HAPPY NEW YEAR, and HUGS AND KISSES TO ALL!!!!!!!!!

Now that it's 12:11AM here, on the East Coast (Cleveland, where I am for the holidays and past), let me say:
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!
And, especially if you don't really have anyone to kiss...
A lifetime of hugs and kisses to one and to all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love you!!
My Myspace and Facebook friends, as well as my blog readers, really and truly made 2009 one of the best years I had in ages...or possibly ever.
Together, may we make 2010 even better!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
God bless you, and may we all be healthier, feel healthier, and have plenty of prosperity and good fortune in 2010 and in all the years to come!!!!!
Love ya, a gazillion times over, love ya!!!!!!

Quick-quick update

That cold I had this week seems to be clearing up. Still have a scratchy throat, but I think that'll clear up well, as it has.
I will confirm, though, that I have peritonitis (again). Oh, no biggie...y'know? This is only the 4th time in two years that I've had peritonitis. Every time has been dialysis-induced, just like the damn hemo infections I had over the last two years! But really...no big deal, right??
Damn!! This time, I'm getting chills terribly too! That, I'm pretty sure is new.
We have NO idea for sure what caused it this time. I'm pretty careful when I do my treatments. But, I am only human...possibly I accidentally contaminated something. (For the record, I am slowly beginning to HATE the word "contamination.") Or, possibly, I took too much Excedrin and gave myself another ulcer...which can well be causing this whole mess.
I don't know. All I know is, this is horrible timing, because I now hope to "fly away" on Monday night...so I'd better get better by then!!!!
Besides, I hate hospitals so much!!!
I'll keep you posted, but I can't stay here too long. I'm pretty damn sick.
xoxo

Another dialysis-induced infection~~

Looks like I probably have peritonitis (again). The last two nights, my "initial drain" was red and cloudy. Red isn't that hard to take. It just means that I did something that put too much strain on the "PD" catheter, and it started bleeding. However, with no kidneys, I would not want to cause too much bleeding, because if I get too anemic, I'll have to get Epogen injections, probably twice a week or so. And that's no fun! Cloudy, on the other hand, means that I probably have peritonitis (again). Oh, I've only had it four times in two and a half years. When does it all end, or does it ever end??!!! Why can't I be absolutely fed up with this nonsense???
The timing couldn't have been worse, either. I'm flying to Cleveland for the holidays...leaving this Thursday. I REALLY didn't need to get peritonitis this soon before leaving for my Christmas vacation, and I REALLY REALLY REALLY don't need this peritonitis to ruin my Christmas!!!!!!!!!! Bad enough that the two times I wound up in the hospital with this illness, were on Valentine's Day and Mother's Day (both in 2008). Those were hard enough. If I have to spend Christmas in the hospital, that's it...I will absolutely feel like quitting all dialysis treatments of any kind!!!!
The first time I had peritonitis, in the summer of 2007, it was mild, as it is now (so far). I gave myself antibiotics for two weeks, it cleared up, I was fine. In 2008, I almost died twice. The first of those two times, I was severely dehydrated too, complete with dizzy spells and passing out, which was why Dad had to carry me to his car, and I had to be in a wheelchair when we waited in the Emergency Room. The second time, in May of 2008, I was in so much pain that I was reduced to crawling. I was home, so Mom called 9-1-1, and two paramedics came and had to scrape me off the floor as though I was a damn fried egg. This time, I hardly have any symptoms, other than a little cramping. Today, I started with the antibiotic thing, so hopefully we're catching it soon enough this time that I will be spared of another hospital stay, because that is what would ruin my Christmas!!
I have had enough dialysis-related infections already. And the time I was on hemodialysis was no exception. No peritonitis...but plenty of systemic infections, which are infections that are detected in a person's blood. One of those infections that I remember well was in the summer of 2008...Every time I went for hemo. treatment, during treatment, I got terrible chills, and almost unbearable muscle aches, including bad headaches. Some time after being disconnected, the symptoms cleared up. That's how we knew it was from the hemo. catheter. In January of this year, I had a graft put in my right arm. The dialysis nurse promised me I'd have a lower chance of getting infections. A month later, the graft got infected and had to be taken out.
I've had too many infections already...I'm fed up!!! I've had it!!! How much clearer can I possibly be??? I am sick and tired of being sick and tired!!!
Excuse me. This is my blog. I will sneak in here and vent when I feel like I have to, so thanks for hearing me out.
Happy Holidays!!!!
xoxo

A bit of transplant info~~

It's been a busy few weeks here.
Although, with only two weeks before Christmas, and I still haven't started writing out greeting cards, I really should get to that...
But, I also want to give you a little bit of education, on Living vs. Cadaver kidneys...stressing how much more beneficial it would be for me to have a living, rather than cadaver, donor. And, I want to give you a little insight as to what the first two months or so, following my transplant, will be like...so you know.
Living donor kidneys have a greater chance of working immediately, following the transplant, and also a greater chance of staying working longer, than cadaver donor kidneys. Plus, a living donor kidney has probably been out of its original owner for less time than the average cadaver kidney.
Now then...the first two months or so, after transplant. For me, that means, a lot of doctor's appointments, which will be important for me to keep. Literally, my life will depend on keeping every appointment, and following doctor's orders. I'll have many anti-rejection meds to take, daily, and every certain number of hours apart like clockwork...no exceptions. In those first critical weeks, I'll have to rest much. I won't be able to drive, nor will I be able to lift anything over 5 lbs. And, I may have restrictions as far as whether I can walk up and down stairs right away. Oh, yes, and also, no going grocery shopping or being ANYWHERE where there are crowds, because as my immune system is compromised, I'll be very susceptible to even the slightest little cold, and if I'm not careful, that could kill the new kidney, and I'd end up back on f***ing dialysis again. So...no crowds, especially in the beginning. I'll be very fragile those first two months...I'll have stitches. They STITCH the new kidney in place...they don't weld it in and secure it with nuts and bolts, like a damn car. And it'll be up to me to rest plenty and not push myself too hard, so that it can all heal up properly. Will I be able to keep up my share of the housework?? NO!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for reading on. I hope I've given you at least a little bit of useful information...food for thought.
Later, tweethearts!!!
xoxo

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!!!

