A Day in the Life

I’ve always been a lover of to-do lists, which is fortunate because when you’re post-transplant, taking a plethora* of medications, and even worse, dealing with their multitude of side effects, to-do lists are essential. When you think of a to-do list, you probably think of tasks like buying groceries, scheduling the dog’s vet appointment, calling Grandma, etc., and I used to think the same way! However, nowadays my to-do lists are a little more complicated :). I’ve had to create to-do lists for cleaning, taking medications, and even eating, to name a few. For those of you who are interested, here is my daily medical-related to-do list (don’t worry if you don’t understand half of these terms; neither did I a year ago!):

Daily To-Do List

• 6:15 am: take out IV mag from fridge, call endocrinology
• 6:50 am: give Lantus shot, start IV mag
• Shower
• Before breakfast: Blood pressure check, glucose check, carb count
• Humalog shot (carbs + correction)
• Breakfast: pills
• 8 am: Steroid
• 10 am: Cyclosporine
• 10:50 am: unhook IV mag, heplock
• 
  
• Before lunch: Glucose check and carb count
• Humalog shot (carbs + correction)
• 
  
• Before dinner: Blood pressure and glucose check, carb count
• Humalog shot (carbs + correction)
• Dinner: pills
• 
  
• 8 pm: Steroid
• Lay out for next day: steroid supplies, BP cuff, pills, towels, clothes
• 10 pm: Cyclosporine
• Before bed: glucose check
• Sanitize toothbrush

Anytime (every day): yoga or Bosu ball, back stretches, Wii board, calf raises, lift weights

Mondays and Fridays

• 9 am: bring Cyclosporine, 2 heparin, alcohol, Humalog, food
• 9:30/10 am: Labs, Cyclosporine, clinic visit, IVIG and/or transfusions (Fri)

Mondays: cap change

Tuesdays: someone clean bathroom

Wednesdays: refill pills

Thursdays: dressing and cap change

Fridays: home pharmacy delivery (steroid, mag, supplies)

Saturdays: change sponge, sheets, and my towel; disinfect scrub brush

*I love Three Amigos...