Friday — the Best Day for Dialysis!

And why is Friday the best day for dialysis? Because it’s the last day for dialysis — for the week, anyway!

And today was especially good. I got there before anyone else scheduled for 6:30, and so was the first to be hooked up. I was online by 6:45, and the session ended at 10:45 — a half hour earlier than usual. Even more important, I was able to sleep for three of the four hours on the machine. This made the session even shorter, from my perspective.

And I came out feeling great, so I did not have to waste the afternoon sacked out. I was able to put up another steam engine on Ebay. My last one sold for $100, so I have good hopes for this one. (In a previous life my hobby was desktop machining, specializing in miniature steam engines of my own design. $100 isn’t much for an item that took almost 100 hours to design and build, but I was building them for fun, not money, and $100 is about $100 more than I expected!) We’ll see how this one goes. If it does well I have about 10 left to unload. If it disappoints me, there’s a Dempsey Dumpster nearby. In either case, they’re taking up too much room in my apartment.

Anyway, it’s been a good day!

More on Ambulance Chasers

In a previous post on this subject, I talked about attorneys suggesting we sue the makers of Heparin if we have any of a list of symptoms while (or after) being treated with that product. A problem with that list is that it includes many symptoms that are simply a part of life. A common cold includes half the symptoms listed. If you have a cold and have had Heparin, should you therefore sue the maker? I think not, but that is what they are implying. I think it’s wrong.

This is not the only thing some attorneys are targeting. Any manufacturer or service provider can be sued for (it seems) any reason, and this drives up the cost of the product or service. You and I pay for it.

Most attorneys provide a necessary service, and are valued members of the communities they serve. In my opinion, however, those who suggest we sue simply because we may be able to squeeze some money out of someone are doing a disservice to their community.

Lung cancer victims who may have been exposed to asbestos 30 years ago are a case in point. Who knew then that asbestos could cause cancer? It was a valued product in common use. How can we justify suing the user of asbestos at a time when it was generally thought to be safe? Yet some attorneys are suggesting just that. I think it is wrong.

Of course there are legitimate reasons for suing in these examples. My problem is with attorneys who encourage people to sue at the drop of a hat, and then provide the hat.

My Daughter — My Hero! (Heroine?)

Wow! Two posts in one day! I just took a look at my daughter’s blog –
http://stitchingwithashimmy.com/
and found she was touting this one. What a concept! I should have touted hers long ago.

My daughter is an extremely talented young lady who is very much into needle art and belly dancing. She teaches belly dancing at a local college, and her blog discusses that and various stitching arts — cross stitch, and a number of others that I don’t understand. Her day job is technical writing, and her computer skills far surprass mine. They should! She’s been playing with computers since she was 11.

Her blog is entertaining, and she shows some beautiful pieces she has for sale. Take a look; even if you don’t go for these crafts, you’ll enjoy the read!

A funny thing happened on the way to the post office …

Well, it wasn’t really all that funny. I got out of dialysis about 11:30, feeling good but hungry. I drove home and fixed myself a ham and cheese sandwich. After eating, I drove to the post office to find some boxes to ship a couple of things I’d sold on Ebay. While there, I suddenly felt faint and had to sit down. People noticed, and suggested calling 911. I figured I could wait it out, so I nixed that idea. After about 10 minutes I felt better, so shuffled out to the pickup and drove home. The fainting came on again and I barely made it into the house. I went to bed, and a couple of hours later I woke up feeling okay.

On looking back on this, I realize I was a danger to myself and to others, and so I have made this vow: if someone thinks they should call 911 on my behalf, I will let them do it.

On another note: last week my dialysis machine started giving me a yellow light, indicating there was something wrong with my fistula. So the nurse scheduled me for a hospital visit to have it reamed. This was the second time in six months. My daughter drove me in, as I was not allowed to drive myself home after the procedure. I mentioned to the surgeon that the first time was painful, so they gave me a bigger dose of whatever it is they give you to relax. I relaxed so much I didn’t feel a thing. In fact, it’s probably the best sleep I’ve had in a week! (g)

Ambulance Chasers

Today I saw yet another ad suggesting I could make a great deal of money by virtue of being administered heparin during dialysis. Most dialysis and surgery patients are given heparin to thin the blood prior the procedure. Dialysis patients are given it to prevent the blood from clotting in the machine.

The ad suggests that this medicine could be causing great damage, up to and including death, and advises that if a loved one has died while taking heparin, next of kin may have a case for a large cash award. It goes on to say that if you, while taking heparin, suffer, among other things — shock, chest pains, vomiting, organ failure, skin redness, fatigue, low blood pressure, fainting, and/or increased sweating — you may be a victim of heparin poisoning.

I had organ failure before taking heparin, so there’s no case there. Before kidney failure and during these years of dialysis I have had and continue to have all of the symptoms listed above. They are common to an aging and weakening system, but if the owner of that system has a greedy streak, he may be tempted to give the advertiser a call.

I don’t know how I would prove a case against heparin — or even why I’d want to, since this blood thinner makes dialysis possible for me, and dialysis is what keeps me alive.

Murder by dialysis

I just read a chilling article from Associated Press about a nurse at a dialysis center in Lufkin, Texas who is alleged to have injected 10 patients with bleach. Five of them died. I knew there was a reason I try to be nice to those charged with my “oil change” three times a week. They’re always stuffing something into my veins. So far it’s been good things — like an iron booster, or antibiotics when I had a mild infection. News like that makes one realize how vulnerable we are!

