A Tycho's Health Update

[Tycho]

Some people asked and I don't mind posting the news.

My kidney transplant operation which could save me and restore my health for many years is scheduled for October 21.

I am often sick now - ill in the stomach, pained in my legs, tired a lot of the time unless I'm really excited about something - that sort of thing. And I already feel like I have to take too much medication - just wait until after the transplant!

Anyway, that's about all the news for right at the moment. Now you're up-to-date.

[Devo]

I hope all goes well Tycho. As ever, sorry to hear you've got health troubles.

[Phantom-like Menace]

October 21 is my birthday. I'd consider it quite the appropriate birthday gift for you to make sure everything goes okay with your surgery. Good luck, and we're thinking about you.

[Droid]

Some people asked and I don't mind posting the news.

My kidney transplant operation which could save me and restore my health for many years is scheduled for October 21.

I am often sick now - ill in the stomach, pained in my legs, tired a lot of the time unless I'm really excited about something - that sort of thing. And I already feel like I have to take too much medication - just wait until after the transplant!

Anyway, that's about all the news for right at the moment. Now you're up-to-date.

Who is the donor?

[jedi master sal]

Hopefully you'll understand if Tycho wishes not to divulge this information. That is something that should really be kept between himself and the donor, unless they both agree to release that info.

I'm just glad he's getting the operation soon.

Hang in there pal! I look forward to coming out to San Diego and putting you straight on dioramas, L.O.L.!

(And no I'm not the donor.)

[DarthBrandon]

Good luck on the 21st Tycho,

WTFBWY my friend

[Qui-Long Gone]

October is a good luck month!

And if it isn't, after your operation you'll be able to say it is!

[jjreason]

Awesome, Tycho. It must be nerve-wracking counting down the days, but in the long run you're going to feel SO much better. I haven't been keeping super close tabs on this whole thing for the last few months, so I'm very happy to read there's a donor and that the op is so soon.

[pbarnard]

I had a former boss who just got a kidney transplant right as I was leaving that place. He joked he was about to become a 4-banger. So, if you don't mind sharing, what does this make you? And good luck with it.

[Tycho]

What's a 4-banger? I have no idea what that means.

Anyway, for a little while I'll have 3 kidneys though. I was disappointed, but my surgeon met with me today and said my old, swollen ones were NOT coming out at the time of surgery. They're too big and they'd have to risk operating on me for too long.

If they took them out, the incision will be as big as my kidneys -which are huge. He wants to chemically shrink them first, before that surgery. Then he may take them out as soon as 3 months post-surgery, instead of 6. So that means the end of January instead of waiting until April.

Boy was I mad about this. With the huge kidneys, I'll still be throwing up and have stomach pain, even with the new kidney which gets me off dialysis.

But if they go through my back to take them out, my doc says they're so big, that he'd have to cut my lower back muscle to get them through there. It would be extremely painful just lying down in a bed or sitting up. Someone donating a normal kidney, which is about the size of your fist, would never have to worry about this. But for me it sucks.

The other way - the preferred way, is to take it out through the front. In that case, he pulls my intestines out (still connected) to get them out of the way, and then brings the kidneys out (through one incision). OK, this sounds better than cutting my lower back muscle probably permanently. He'll put my intestines and stomach back in place when he's got the kidneys out. Hopefully, I'll have a flat tummy when he's done - as I want anything that doesn't leave me with washboard abs GONE! Don't forget, I once WAS working towards that goal, and my condition caused me to have an aneurysm break in my brain while I was at the gym.

Anyway, all this is really annoying. I argued with him about removing my kidneys at the time of the initial surgery. Last time he said he'd take out one right then. Now he's changed his mind. I asked him to think that over. He said he would and he wants to re-look at my CT scans.

This is more than a bit frustrating.