Just wanted to take a minute, and a break from my new story here, to wish you a very, very, very Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!
Tomorrow is the Dick Biondi Toy Drive, on WLS-FM (and on the Internet at said radio channel).
Two years ago, I made a small but significant donation. Dick thanked me for that, which was wise on his part, because I didn't have to do that. I was out of work (for the umpteenth time in a four-year time span), had no income (my Social Security Disability benefits didn't start until after I moved to Cleveland), and had just had a major surgery (the nephrectomy, for which my co-pay was $1,000!!) So, to say thank you to me for whatever the donation was that I made, was a good thing. Dick and I were therefore appreciative of each other that year.
Last year, I donated $350...and just reminded myself of that a week or so ago when I decided to get my 5th/3rd checkbook updated, balanced, and detailed. I wrote, and relived, the transactions of the past year, which were many...because when I was in Cleveland, I was lonely, and bored as hell...which caused me to go through a six-month spending spree, including the $350 donation to the Toy Drive. While that was a much larger donation than I had made the year before, Dick never said thank you for that one.
So, this year, I am going to skip the donation. With all due respect to UCAN, and to Dick, I don't need to make a donation and have it get overlooked as though it hadn't happened. I have the records to prove that it did happen.
There was one more thing that I have not forgotten about, nor will I ever probably. Two years ago, during the Toy Drive, someone brought Dick some bottles of specially-marked Steak Sauce, like the one pictured here. Two years ago, Dick promised he'd save me a bottle. I told him I was going to be moving to Cleveland shortly after New Year's...and I did so. But, he never let me visit even then. Even when I was only 350 miles or so away. Not only that, but I never received said bottle in the mail either. So, after two years, I have never actually seen this special collectible bottle that was promised to me. That's not very nice at all, y'know?
Looking at this, I am guessing that someone, particularly another Biondi fan, may be offended by hearing my version of what transpired over the last two Toy Drives. I don't care. This is my blog. I'll offend anyone that I want to on my blog. If I leave a comment on a public discussion forum, then I'll be more tactful...but not on my blog. If I refrained from offending anyone on my own blog, I might as well not write in the first place.
Anyway...feel free to give the Toy Drive a listen tomorrow...and, if you can and want to, go ahead and donate. Dick might even give you an on-air thank you. Me?? I'm saving up for my next car...besides, I already donate to PAWS of Coronado, the Humane Society of the United States, the ASPCA, and even the PKD Foundation. UCAN can do without me this year....since they got $350 from me last Toy Drive, and no one gave a rat's a$$.
Have a lovely weekend!!!!
(poofski)

The first five years

Forgive my lack of memory, but I really don't remember that much about my pre-Kindergarten years.
Thanks to the memories my mom has shared with me over the years, and what little that I can remember, I can probably give you a little background on those five years.
At first, we lived in a two-bedroom, first-floor apartment in Warrensville Heights, Ohio, a southeast suburb of Cleveland.
One thing that I know was true back then, just as it was all my life, was that Mom, Dad, and I got less-appealing presents at Christmas, because Dad is Jewish (which makes me half-Jewish), whereas my aunt and her husband and daughter got the most appealing gifts, as they were Catholic. This was the extent of any mention of religion in my family, or at least in our household, until I was in high school.
While at the apartment, things changed much. Construction on what is now either I-271 or I-480 (no, I'm not sure which...sorry) went underway not too far from where we lived, and when we went on our walks through the neighborhood, I used to tell my mom, "Go see trucks." I am not sure why, but I loved watching the trucks. I must have had tomboy tendencies, although I was clearly a girl...except that my hair was slow to grow out, so was always short and scarce. My first haircut was probably not until after I turned 3.
By early 1973, the neighborhood started changing. The apartments were partially broken in to more than once. Not completely broken in to, and not entered...just the bottom locks were undone, and the doors left ajar, but the security chains were left intact. Because of the changes that were undoubtedly taking place, many families left the area, and we were no exception.
Shortly after my 3rd birthday, we moved to a 2-bedroom bungalow house in South Euclid. My parents still live there, and I have also, on and off in my adult years.
After the move, I wanted to "see Old Numbers House." I guess the numbers on both places got my attention, because the apartment then became "Old Numbers House," and the house was, I think, "New Numbers House."
One thing about me back then: I was a smart cookie. I started reading store signs backwards even...which is something I can, and still, do frequently. I could read and write, period, before I started kindergarten...not everyone can say that.
In South Euclid, I had three or four playmates, all of whom lived on our block, and all of whom were already in elementary school, as at 3 and 4 years old, I was the youngest. We were pretty darn close in those days, and remained close until shortly after I started first grade. I guess, when the going really gets tough, you find out who your real friends are...and they weren't really friends when the going got tough for me. But, I'll get more in to that in a future post.
I have a vague memory of one of our first winters at the house. I think I was 4 1/2, but I may have only been 3 1/2. Whichever...it was clearly snowing, much. And Mom wanted me to play in the front yard by myself for a little while. After all, I was supposed to be a big girl now. No sooner did she go back in the house, than I started crying, as though I thought someone was going to come and kill me or something. I don't remember how we resolved that little problem. So, I didn't like to be alone without Mom. But other than that, I was just as sweet and normal as could be.
By the time I started kindergarten, I was just a sweet little angel...with sometimes a silly sense of humor. But, I was...just a sweet little angel. Not all that talkative, but not painfully shy either. The painful shyness--my protective shell--was to come shortly thereafter, and has not left me completely.

By the way~~~~

By the way...
I have gone on to write, in general.
Initially, my blog here was supposed to be to kind of let someone know exactly how hard it has been waiting, and waiting, and waiting...for a kidney transplant. I kind of hoped that somehow, word would get out that I was getting tired of waiting, and maybe someone would come forward and try to at least...get tested to possibly be my donor...or at the VERY least, be approved to be someone else's donor so I can get moved up on the waiting list???
Or, if not that, at least do a little networking for me please...tell everyone you know, as am I, etc...to get the word out.
After almost a year of writing, almost nothing has happened.
I cherish, with all my heart, every comment that I have received, and I thank you much. Alas, even comments have been few and far between.
So I moved on from that topic, and shared some, about my cats...cars...moving across the country (again)...And whatever else.
I am considering getting into sharing some about where I've been, what I've gone through...because my life has been essentially boring-as-hell, but with a few really exciting moments. (I said, EXCITING...I didn't say, necessarily, exciting in a good way!!! But to know what I mean, you would have to know my story...which you will, if only you'll stick with me here.)
I may not be the best writer out there, but...if I quit, no one will know I ever was doing anything and everything to reach out and be as real and as tangible as possible so that maybe someone would want to help me network.
Like my first transplant doctor told me...my job...is to tell everyone I know to tell everyone they know, etc., etc., etc. And if someone along the way wants to be my advocate, and help with my networking, please, be my guest!
Maybe, if we all network, maybe word will get out to one of those living-donor chains that I have read about. I know they're out there...but I have had no luck at all in connecting with one.
Let me wish anyone who comes along here, this week:
HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
With love and best wishes for a lovely holiday...
~~The San Diego Turkey. ;-)

Stwange Coincidence

Life takes amazing twists and turns sometimes.
Personally, for me, two traumatic experiences in my life, both of which are unforgettable, both involved a Jerry.
Now...what were the odds...
One, yes, was my Jerry...my darling cat. The other...well, it would take a ton of encouragement for me to come out with it and reveal who the other Jerry was/is. No, I would never give out his last name...I'd just tell what happened.
Gotta run for now. I'm not feeling well at all here.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
(Poofenpfeffer)

Almost two years since the big surgery~~

Yup...it's now been two years, minus nine days, since I had that big nephrectomy.
That's two years minus seven days more than I thought I'd live with no kidneys.
I thought I was supposed to have gotten a transplant by now...then again, maybe somebody knows that I'm a lost cause.
I've come close to dying more than once since then...and I wonder why I didn't let myself go the rest of the way (toward dying, that is). Maybe, because, someone wants me here...but, who, and why??????
When you need a machine every night to keep you alive and relatively healthy, you start questioning...excuse me for going through that, and thank you for understanding.
Ta-ta now!
I'd hate to say the wrong thing on my own blog, so I'll shuffle on outta here before I stick my hoof in my mouth.
(poofenpfeffah)

Decisions...Details...Oh dear, oh dear.......

