Down the Hatch

Glucose beverage... um, yum?

Hanging in the waiting room.

Glucose test day.  Dum da dum!  I have been dreading this part of the testing.  I am a big fat baby about eating or drinking things that are disagreeable to me.  I am a VERY healthy eater, and I never ever drink sugary drinks, so I was very worried that I would end up gagging and not be able to choke the drink down.

After fasting since 8 pm last night, I arrived at the hospital at 9 am to get a fasting blood draw.  One little needle stick, a vial of blood and I was sent back out to the waiting room.  I hung out there for about fifteen minutes while my vial of blood was tested and then they brought me the dreaded bottle.  I was instructed to drink it quickly, in five minutes or less.  I unscrewed the cap, smelled it, took a tentative sip... and realized that I had psyched myself out for nothing.  Flat orange soda is what it tasted like.  No big deal at all.  Would I drink it on a daily basis?  Absolutely not.  But I can handle it for this test. 

So I slugged the drink down and then was instructed to come back in two hours for the next blood draw.  Within about ten minutes I started to feel pretty sick to my stomach.  The glucose drink certainly did not agree with me.  I went home and laid down for an hour and a half and tried to ignore the growing nausea.  After two hours I headed back to the lab and had my next blood draw done.  And that was it!  All in all a pretty darn easy set of labs.  Now I just have to wait for the results to come back from Colorado to determine what the next step is.  Will I pass?  I sure hope so!

Vial of my blood.

A Jug Full of Fun



Getting ready for the big collection!

Putting it on ice...







So Sunday morning began my 24 hour collection.  Basically I had to stay close to my pee jug and cooler for 24 hours so that every time I needed to, um, go.... I would be near my supplies to collect it.  So a cooler full of ice and my jug sat ready and waiting in my bathroom at home.  I did take my jug on a brief tour of town and a visit to my parent's house...

At the hospital to drop off my jug!

Getting weighed

24 hours later it was time to take my jug to the hospital and turn it in.  While there I had to get weighed, measured and my blood drawn.  The nurse was awesome - best blood draw EVER!  I did not even feel the needle go in!  Then I was sent down to the ER to get my blood pressure taken.

Collecting a lil bit o' blood

Heading to the ER

At the ER the nurse was nice enough to take an interactive picture of me getting my blood pressure taken.  So this part of the testing is over.  On Wednesday I get to head back to the lab for my glucose tests.  Today's visit was short, sweet and totally pain free! 

Getting my BP

Visit to the Lab



Paperwork for the lab





Driving to the hospital



Today was the start of my labs process, the first steps in testing for kidney donation.  I printed out the forms that Vonnie from the University of Colorado Hospital had emailed me and drove over to the Fort Atkinson hospital to pick up my lab supplies. 



The first couple of tests in the kidney donation process include:

• 24 hour Urine for Creatinine Clearance and Protein (this includes a serum Creatinine for calculation)
• Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (Fasting Glucose and 2 hour glucose)
• Height
• Weight
• Blood Pressure

Fort Atkinson hospital

Entering the lab

I was picking up my "pee" jug today... a big jug that I would collect my urine in for 24 hours.  The contents of the jug will be analyzed in a Creatinine Clearance and Protein test.

The creatinine clearance test compares the level of creatinine in urine with the creatinine level in the blood. (Creatinine is a breakdown product of creatine, which is an important part of muscle.) The test helps provide information on kidney function.

Pee jug

My supplies

Got pee?

So this is what I am working with.... I will spare you photos of the collection process!  Anyway, this lab will be done this week and then next week I will be doing the glucose test.  Reallllllyy looking forward to that one!  If any of you have ever had a baby you have had to drink that nasty bottle of glucose gunk.  That is what I get to do for this test too.  I will certainly need lots of crossed fingers and prayers for that one!  More info soon! Love and hope.... ~LL