big day tomorrow for the princess

Well, tomorrow will definitely be a busy day for Claire. If all her labs look good, she will have the liver and kidney ultrasound and biopsy. While she is "asleep" they will also dilate her eyes and take some photographs of her retina (because of the oxalate crystal deposits on her retina), place a urinary catheter (to collect a 24-hour urine collection), and do a air-way examination (because of the frequent retching (throwing-up) she is still having post-transplant). She'll be a popular little patient tomorrow.

We're anxious to get the results of her kidney biopsy in particular because it has recently been detected that she has the BK virus in her urine and blood stream that could affect the kidney. The virus could only be in the blood stream...or it could also be in the kidney, in which case she would need antibiotics to treat it to prevent kidney damage. BK virus is a virus that ALL kidney transplant patients are at risk of getting. It's not something external she picked up from the playground, shopping cart, etc......it's simply something that patients can get after a kidney transplant with a suppressed immune system. Her kidney function was still slightly elevated on Monday when it was tested again. Liver function looks great, though! Now if we can just get both of them looking great at the same time, we'd be in business!!

Depending on how she does and feels with the urine catheter in tomorrow, we may or may not make it home for the night. As I talked with Claire about what was going to happen tomorrow, she was sure to tell me over and over again...."first the man put me to sleep...then do my biopsy." She's a smarty. Don't blame her for wanting to be put to sleep first! Although she may not feel so hot when she wakes up either....with dilated eyes, a sore throat from the airway exam, and a tube up her pee pee to collect the urine. Hum...better take some books and Baby Annie, of course.