. You will need your sit down and nap time right from the get go.
Hope this helps with what ever decision you make. Just have a backup plan. Best wishes. Janice
Topic: Any guitar players on this forum how have donated thier kidney? (Read 10852 times)