It's the holidays already...
For me, that means contemplating visiting my parents and my wonderful furbabies in Cleveland.
But....let's see.....
Well, first, I've gotta make my reservations.
Then, I'd have to give Baxter at least a two-week notice, so that means I couldn't leave before early December no matter how much I might want to.
Then, there's the Moonster. I Googled the subject. Many, many "PD" patients take their HomeChoice cycler with them when they travel, and many, many "PD" patients maintain jobs where they have to travel by plane regularly. How the airlines handles the machines is nothing. They're educated on that...they know, if you tell them it's your dialysis machine...your lifeline...they'll let you take it on the plane. I should likely travel lightly, luggage-wise, so that I can manage the Moonster as well.
Soooooo damn much to do just to take a little holiday vacation!!!!!
If it weren't for my furbabies, I'd be wondering, if it's all worth it.
Now.....Probably Dec. 20 would be a good day to leave here.
If I plan this perfectly, I'll be able to stay in Cleveland a few weeks, and be there when it's time to take my furbabies to the "v-e-t." Then, I could probably come back here, mid-to-late January. There's Baxter again to consider, though. I think they come at the end of the month now. They just did a route change on me...yes, I get an end-of-the-month delivery now. OK then...perfect.
Forgive me. I'm just using this blog to lay out all the details and have them here to look at...that might help me get things underway, because otherwise, I won't want to.
Thanks for letting me think "out loud," in writing.
xoxoxoxoxoxo
(poofenpfeffer)

A New Home For Ferals : The Humane Society of the United States

A New Home For Ferals : The Humane Society of the United States



Someone is doing a lot of good for a lot of cats and kittens in need... My hat is off to them!! Bless their hearts!!!!!!!!

Uh...Not anemic now, but....I give it another week or so...

Good news: my hemoglobin shot up to 13.5, after three weeks of getting two Epogen shots a week.
Lovely, but...with no kidneys whatsoever, I only give it a week or two, before it'll go back down again.
Besides, I'm still hooked on ice cubes. That proves that 13.5 may not be anemic for a dialysis patient, but it's anemic for me personally...No, I don't mean to confuse you...that's just how it is.
So much for the update.
Gotta run.
Love ya!!
xoxo
(poof-in-a-New-York-minute)

Time Check ;-)

I'm in a touchy mood, so...it is with extreme caution that I reach out tonight.
As I type this, it's roughly 6:57pm in California. Other time zones, please add or subtract an hour as needed. If you're in California, and your clocks still say 7:57...you forgot to "fall back" last night!
Just a gentle reminder.
Must run for now.
Love ya!!
xoxo
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
(poofski)

Just in time for tomorrow.....

I probably won't be too busy to say this tomorrow, but let's get it out of the way now, if that's OK with you...

BOO!!!!!!!!!!

Hmmmm...the top of that keeps getting cut off...Oh well. Close enough. You get the idea, right? ;-)
Have a safe and Happy Halloween, and also, don't forget, tomorrow night, we set our clocks back one hour.
xoxoxoxo
Good night, and have a pleasant tomorrow. ;-)

Dragging myself through...second by second~~~~

I somehow don't think anyone has any idea whatsoever, how hard it is to be chronically anemic.
Let me explain something.
When I still had my kidneys, they churned out a healthy helping of a hormone called erythropoietin. That hormone is responsible for the production of new red blood cells.
Then, my kidneys got large, infected, and painful...so, they had to come out.
Ever since then, my blood supply has been precious...but not endless.
I've been on Epogen...phony erythropoietin...ever since. When I was on hemodialysis, I got Epogen every day of treatment, or three days a week. When on peritoneal dialysis, as I am now, I get it as needed...which was once a week at one time...is now twice a week.
In May of 2008, my hemoglobin got down to 7. That's low enough that I needed a blood transfusion, which made a world of difference.
Usually, though...whether because Medicare won't cover certain procedures under certain conditions...usually, I end up getting Epogen shots.
These last two months or so, my hemoglobin dropped, down to 10. Not quite as low as it was when I had that transfusion...but it's sure got me feeling as though I've been hit by a truck!!!!
That's why I'm up to two Epogen shots a week now. Because of how my hemoglobin level dropped and didn't go back up with just one Epogen shot a week.
According to my nurse, the Epogen shots stop when my hemoglobin gets up to 12. I'll bet it doesn't stay at 12, though!!
12, though, is the limit, for a dialysis patient.
For me, personally, that's still kind of anemic. When I had my kidneys, my hemoglobin was usually about 14, or even 16!! So, 12 would be comparatively anemic.
OK, now that I've gone over the technicalities of it.....
I don't think anyone has the slightest idea of how hard it is to drag yourself through, day by day, second by second....movement by movement....
Anemia is an energy-zapper, if ever there was one!!!!
Maybe for convenience's sake...it's just not convenient to understand how hard it is for an anemic to even breathe sometimes....so, most people don't understand that.
That's what I'm trying to tell you, though. It IS hard to be anemic. Harder than one might think.
Thanks for hearing me out.
It's been a hell of a week...a hell of a day...I appreciate being able to come back here and write....and I wish I had more readers, but I'm not writing for my readers. I'm writing for myself. I wish more people would sneak in here and take a look, but it's my blog...if that makes any sense.
I have a feeling now that I'm just rambling for nothing, so.......
Good night, and have a pleasant tomorrow!!!
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

"Only YOU Can Prevent Wildfires." --Smoky Bear

Two years ago this week, many residents of San Diego County had to evacuate, as multiple wildfires raged through the area. I was here then. Where I worked, we had two days off, because so many other employees were busy evacuating. We were close, but we didn't have to evacuate after all. We were damn close, though, as I remember. I was on "PD" at the time, as I am now too, and I received instructions for what to do, and what to take with me, should we have to evacuate. Considering that I'd either have had to do 4 manual exchanges a day, or drag the machine with me, I was very much relieved that we didn't have to evacuate. My car was in two transmission shops during the firestorm, and was full of ashes, inside and out. I couldn't quite figure out how the ashes got inside the car, since it was closed up most of the time...but apparently it has some flimsy seals around the windows and doors.
Four years ago next week, several wildfires raged through San Diego County as well.
The 2003 and 2007 firestorms had one thing in common: the air quality was horrible. I remember how the patio, and the cars, were full of ashes, and the sky was gray with smoke.
Let's not have another firestorm this year, OK?? I'd fully appreciate if we'd all be extra careful, and do what it takes to NOT start a fire.
Good health and safety to one and all!!
xoxo

