Update from Kate - 10 October 2010

Kate is home from her pancreas transplant and sent the following message this morning:

Dear Family and Friends,

A huge thank you is sent from us to you for all your support this past week. Your prayers and best wishes have lifted us once again.

Sunday October 3 we got the phone call a pancreas was available and that I would get a follow up phone call later in the evening once the cross match testing with the donor's blood was completed.

We had the chance to attended our usual 5:30pm Life Teen mass and asked Fr. Jim to keep our transplant intention in his heart as he celebrated the mass.

We got the next phone call at 10:30pm Sunday Oct 3 to come in for the next waiting stage. Once the transplant coordinator told me October 4 was the Feast of St. Francis, I knew in my heart we were golden. My own living St. Francis has been on this roller coaster journey for 27 of the past 42 years - never missing a beat!

Somewhere around 6-7am Monday Oct 4 I was taken into the operating room.

So unlike my kidney surgery which had complications, it was so wonderful to open my eyes at some point in recovery room and be able to breathe on my own. Your prayers were working.

Unlike my kidney surgery where they had to keep me and extra 2 days, today - October 9, I came home 2 days a head of schedule.

I am back to the protocal of tight restrictions with the outside world for the next 30 days. After the setbacks I experience with infection and ending up back in the hospital within days of coming home after the kidney - this time I am being more careful since now I have 2 organs at risk.

We are taking it one day at a time to see how this pancreas works. We thank God for each day it does provide my body with the insulin it needs. Many have asked about what my eating restrictions will be. My new pancreas may cover my insulin needs 100% such that I don't have to take any additional insulin. Or perhaps it will only cover part if my insulin needs similar to person's that have type 2 diabetes.

My biggest prayer and reason for taking the risks associated with the transplant and living on prednisone for the rest of my life is to be relieved the the hypoglycemic unawareness episodes (blacking out with no warning) I was having very frequently. Each day without one is a gift from God!

We thank you for your continued support in prayer, best wishes and phone calls.

--
Kate

I saw Kate today and she looked wonderful. She was up and had cooked breakfast and was planning on going out for a walk. Amazing!!

Norm