April 2023

      On April 1, after three admissions, 48 total days, 22 tests, eight procedures, and two major surgeries, I was discharged for the last time from the hospital. I still had my neph tube because attempting to remove it had led to swelling and bleeding a few days prior. We had to wait for scar tissue to form a tract from my kidney to the hole where the tube exited my body. We planned to wait about two more weeks to try again to take it out. That meant more time in Wisconsin, but it could be spent with my mom in the apartment. I said goodbye to my nurse and my NA, with whom I had become very close to. I was sad to say bye but happy to be finally leaving the hospital. I was eager to get discharged early in the day because I had a special surprise planned for my mom. I had arranged for my aunt to fly up and surprise her for her birthday, and I really wanted to be back in the apartment when she got there.

     Luckily, we had time to get lunch, shower, and get settled by the time she arrived. We told my mom there was a delivery at the door for her and that she needed to go pick it up. But instead of a package, it was my aunt. My mom was so happy and completely surprised. The three of us spent the next few days together watching TV, eating some Wisconsin food, and enjoying our time together before my aunt had to go back home. Her visit really helped my mom get through the time in Wisconsin.

      Then it was just me and my mom again in the apartment waiting for my next IR appointment to see if my neph tube could be removed. We adventured to new bakeries, restaurants, and parks, and we spent time with my friend and his mom that we had met on the transplant floor. His family even invited us to Easter dinner because we had no family in town. It was such a generous thing to do, and we really enjoyed spending time with them.

      Finally on April 10^th, I went back into IR to try to remove my neph tube. I was given light sedation, so I was out of it during the procedure. When I woke up, I was told that they were able to remove my tube! I was so happy because this meant that I could likely leave after my post op appointment.

     On April 12^th, I had my post op appointment. They checked my scar and my bloodwork and along with how well I was feeling, I was given the all clear to come home! I then got to go down the hall and ring the bell celebrating all that I had gone through. I took pictures with my surgeon, the transplant fellow, and the transplant coordinators. They had all been so amazing and there was no team I would have trusted more to take care of me. My mom and I also snuck up to the transplant unit to say a final goodbye to the nurses and NA’s that were working that day. They all came to give me a hug, even the front desk worker. I had formed such a special relationship with them all. They had seen and taken care of me at my worst and had gotten me through it all.

      The next day my dad flew up to help us pack and move out of the apartment. On April 15^th, after exactly 12 weeks in Wisconsin, we came home. The only people that knew were my brother and my aunt because they were picking us up from the airport. This meant we got to surprise my family with the news that we were home. I was so happy to see them all. I wished that my friends had been home from college too, but I got to send them all a picture of me at my house to share the news with them too.

      I spent the next week adjusting to being home and having a few doctors’ appointments. I was so happy to see my GI and tell him that I was finally eating. We had been in touch with him over email in Wisconsin, but it was great to see him in person. I really enjoyed going on walks with my dog around the neighborhood and just being in my own house and sleeping in my own room.

      After a week, I got to do something I had been waiting a long time to do: going to pancake lunch with my grandfather. We usually go every Christmas Eve, but I had missed eating with the rest of my family for the past two years. We each got a stack of pancakes and enjoyed eating them and talking together. We both had a great time. I also went to dinner that week with my two favorite nurses from home. I had really missed seeing them!

      That week I also had my 8^th endoscopy to check my stomach and get pyloric botox, which is where my doctor uses botox in my pyloric sphincter to help relax my stomach to help with nausea. My GI saw that my stomach was very red and inflamed but hoped that medication would help. After my endoscopy I got to see my favorite PACU nurse and share the news that I was finally feeling much better. She always teases me about being a UNC fan and always makes me smile. I also got to get my Beads of Courage that I had earned in Wisconsin. Each color and type of bead represents something different that I have gone through. For example, a black bead is a poke, a yellow bead is a night in the hospital, and a green bead is a diagnostic test. I earned 274 beads in Wisconsin, which added 10 feet to my strand! In total, I have over 900 beads and 31.5 feet that I have earned since September 2021.

      That weekend, I went to Wake Forest to see two of my best friends. We went to a baseball game, out to dinner, and then I spent the night in their dorm room. This was my first time away from my mom since my surgery, but it went well, and I had a great time. I was so happy to be back with my friends, and this time feeling much better. This trip made me so excited for all of them to come home from college, which luckily was only a few weeks.

      I also celebrated my 19^th birthday early with my family. We all got together at my house and ate a big salad bar, which is one of my favorite dinners. I enjoyed my salad and being with my whole family. My 18^th birthday I was barely alive and spent it curled up in pain after a few bites of a single donut. And this year, not only was I alive, but I was truly living life. My auto transplant has been nothing short of a miracle. It is the hardest thing I have ever done but it has been the most amazing thing to ever happen to me. I will forever be grateful to every doctor and nurse that has taken care of me at home and in Wisconsin, my friends who motivated me through it all, and my family who sacrificed so much to always take care of me and get me to the right people. Thank you forever and always.