Latest Liver News~~~~~

Last week, I learned that a recent ultrasound done on my gallbladder, liver, and spleen, showed that I may have a hemangioma in my liver. I wonder if that's really what showed up. I know that I have a polycystic liver...I wonder if a liver cyst could look like a hemangioma....
The results of today's MRI will tell me for sure.
I have no symptoms. I had no idea this was going on. But, having only one liver, and it's been hard enough finding a kidney donor...I really don't need any problems with liver failure at this point.
At this point, I'm kind of tired...possibly from being anemic...possibly from who-knows-what...but I wanted to touch base.
Oh, and the latest snag in getting a kidney transplant is, that...well, let me back up. I've had Medicare since May, 2008, due to End-Stage Renal Disease and being on dialysis. At first I was in Ohio, where I finally got Ohio Medicaid after having been there for almost a year. Then I came back here, to California. I'm still trying to get Medi-Cal, but here's the snag. Medi-Cal says that it's up to the Federal government to get me started with Medi-Cal, because I am receiving Social Security benefits. Social Security, on the other hand, says that it's up to the state, because Medi-Cal is a state program. They keep referring me to each other, I presume because neither wants anything to do with a high-risk patient like me. I don't know....all I know is that I need Medi-Cal before Sharp will let me get a kidney transplant...so I sure wish I could hurry things along and get it all straightened out once and for all!!!!! I am entitled to Medi-Cal benefits...again, because of End-Stage Renal Disease, and because I'm on Social Security. Plus that I'll go absolutely broke paying the part of my bills that Medicare doesn't cover.
Thanks for stopping by again!!
xoxo

My Cats' Names~

I wanted to do this, following the last post, of how I got my name.
My cats...
Well, I don't think I did half bad on naming them, considering...
Let me back up again, as I did on my last post.
Waaaaaay back when, in 1960, my mom's parents acquired two cats. Their cats were originally named Antony Armstrong Jones (Tony), and Queen Elizabeth--after two members of the Royal Family at the time. But, soon, they discovered that Queen Elizabeth was a boy kitty, so they had to change his name. Mom's sister knew someone in school by the name of Jerry, and she liked that name, so...majority vote went with that. Hence, the two cats' names were Tony and Jerry--Tony short for Antony Armstrong Jones, and Jerry short for...Jerry.
Tony and Jerry the firsts lived until 1974, when my maternal grandfather had them put to sleep shortly after Grandma passed. (Awwwwwwwwwwww)...
August 29, 2001, I met my little kittens for the first time. They were just hours old at the time. I almost named one of my boys Stripes, for the fact that they have very obvious stripes. But then, I thought, I'd like to give them family names. We did indeed have a Tony and Jerry in the cat family....so, I went with that, for the boys of course.
My girl became Muppet, which is kitten-talk for Muffin, which she has always been...my little muffin. And for short, she's Mup.
Gee, that was easy!!
Thanks again for stopping by!!
Love ya!

How I Got My Name~~~~

Just for the heck of it, I thought I'd share with you, how I got my name.
Let me back up a bit, first.
My maternal grandmother's name was Lila Victoria Rini--Italian. We are, in fact, distant relatives of the founders of Rini's Stop-N-Shop in Cleveland, Ohio, a supermarket that has long since closed down. Grandma's older sister was Anne, from whom my mom gets her middle name. Mom is Judith Anne. I mention this because it gives you an idea of some of our family names.
Mom married first in 1965, a brief marriage that she prefers not to talk about much. During that marriage, she got pregnant. That pregnancy ended in miscarriage--would have been a girl, and Mom would have named her Victoria Anne.
Mom married my dad on December 10, 1968. When she was pregnant with me a year later, she decided that, if I was a girl (which, naturally, I am), I'd still be Victoria, but...new husband, new baby...scratch the middle name of Anne. I was going to have a different middle name...after all, I was a different person. Mom's Aunt Anne used to call my Grandma "Lou", as a nickname. How she got "Lou" out of Lila, I have no idea. But...that nickname stuck with my mom, and she lengthened it to Louise, to be my middle name.
The other thing was, that Mom knew two girls, during her school years--one was Vicky, and the other was Louise.
I was, therefore, named for my maternal grandmother only in reverse, and also for Mom's two friends from school.
By coincidence, Grandma, for whom I was named, also had one other thing in common with me. She had two brain aneurysms in her lifetime. The second of those two was what killed her, when she was only 50. Years later, I was diagnosed with PKD (Polycystic Kidney Disease). And some years after that, we learned that the same gene that causes PKD also causes brain aneurysms. Hmmmmmmm.... Not to worry, though. As of last August, I do not show signs of getting a brain aneurysm. All that showed up on the MRI was that I have a benign arachnoid cyst on the left side of my brain. But, I was told, that's a pretty common thing, and it's not hurting anything...just making me more prone to headaches than the average bear (which is true). I guess I can live with that, and if that's not optimistic enough, what is??
Anyway...I do go by Vicky....or VickyLou, and that's where I get that from. That's my combination of my first and middle names.
Last name???? Well...I prefer to hang on to my married name of Sharer, although I have been divorced for 10 years now. My maiden last name is Zeldman, but I'd really rather not use that anymore---maybe because, when I was growing up, my mom's family gave me the impression that being Jewish, or even half Jewish, was a bad thing. My Catholic cousin always got nicer Christmas presents than I did, so I felt like I was inferior because I was half Jewish. That's why I don't want to use my maiden name anymore, regardless of that it's OK to be half Jewish in the real world. I just hope I'm not doing something unacceptable, hanging on to my first husband's last name and considering that I might remarry some day. Well...if I ever remarry, I'll take on my second husband's last name. Fair enough??
Some time, I'll tell you how my cats got their names.
For now, I've gotta run (again).
Thanks for stopping by!!!!
Love ya!!
~~Victoria Louise Sharer

GOD!! WHEN WILL THIS END???

Another story...another heartbreaking horror story, from the ASPCA.
And if you're like me, a cat lover, this will break your heart, as it did mine.
PLEASE, if you know ANYONE, who is exhibiting behavior that is usually a telltale sign that they're going to turn into an animal abuser, PLEASE do something to stop them, BEFORE it is too late!
I beg of you, as does every cat lover, and every cat!!
Thank you for taking me seriously!

Here's the story, by the way: Cat Survives Kick in Face with Steel-Toe Boot

For some reason, the link I posted doesn't work, so please copy and paste this into your Address bar.

http://www.aspca.org/news/national/09-25-09.html#1

Oky doky....No sooner do I post the link to that one, than I read of another one...a serial cat killer. If I have already beefed about this one, then forgive me...but I don't think I have.

Story #2...this time of four cats having been killed, and two injured, by a damned imbecile (and that's putting it nicely)!!!! And again, please follow the link:

http://www.aspca.org/news/national/08-28-09.html

I don't get it. These have got to be the fourth and fifth cases, this year alone, of cat abuse. The first one wasn't fatal, but the poor little cat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Have I made myself clear??? I am an advocate for the safety and comfort of cats!!!
I just don't get it. I spend time with my cats...with my sweetheart's cats...with my parents' cat... HOW, exactly, could a person EVER want to hurt a cat!!! WHY??????
Is that something that only an insane person would consider acceptable????!!!
PLEASE, let's work together to STOP that kind of despicable behavior...BEFORE it's too late!!
I would thank you much for your efforts to stop cat abuse!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Love ya!

Why SOOOO very few people have volunteered to be my donor...

