The Rejection Blues

If you’re anything like me, transplant rejection is something you worry about; a niggle hiding in the back of your brain waiting to jump out and bite you. As you know, I got bitten a couple of weeks ago. For those who haven’t had an episode yet, I’d like to take some of the sting out of the bite.

When you review this treatment schedule I followed so far today remember I’m in acute rejection.

8:00 a.m.

Roll out of bed, shower and dress – jeans, tennis shoes, and T-shirt

8:10 a.m.

Go to the kitchen, feed Clementine (the Orange Tabby) and Bernie (the Good Listener),

8:15 a.m.

Do my morning tests: temperature, blood pressure, blood sugar, FEV1 (it’s up to 4.19)

Take morning meds including an additional 20 mgs prednisone – on the way down from 60 mg to my basic 5 mgs every other day.

8:30 a.m.

Put Bernie’s e-collar on him and go for our morning one mile walk. We didn’t encounter Kid Rabid, but there was a black cat and seven of the five foot tall Sandhurst Cranes on out the golf course. Bernie heeled right past both distractions.

9:00 a.m.

Have breakfast of orange juice and a toasted bagel with cream cheese, onion, capers, and smoked salmon.

Read the Orlando Sentinel and Wall Street Journal.

10:a.m.

Take last week’s newspapers and soda cans to recycle drop-off locations. Collect $2.49.

10:20 a.m.

Secretly visit my mother at Life Care Center (Don’t tell Harriet or the transplant coordinator. They’ll yell even though I wore a mask)

10:40 a.m.

Drop off my shirts at the cleaners.

11:00 a.m.

Do grocery shopping at Publix (wearing my mask and using disinfectant wipe on the cart).

11:45 a.m.

Put away groceries at home. Nag Harriet for being out in the sun pulling weeds ever since I left. Repeat, once again, the old adage, “Only mad dogs and Englishmen go in the mid-day sun,” while she pays no attention.

12:15 p.m.

Go to Costco and do the bulk shopping – wine, steaks, feta cheese (for Greek salads), Kleenex. Two Addidas T-shirts jump into the cart. Well, I do a lot of walking.

1:15 p.m.

Have lunch of pita chips and shrimp salad from Costco with Harriet. She swears she’s done in the yard and is going to work on her puzzle all afternoon. And, believe it or not, she does.

2:00 p.m.

Forget the old adage. Bernie and I take a walk down to the lake.

That only takes us to mid-day. But I think it makes the point. Rejection doesn’t have to take over your life. It doesn’t even have to get in the way. No SOB (No not that! It stands for short of breath), no turning green, no woe is me.

Virtually every transplant recipient will experience rejection at some time. Listen to the transplant team. Do as they say. And, these days, it’s no big thing.