So, I've been having dialysis for 3 weeks and I must say...it sucks. One of the things dialysis accomplishes besides removing toxins is to also remove excess fluid that can become a problem if it gets in your lungs...which it has in my case. The problem is that for some reason when they get a bit aggressive in trying to remove the liquid, my body doesn't react well. My arteries collapse, I can't breath and I begin to throw up. Yeah, I'm so elegant. All the other people there are quietly reading or sleeping and I'm retching loudly and passing out. Poor Holly, I actually had a seizure in front of her once. Sigh....This past Saturday was the first time it actually went smooth with no problems. I'm always such a pain in the ass.
Spring has tried to 'sprung' but we have had a cold spell in the last few days. Hurry up spring.
So let's talk duck-billed platypus. It's time, don't you think? We can't avoid it forever. Anyway, I have always been fascinated by this mysterious creature. I just happened to catch a show on T.V. today where they were trying to catch one to get some of it's venom. Really? Who knew? So they finally catch one of them with a net and I was stunned to find out they are really small. I had always imagined them to be about the size of a beaver or bigger but no, they are about the size of a large squirrel but much wider and heavier. I also did not know that the males have spurs on the backs of their legs which have venom. Amazing. So, now I know something new about an animal I have been fascinated with all my life. They are second only to my beloved sloth which I dearly love.
My diabetic legs have finally given up on me and NIA hubby bought me a cane. Stairs have become my nemesis and I look like a total idiot getting up them. The cane doesn't seem to help much there as I would have to have the upper body strength of the Hulk to pull myself up, but it does help in walking around. Hopefully I won't fall as much. Keep in mind, I have the girth of a 90 foot redwood!
But I have a plan..I will hollow out the cane and put some gin in it for emergencies. Works for me..
We are having a turkey dinner tonight. Not because it's Thanksgiving but because we were threatened by pilgrims, turkeys were on sale a while back. But for some reason it just doesn't feel right to have a turkey dinner randomly throughout the year. But that will not stop me from enjoying every mouth full
What a week! I began to get a tooth infection last Wednesday and on Thursday I got in touch with my dentist. The problem is, I am allergic to any of the freezing they offer so the next time I get any work done, I will have to be put to sleep. In waiting for that, my tooth became infected. I was put on antibiotics but they weren't working very well. The infection became so acute that the dentist said I should go to the hospital. It just so happened that on Thursday morning, my kidney Dr. called with the results of my blood test. Time for me to get to the hospital as my creatnine numbers were very high. I was actually scheduled on Friday to have the surgery to have the tube put in my stomach to do dialysis at home. But it was all too late and ended up in the hospital and they put some kind of tube in my neck/chest and am doing dialysis 3 times per week. Ugh....it sucks. I now have to wait for the infection in my tooth to be completely gone before I can get the tube inserted to be able to do it at home. Oh well, it's not the Holocaust...and some people have it worse, so I won't complain...well much.
Other than that, I think things are going pretty good. Holly cleaned off our deck on Sunday when I came home from the hospital and it was lovely sitting out there in the sun. It just felt so good on my bones, if you know what I mean. Gorgeous.
Holly gave me the best Mother's Day gift ever. It is a hundred dollar gift card to a place called Kiva. You lend money to people in third world countries to help them start little businesses. I love it so much. I have lent $25 dollars to 4 very hardworking women who run small fish/fruit stands in their villages. This not only helps these women and their families, they have found it also helps their communities. This type of micro financing is such a good idea and whoever thought of it is so brilliant. They do pay back each loan with a small interest and you are then free to reinvest with them or someone else. Thanks Holly...you're the best. Check it out at www.kiva.org.
She and Ashley both know how to shop for me. For Christmas, Holly bought me a donation to the sloth program in the Amazon. The sloth has been my favorite animal since I was a teenager. They sent me a little sloth stuffed animal that I cherish as it is not easy to ever find anything 'sloth' in general. As a matter of fact, I took my sloth to the hospital with me and sat it on my t.v. So cute.
Ashley gave me a subscription to my long time favourite magazine and I can't tell you how great that is when I am in the hospital. Love you guys!
I never wrote here that the 'Love Nest' is up for sale. Since we've moved so far from it now, we are selling it and plan to buy one closer to home. I can't wait. I really miss it. But it looks like we have some interest this year in it. I will keep my fingers crossed.
Nothing much else new, just trying to dance naked in the tulips with my sloth adjust to life on dialysis.
Take care,