I've heard every excuse from A to Z, why no one can be my donor, and save me from having to do dialysis and have essentially a lower quality of life all the way around.
Let's see...there's the ones who are afraid that something will happen to them if they give me a kidney... Never mind that they have two good ones, and I have none whatsoever.
Then there's the ones who are afraid that they might be the wrong blood type. Transplant centers the world over check for these things. I am A+, but can accept an organ from an A+, A-, O+, and/or O-. Got it? Nothin' to be afraid of there!
Then there's the ones who say, "Well, can't a person live, like, forever, on dialysis?" Uh....sure...but why in God's name would a SANE, 39 year-old, WANT to live forever on dialysis??? Not only that, but NO...people don't always live forever on dialysis. 18% of people who are waiting for a transplant, die within the long, long five years it generally takes before a cadaver donor becomes available. Too many people needing a transplant, and not enough donors...has created a helluva problem with the damn waiting list!!!!
There's the people who are just plain chicken.
Hey...I'll lay you 10 to 1 that those chickens could never live with no kidneys, as I have done (and barely, I might add!) for almost two years!! I'll just bet....
This week, apparently, I'm anemic again. This has put quite a damper on my life. I'm also...possibly dehydrated...either that or I'm getting dizzy as hell because I'm anemic! At more than one point today, I had to stop, and I was so dizzy that I got a splitting headache until the dizziness let up. Well, DAMN! And no one is brave enough to be my donor????
FYI: I did get an email the other night, from an out-of-state donor...at least he says he was approved to be a donor where he lives...it's just a matter of him calling Sharp, and me getting Medi-Cal already here....this might just work out...as long as he doesn't run up an unrealistic travel bill and expect me to take care of it, because that I can NOT do!!
Forgive me for ranting. I'm just sick and tired of dialysis, and all the ways that it puts a damper on my lifestyle... Know what I mean??
P.S.: **As I was saying the other night...I DO, VERY much, ♥ sweet surprises...so, maybe someone reading my blog will be moved enough to...well...NOT YOU, necessarily!! Just put the word out for me, PLEASE, because that's what we need to do...network, network, network. That's one of the reasons I started this blog in the first place.
Now then. Time to run, I think.
I'll be back...not sure when, though.
Love ya!
xoxoxo
(poofski)

I ♥ Surprises!!

So I checked my email tonight, after having been out for awhile...and sure enough, I have another possible donor. He is out of state, so this may take a little time...but, it sounds very promising (again). I'm not holding my breath this time, but I'm keeping this situation in my prayers, and hope this is the right donor for me!!
I will keep you posted.
Gotta run (again) for now!
Love ya!
xoxoxoxoxo

QUICK Update~~

It's...((Yawn...stretch...)) been a while since I posted here, hasn't it?
So, here's a quick update.
I had my gallbladder ultrasound Thursday, but still have not heard the results.
I presume that'll happen soon, especially if there's something going on that needs attention. It was an X-ray not only of my gallbladder, but also of my spleen, pancreas, and polycystic liver. (Yes, part of PKD, sometimes, is that the liver ends up being polycystic too....BUT, whereas PKD leads ultimately to kidney failure, sooner in some people than in others, polycystic livers ordinarily do not fail...I'm always concerned about it, nonetheless.)
Yesterday, I thought it was tailbone season again...and/or Intractable Sciatica season. One year ago, it was, I clearly remember, going Greeting-Card shopping at CVS, and I had already put up with not being able to walk for about a week or so, due to my tailbone being debilitatingly sore, and I was getting damn tired of it too...so, while shopping for cards, I meandered over to the Pharmacy, to the walkers... I was sick of having to hold on to everything and everyone that I could get a hold of, just to be able to walk, and even that didn't alleviate the pain...it just made it easier to walk. The crutches made it even easier to walk, as I then always had something to lean on when walking or standing. I am telling you, last year, that tailbone gave me more grief, and more pain and suffering, than anyone under 40 that I know of, and even more so than some people over 40!!! This year, this pain seems to be in the left leg, but as of yet has not impaired my ability to walk and be productive, so thank God for that!! I somehow feel like I owe it all to being back in San Diego. Californians are so optimistic...so upbeat...it's hard to wallow in my own pain like I was in Cleveland last year!!
Today, my leg seems to be better. But, I've been spending so much time cleaning...cleaning...cleaning...that I'm getting exhausted.
With that, I'll be back later this week.
Love ya!!
xoxo

Getting over Jet Lag, once and for all, I think.

The jet lag was roughest going eastward, because my body just didn't want to get off of California time.
So, coming back, I was just tired from all the walking, and flying. Being back where my body didn't want to leave (apparently), was a piece of cake, as far as actual jet lag. I was just having leftover tiredness from the jet lag I had going eastward.
Huh????? What's this????!!! Either the Blogger is messed up, or my blog has had 11,000 views in one day?????????!!!! Could it be??????
11,000 views, and no comments??????? DAMN!!!!
Oh well. Just thought I'd check in.
Tomorrow, I have a gallbladder ultrasound. See, I had a gallbladder attack in June, 2003. That's what Scripps told me. But then I went to Kaiser for a second opinion, and they told me I wasn't having a gallbladder attack. Because Kaiser was where I had my insurance at the time, I therefore didn't have my gallbladder taken out. Now, I'm having a burning feeling in my stomach, that my new G.I. doctor says might be the gallbladder. An ultrasound will tell us for sure. In a way, I hope it is, because then I can finally have my gallbladder out, and maybe hopefully have a much more comfortable life. Maybe even keep all my food and meds down...that would be lovely!!
OK...gotta run.
Later, darlin'!!!!
xoxo

California, I iz baaaaaaaack! :-)

Just lettin' ya know I made it back here safely.
I literally just barely made the first plane on time (By the way), because of the long line at the checkpoint. Cleveland should have separate checkpoint lines for every airline...not combine three or four in one damn line! Geez! Then, I think I lost one of my green "Donate Life" bracelets going through security. I was going to give my "tweetheart" one. Oh well. I have a lot more, but I was too tired to get them packed up to mail. I'll do that when I go back to Cleveland.
It was raining in Cincinnati, so that first plane had to circle around Greater Cincinnati, and possibly part of Kentucky too...then had to land from the south, where it wasn't raining. In other words, he had to circle around so he wasn't in the rain belt...and could land safely. That was quite a trip, I must say! Flying around Greater Cincinnati, in the rain, at 7:45AM. And that was only my second impression of Cincinnati...the first being 12 years ago, when my first husband and I went to see the Reds play, and we stayed in a cute little inn, in Kentucky, just past the state line. Anyway...thank goodness my first plane got to the airport on time in spite of the rain, because I'd have been having kittens if I missed my connecting flight.
The second plane was a dream. I even slept, I think, at least half of the way here.
And, it's a lovely, lovely day here in San Diego.
Last week, in Cleveland, I got a lot done that I wanted to. We visited Hardee's, the thrift store, Wal-Mart (twice), Costco, and a few other stores that I wanted to check out. I kept up with my walking, going over to Bexley Park almost every evening...but, early evening, as you do NOT walk through South Euclid after dark...you just don't. And, my room, that looked like it had been hit by a tornado, is a little cleaner. I got six boxes ready to be mailed here, to myself, I presume by way of Dad tomorrow. When I do last-minute cleaning and packing, I really do last-minute cleaning and packing!! I was up all night doing that...Maybe that explains why I packed my San Diego keys in one of those boxes...I can't believe I did that!!!!!!!
Oh well. It's good to be back, in "America's Finest City"!!!
Gotta run for now.
Laytah, darlin'!
(Poof)

No comments?? No kudos??? Hmmmmmm....