On the other hand, most people who become nurses or dialysis technicians do so because they have a need to help people. They can’t be doing it for the money, for there’s not that much of it. It’s hard work, and their patients are often cranky — sometimes even resentful of the hand that has been dealt to them.

I am fortunate, in that the crew at my dialysis center are dedicated people who are committed to keeping the procedure safe and their patients comfortable.

So although that article was disquieting, I’m secure in the knowledge that it can’t happen here… can it?

Isn’t there another way?

A mother I knew told this story about her seven-year-old son:

“Mom, where do babies come from?  Where did I come from?”

She had prepped for this question for a long time, and had early-on decided that when it came, she would tell him the “naked” truth.  So she explained that when a man and a woman loved each other very much, and wanted to raise a child of their own, they would … well, you know the drill.  She went on to tell him that the baby grew inside the mother until it was big enough to come out and see the world.  Then she told him how that occurred.

As she delivered her explanation, his eyes grew big and the expression on his face became more horrified by the minute.  When she finished, he wailed,

“Oh Mom, isn’t there another way?

That’s the way I felt when they explained dialysis to me.

But that little boy is now a father.  Somewhere along the line he discovered that sex aint all that bad.  I’ve come to that conclusion with dialysis as well, though I prefer sex.

Sure, dialysis is a pain in the rear.  Who wants to get up at the crack of dawn three times a week so he can let someone stick needles in his arm and make him lie in a recliner chair for four hours while he gets an “oil change?”  Me, I’d rather go fishing – or hunting – or boating — or just about anything.

But the reward — extended life — is great!  Life is still fun, even (sometimes) when I’m under the needle.  I am so grateful for that procedure, even though I wail at times, “Oh God!  Isn’t there another way?”

Goodbye to a Hobby

I spent about 10 wonderful years with a miniature machine shop and a pen-making wood lathe.  I sold the machine shop to finance my move across the country, but brought my pen-making shop with me.  I have since moved in to a one-bedroom apartment — not a good place for the messy operation of making pens.

Yesterday I gazed upon the lathe and its accessories stored in a closet and said to myself, “Self,” I said, “you haven’t turned a pen in over a year, and it doesn’t look like you’ll ever do it again.”  I had made pen and pencil sets to all my relatives for Christmas presents over the years, and sold a few more on Ebay.  I didn’t want to repeat myself with Christmas presents, and the little money I made on Ebay was hardly worth the effort.

So I made a web page with descriptions and pictures of the various pieces of equipment and supplies, and referred to that page in a classified ad on Craigs List.  I put it online about 10:00 p.m., and just before I shut the computer down at 2:00 a.m., I checked my email.  There was a respnse to my ad.  The buyer came over this morning and bought it — at my price.  I had been ready to hold firm on price, but there was no need.  He had done his homework and knew as well as I did that the price was a fair one.  Cash on the spot, and he drove off with his new toys.

Funny thing about that:  I got only the one response before I shut the ad down today.  Is that lucky, or what?

Changing a light bulb aint that easy!

A week ago the overhead light in my kitchen burned out.  I placed a toolbox under the light, to use as a step stool, and promptly tripped over it.  I remember hitting my chin on the drainboard as I went down, but I don’t remember hitting the floor.  Probably I was unconscious  at the time, but for how long I have no idea.  When I became aware of where I was, I lay there for some time, checking various body parts for damage.  Finally I got up, and that was a job.

Damage included a badly torn little finger, an ugly scrape on my left shin, and a goose egg on my left inner thigh, surrounded by a salad plate-size very black bruise.  Six days later (today) all those things are still present, but healing.  The only problem area is the finger injury.  The injury scraped off all layers of skin, exposing flesh 1/8″ wide and 1/2″ long.  The finger is red and swollen, and very sore.

So why am I telling you all this? Because my dialysis nurse, on seeing the injuries and hearing the story, read me the riot act for not calling 911.  She inspected the leg and the finger, and was not worried about them.  What concerned her was that I had been knocked out.  At 75, a blow sufficient to knock me out was enough to cause real damage that I would not be able to recognize before it was too late.  According to her, I should have been hospitalized for observation, and given an MRI to spot any blood pooling next to the brain.  According to her, it is not uncommon for a person my age to feel ok after a blow to the head, not get checked out, and die a few hours later.  Younger people are not immune, but they are safer than us “old guys.”

So did the light bulb ever get changed? Yup.  I called up my daughter, and she changed it.  She’s steadier than I am.

Today was a bummer

What can I say?  There are good days and bad ones.  The bad ones help me appreciate the good ones.  So what was bad?  It started at 5:00 a.m. when the alarm went off.  I had lain awake half the night; just couldn’t sleep until about 3:00.  So I woke up groggy and not very enthusiastic about the coming dialysis.  I had breakfast, which was immediately followed by a stomache ache that had me lying down for 10 minutes until it subsided.  I got to the dialysis center on time and was “on line” at 6:45.  I had taken on too much water over the weekend, so they had to take a lot off.  During the fourth hour the leg cramps hit.  I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that sort of pain.  They put some water back and the pain subsided.

When I got home I was weak and very tired, but the overhead light in the kitchen was out and I needed to replace the two bulbs.  I did so, standing precariously on a toolbox.  When I turned on the light I found that only one of the bulbs worked.  By this time I was too shaky to get back on the toolbox, so I called my daughter at work and asked her to drop by on her way home and help.  She did.

Before she got here I went into the kitchen to fix dinner, and promptly tripped over the toolbox (I had been too tired to move it.)  It was a bad fall and I received some damage.  Probably tomorrow I’ll really feel it!

But feel it or not, tomorrow will be a lot better day than today was.  I will make it so.