Monday, January 23, 2006

Well, it’s Monday and I am here writing a nice quick blog update. I received an underwhelming response to my request for more subscribers, but that is okay. Perhaps everyone has decided to do an RSS feed, or to just actually come by the website on a daily basis (who knows?). I did stop by the template to add a couple of links on the side. I have some friends that are trying out blogging, so I figured that I could give them a link.

Let’s see … what does everyone want to know about? My transplant testing seems to be going okay. I spoke with the pre-transplant coordinator this morning, and she said that the only thing she needs (for now) is an abdominal sonogram. She is going to hunt through my records to see if there is a recent one available, and if not, then she will have me go and take another one (they aren’t painful, so it’s not a problem). I have the donor application forms at home, and I think I have all of the addresses. I just need to get some envelopes at Wal-Mart on the way home so that I can send them out. I am hoping to do that today, so you should see a Donor Application in the mail this week (if you’ve expressed an interest).

I’m fairly healthy, considering what all is wrong with me. The nephrologist at dialysis said that he wants to start using my fistula FOR SURE on Tuesday. It is in my orders and the technicians know it, so they will use one needle in my arm and one tube in my chest. I do not know how long they will do that, but hopefully it will go quickly back to all fistula and no chest soon. I want to get these tubes out of me! The doctor also recommended self-cannulation, which I am going to research. For this, it probably means that I will send an e-mail to Jonathan Finger and ask him how his self-cannulation is going. He’s the only person that I know that is doing it, so he is a good resource.

Otherwise, there’s not too much going on. I woke up around midnight Saturday/Sunday with pain in my back near my remaining kidney. I took some medication and was able to go back to sleep. Of course, since then, I have been passing blood in my urine, which is not a good thing. I’ll have to let the doctor know that this week when I see him.

Jenny’s birthday went well. I decided to get her a Baylor hat (which she had suggested) and a pot of tulips (which are her favorite flowers). We also went out to dinner on her birthday and had a great time. Thank you all for your suggestions. I will keep in mind the couples day-spa experience for after I get my chest catheter removed.

Thanks for coming by to read!