I must be doing something wrong. Not since January have I gotten a comment. And I never get a kudos thing.
Either I'm a horrible writer, or no one loves me...or both.
I'm seriously considering quitting this blog, and everything else I have over the Internet, except email.
Yeah, that's it. I'm a horrible writer. My spelling and grammar are close to perfect. But, my writing is just not up to par. I do what I can. But this has been a rough week for me, so forgive my lack of...well, lack of intelligent ideas.
I'll be back in San Diego early Monday. Maybe I'll give it another shot after I'm back out there...that is, presuming my planes don't go down.
Then again...maybe one of my planes will go down, and you'll be spared any more nonsense from me.
Later, gator!
Love ya!
If anyone actually stopped by, THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If I get a comment off of this one, THANK YOU AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(poof)

You KNEW I'd stop in here during my vacation, didn't ya~~

Yup...I iz here, in Cle-ve-land, visiting my three wonderful furbabies, whose 8th birthday was Saturday. I hear they had a wonderful birthday, and I'm glad for that. This week, I want to keep as busy as I can and not be online too much. But, I just thought I'd come back and let you know I made it here safely.
Saturday, as the plane left California, I cried.
I LOVE YOU, CALIFORNIA, AND I MISS YOU LOTS!! But, I missed my furbabies too. I'll only be here a week, I promise. Hmmmmm...just long enough to get over this jet lag. I had so much I wanted to do today, but I was exhausted with, I presume, jet lag--and my time of the month. I can still clean my room tonight...but going to Wal-Mart, and the thrift store...that'll have to wait till tomorrow. I do have to clean my room, though.
Strange. I was so depressed that I didn't realize it before I went back to San Diego, but I left my room here in such a mess...it looks like it was hit by a tornado. So...my work is cut out for me, here as much as in San Diego, where I get to clean out the guest bedroom when I go back.
By the way, I got here by way of Atlanta after all. Not New York. Last minute change of planes. Yes, planes. Delta had changed everything by the time I got to the airport.
The first kitty I saw was Mup. She was happy to see me, but calm and cool as always. She did sleep with me for a little while last night.
Next was Jerry, Tony, and Velvet. Jerry was absolutely ECSTATIC to see me, and still is. Velvet remembers me. And Tony...well...if you knew Tony like I know him, you wouldn't be surprised to know that he hid under the bed and didn't let me pet him until 10:00 last night. Finally, he kissed me and let me pet him. I think he's starting to warm up to me. Jerry spend part of the night with me too, after Mup was done. Maybe Tony will curl up with me too, by the time I have to fly away again.
These are incredibly smart kitties. And so healthy. What a joy it is to have them!!
Da-YAM, it's chilly here!!!!! Before I left San Diego, it was over 100 degrees. My "tweetheart" told me today that it's not as hot there now (88 degrees on the same patio that got up to 104 the other day), so that's good. But here, it's downright chilly!! Yes, it's a pretty evening--just chilly compared to San Diego (the paper said it was supposed to have gotten up to 70 today, but I don't believe it). My dad told me it was warm here the last few days--then, all of a sudden, just as I was flying in, it got cooler and rainy. Hmmmmmm...so I rained on Cleveland?????? I never thought I could do that!! I should take some of this rain back to California with me. From what I saw on CNN, they/we need it.
And for those who are curious...yes, Jerry still begs me to let him see the "beach" (kitty talk for bleach water, that I use to clean before every dialysis treatment).
Well, as I said, I don't want to wear out my welcome on my own blog here, so off I go. First to try to get my strength back and get into cleaning mode.
Be good, y'all!!! And, if you're in California, I'll be back to join you next week--Labor Day!
Hmmmm...y'know...maybe I should ask. While I'm here, is there anyone in the Cleveland area that I should say hello to for you???? Just curious. The main thing I came for was to visit my handsome/beautiful, brilliant, sweet cats--for their birthday, or close enough to their birthday.
OK, gotta run and read more of "Making Miracles." Anything to keep my brain in gear!
Ta-ta for now!! Love ya!!!
(poof)

AGAIN??????!!!!! This "certified cat lover" has to rant for a sec, excuse me~

Stories like this one absolutely INFURIATE me. NOT because the moron was caught, but because it took them four months to catch him....and then he gets released on $5,000 bail???????????????!!!!!!!!!!! Excuse me, but I'd have quadrupled his required bail amount!!!! I'd have made it impossible for the buffoon to get out.
Cat killers are among the lowest, most despicable forms of life on the planet!!!

http://www.aspca.org/news/national/08-28-09.html#1

I read two similar stories back in June, the week before my birthday. When little feline lives are lost, or when little felines are tortured, THIS certified cat lover wishes there was a way to catch the responsible "people" quicker, before that many feline lives are lost. My heart goes out to all the felines of the world, and their humans. If I could, I'd provide a nice, loving home for all of them. And I'm glad that my three furbabies have two wonderful human grandparents who love them and are willing to keep them safe indoors for me and take them to the V-E-T when they have to go. I should never have to worry about them when I'm here.

Hmmmmm....I just got an email, inviting me to write a "There Oughtta Be A Law" to protect animals. Here's one. There oughtta be a MUCH tougher law against people who hurt and/or kill an animal, and especially, NOT to let them go four months!!!! Get 'em after the first incident!!! Don't let it go beyond that!!

OK. I've ranted (again) as much as I care to. Now...my low blood pressure is catching up with me.
Gotta run. May be back later...
Ta-ta!
(poof)

FYI~~Vacation time~~

Again????
Well...what started out as a vacation from Cleveland to San Diego, turned out to be me moving back to San Diego (and NOT regretting it one bit!).
So now, I guess this is another vacation...Hmmmmm...when a person doesn't know if they're coming or going, I guess EVERY trip is a vacation...Let me think about that for a few.
Saturday, late, I'll be flying...get this...to JFK Airport, in NY! WHO ever would think they'd have to fly to Cleveland from San Diego by way of New York???!!! Then again, if I had gone back there in May as I had planned (before my transplant was cancelled..GRRRRRRRRRR!), I'd have had to transfer in Atlanta; that's even farther out of the way.
I'll get to Cleveland early Sunday. Not quite in time for Tony, Jerry, and Mup's birthday (they turn 8 years old on Aug. 29th, Saturday), but close enough.
And, next week, I'll be spending plenty of quality time with those three handsome/beautiful/brilliant furbabies, whom I've known since they were infant kittens!!
Eight years ago yesterday...Aug. 26, 2001...which now seems forever ago...Twig--the kitty mom--swatted me with her paw. She was on the counter, probably begging for more kitty breakfast. I saw her and wanted to get her off there. You know, lift her. Off the counter. She looked at me, with those big, green eyes, hissed at me, and swatted me with her paw. Three days later, my "tweetheart" left me a message on my pager (which I no longer have), saying something about "ask me what the number three means".) I hadn't a clue. Using what little I then knew about cat pregnancies, I figured Twig was going to have little Libra kitties (late Sep, through Oct. 19). When I finally gave up on guessing what that "number three" meant, my "tweetheart" told me. Twig had her babies. WHAT????, I said. Already??? Hmmmm...well, what little I did know indeed about cat pregnancies. Now I know. They're shorter than I thought!! And that evening, Aug. 29, 2001, I came to this house, to see the new kittens. How darling!!!! How sweet!!!!! It was in that moment that I formed a bond with those little angels...that bond will never break, even if we're miles apart!!! That's the magic of a mother/kitten bond.
Well...I'll be back. Not sure if I'll be back during my vacation. Even if I do come back next week, I won't be here too much!!!! My mind is made up not to be on here too much!!!
Then, I fly back here, by way of Cincinnati, on Sep. 7th, to return around 10:20AM.
I'll have you all in my prayers, thoughts, etc., while I'm up there.
Off I go, into the wild blue yonder!!
Love ya!!
(poof)

Not sure if I'm coming or going, BUT...

What a day, what a day!!
Must be that time of the month. That's all I can think of. My "tweetheart" and I always seem to have at least one snag in our relationship when it's that time of the month.
So, I really have no idea if I'm coming or going.
I'll say this. I WANT, VERY much, to stay. Hell, if I didn't plan on staying, at least in California, would I have studied so hard for my driving test??? (i.e., the driving test I got 100% in for the first time in my life) Would I be trying so hard to get Medi-Cal as supplement to Medicare?? Would I have gotten myself relisted at Sharp Kidney Transplant????? I doubt it!! I do plan on keeping myself parked here. This may mean, of course, that I'd be looking for my own place. I can do this!!! I would rather NOT have to be stuck back in Cleveland, with my parents. As much as I love them, and I plan to visit my three wonderful brilliant cats there frequently, I mean...three adults in a teeny-tiny house that, ideally, is too small for three adults??? Besides that, I got so bored that I ended up being online too much for my own good.
Along with the cloud of being kind of confused, this evening has brought me one of the best silver linings since last month. ;-)
Well...gotta run for now.
Nite-nite, sweetheart! Thanks for stopping by!
Love ya!
Ta-taaaaaa...
(poof)

New Plan Re: Finding A Donor

Someone...I think Gandhi...said, "Be the change you want to see in the world."
Yes, that WAS Gandhi.
Well...the change I want to see, is that I want to be able to find a kidney donor, fast.
I was on "PD"...no problem.
I had a double-nephrectomy...was on hemo.
Then, I switched back to "PD". Got peritonitis twice; almost died both times.
Switched back to hemo...and got one systemic infection after another after another after another, including one that involved having the graft taken out faster than it went in.
Now, I'm back on "PD"...and sure enough, I'm having early symptoms of peritonitis again.
Well, DAMN!!! I can't be on dialysis for five years this way!!!!! I just can't!!!
But, I remembered today, that the other organ that people can spare one of is the lungs. We have two, but only really need one.
Here, then, is my plan.
I'll gladly, quickly, give someone one of my lungs, for one of their good, healthy kidneys.
Deal????
No, really. I WILL be a donor, in order to FIND a donor!!!
Thanks for hearing me out.
Gotta run.
(poof)

The Nightmare of Dialysis~~

Well...one year ago Tuesday, I had a hemo-related nightmare, when that Dr. Bozo managed to cut my artery, leaving me in the hospital for a whole week when I was supposed to be "in-n-out" the same day.
Anyway, now, I'm not sure, but I think I may be having a "PD"-related nightmare.
Maybe it's not, but I definitely feel as though I'm having the early signs of peritonitis here. Geez, draining is painful these days!!!
All the salty soup, water, and ice I've had this week should be helping...but today, my blood pressure was 62/47...and yet I am still walking...and I have no idea how. But that also may be a sign of peritonitis.
God, I hope not, because if it is, I'll have to go back on hemo and essentially have only one fully-functioning arm.
DAMN, don't let this happen!!!!
Don't let me get sick anymore!!!
I'm supposed to fly to Cleveland to visit my furbabies!!! If I'm getting sick, and we know it by the time I get there, I'll end up in the damn hospital, possibly for five years, because that's how they do things in Cleveland!!! People don't stay healthy there; they end up in the hospital for five years, because there is no staying healthy there.
OK. I got that off my chest. And since this is my blog, I refuse to feel sorry that I got that off my chest.
But, I've gotta run.
Later!
(poof)

One year ago Tuesday~~

Tuesday was one year since one of my many, many week-long hospital stays.
It was Monday, Aug. 18, last year. I was originally supposed to have my leg canulated so I could have temporary hemo before getting a new catheter. In...Out...piece of cake...right? That's how it was supposed to be. But, something went TERRIBLY wrong in the procedure. Dr. Bozo (I don't even remember his name...after what he did to me, he was Dr. Bozo, as far as we were concerned) managed to rupture one of the arteries in my groin, where he was working. Next thing I knew, I was in the hospital for a whole damn week, just because he injured me!!! Well DUUUUUUUHHHH...he should've thought of that before he started cutting my leg open without sedating me first!!!!!! DUUUUUUUUUHHHHH...
But then, things like that happen in Cleveland all the time!!
I'm sooooooooo glad I'm back in San Diego!!! Sharp Memorial Hospital might actually have a transplant in store for me before 5 years is up!!! Even before 3 years is up!!! Because they're smart, like most Californians!!!
Now how do I remember this so well??? Well...if a doctor went and cut one of your arteries, wouldn't you remember???? I mean...I was on Coumadin for three months because of that buffoon!!! Kind of unforgettable.
Also, because my kitties' birthday was in 10 days from when I ended up "in the pit".
Happy Birthday (next week) to my three wonderful kitties!!
I'll be flying up to Cleveland to visit my little angels... That's about all I can stand of Cleveland, is the frequent visit, to see my kitties. So, I'll fly there...and God, I hope like anything that I am too busy to be online much like I was when I lived there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Then, I'll be back after about a week.
Relax! I'm not leaving here till Aug. 29th. Then, back after a week, so I can be re-trained to use the "PD" Moonster.
Well...time for our late-night walk.
Ta-taaaaaaaaa, for now!
Love ya!
(poof)

So, can a person get over this on their own?????

So here I am...still dehydrated, and never really able to drink enough to pull myself out of it.
Here's how that's progressed.
When I stand up, or sit up, I get so dizzy that, yesterday at one point, I almost passed out.
My blood pressure today was only 70/52...after having gone up a little, then back down. In a nutshell, I'm "not dead yet"...but for how much longer???
When outside, everything of light color blinds the hell outta me!
And I cramp...everything from jaw cramps, to paw cramps.
Is it possible for a person to get over that without having to go to the ER and get rehydrated intravenously????
God, I hope so!!!!
But, after a while here, I'm gonna have to take a kitty nap, because this is also giving me a splitting headache.
Love ya!!
Later!!
(poof)

On a lighter note...another cat tale

When my three cats, Tony, Jerry, and Mup, were here (in San Diego), and when I was on "PD" the first time (before the nephrectomy), my cats were sooooo adorable!! The thing with "PD", is that because the kitties' fur can get into the catheter and cause germs (i.e., possibly peritonitis), they're not allowed in the same room with me while I'm connecting or disconnecting. Now, of course, this is no trouble, because the older kitties are all outdoors. But when mine were here, and indoors, they were soooooooo adorable!! Especially Jerry. To this day, he's the most assertive of the three. If he could only talk, that little genius would have been telling me, "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!!! We wanna see the beach!!!" (beach=for bleach water, which I have to use to clean my work space before every treatment). Or, he'd have been saying, "We wanna see your Magic Soap, Mommy!!" (Magic soap, of course, being the dialysis solution...also known as "Magic soup"...but after all, it helps clean my blood, so it must be magic soap too, right??) I just know that's what he'd have been saying if he could talk.
Then, when I switched to the machine the first time, Tony was sooooo afraid of that thing!! If he could talk, he'd have been saying something like, "I not WANTS to go near that Moonsterous!!"...or, "Moonsterous? Not comes near me, and not eats my Mommy ups!"
Mup, on the other hand, is so calm and collected, most of the time. But, I think she'd say, "What that is? WHAT...THAT...IS???"
Smart kitties, I have, I'd say!!!
After all...Tony is the one who knows how to "drag" a person over to his crunchy dish to watch him eat...and when I say "drag", I mean, he'll maintain eye contact with you as he's walking over to his food, and every so often, he'll say, "Wah?? Wah??" And, Jerry is the one who knows how to say "Meow-WOW-i !!" (which I'm still convinced was his way of saying "Biondi"). And Mup can talk up a storm when she has something on her mind.
Yes, I iz quite a proud human-kitty mom!! And I look forward to visiting my furbabies, for their 8th birthday coming up (Aug. 29th).
Well...gotta run and get ready for my 4th of 4 water filtration sessions for the day.
Till tomorrow...or whenever...
Love ya!
(pooferoniski)

No sooner did we get over that problem, than we were faced with another...big time.

So I recovered from anorexia, and am still here to tell about it--what I can remember of it, that is.
I continued to be extra-careful not to gain too much weight, or to eat too much. But, I kept my weight at no less than 100 lbs. from then on.
We enjoyed a RARE vacation in June, 1987, and were in Cocoa Beach, FL, on my 17th birthday (Yes--there IS such a place...but no, I didn't run into Major Nelson or Major Healy).
A month later, we were back home, and the oddest thing happened.
I had exercised, one day, the same as always, I promise! But that night, I experienced a low back pain that Tylenol just wouldn't kick. And, I kept having to run to the human litter box overnight--like, once an hour or so (what I wouldn't give to be able to do that now...but back then, (I figured that was a sign that something was wrong). But...WHAT was wrong this time??? Hadn't I just gotten myself fixed up??? So...NOW what???
I saw my doctor, who asked that I have an X-ray done of my back--including kidneys. That was how we found out. July 13, 1987 was the day...we learned that I had Polycystic Kidney Disease.
See what I mean??? It just came up. From out of the blue. No reason. Just...just like that. No family history thereof, or anything. And all of a sudden, I had this strange disease that no one had ever heard of. There's no cure, and of course, now I have to say also that I lost both my kidneys to PKD.
How did I get through those 20 years, knowing about this??? Well, first of all, there's apparently no wishing it away, and no thinking it away, because otherwise it would have disappeared at some point by itself. Unfortunately, this naive woman knew NOTHING whatsoever about dietary restrictions, as far as kidney failure goes, so I never knew that maybe I could postpone dialysis with just a few dietary restrictions, that became imperative when I was on hemodialysis.
I often have asked, WHY???? Why did such a perfectionist as Yours Truly, end up with such a God-awful disease, for no apparent reason, and with no apparent cause???? Geez!!!
As of this moment, I'm still rather dehydrated, from working so hard at not being waterlogged. This means that I'm dizzy and lightheaded. So, I'm going to take a break shortly, and possibly be back later.
Thanks for stopping by!
Love ya!!
(Poofski)

It all started as an innocent diet/lifestyle change, really!!

This goes back to July, 1985. I don't remember the exact day, but I do remember it was roughly a month after my 15th birthday, and my mom was gone most of the day (which was new to me), as she was on jury duty--a full 8-hour day. This, I was not used to. This meant that, for the first time in my life, I was to be "Queen of the House", essentially, until both my parents got home. "Hmmmmmmmm," I thought. "So this means I'm not a kid anymore...Which means I've gotta start being more adult, even in how I eat."
So, how does a naive 15-year-old change their stripes like so?? Simple. Start exercising, and, this being in the days before the Internet, I had plenty of time on my paws to surf through the TV stations and find my favorite exercise programs. And start dieting. Ahhhh, yes...that MetLife book from 1969--with three diet plans. 1000-calorie diet; 1500-calorie diet; and 2000-calorie diet. Well, we're trying to lose weight and get rid of some of this baby fat, so the 2000-calorie diet is OUT, and we might as well skip the 1500-calorie diet too. No beating around the bush! The 1000-calorie diet, it is!! Combine the lowest-calorie diet plan from 1969 with the fact that, by 1985, plenty of low-fat, non-fat, sugar-free foods had been invented...bringing the daily total to more like 800 calories. So...there I was...consuming no more than 1000 calories, and more like 800 a day if I could help it...and exercising like there was no tomorrow...
So...well, let me take this a step at a time. At first, I did lose a little weight, and I looked and felt like quite a knockout!! But then those compliments started catching up with me...and by December, 1985, some people were starting to say that I was getting a little too thin. Along with me getting too thin, so were my nerves...and on December 2, 1985, I attempted suicide--took 7 of something called Atarax. Damned if I know, to this day, WHY I thought that would kill me! I mean, why not take all that I had of everything that I had??? Why not take a kitchen knife to my wrist??? Why, 7 Ataraxes??? I still don't get it. I think that, at that point, I wanted to die...but I didn't want to die...if that makes any sense.
By January, 1986, even my doctor told me she wanted me to gain a little of that lost weight back. At 108 lbs., I was apparently getting a little too thin. I didn't care. I just wanted to be super-skinny!! In my mind, I was going to be absolutely ugly until I was so thin that you could see right through me.
By my 16th birthday, if only I could find a picture of me from that time and scan it onto the computer, you'd see exactly what I'm talking about. I managed to limp my way through 10th grade, finishing the year by studying at home. What else could I do??? The thinner I got, the more fragile my little nerves got. Many days, back then, I just couldn't get up. I'd essentially cry my little heart out, and had no idea why either. I just knew that I was fed up beyond words with being picked on every time I went to school, and including by that point, that some kids still thought I was fat. FYI: I weighed about 96 pounds as of around my 16th birthday...Since WHEN is that "fat"????!! Kids can be so cruel sometimes--and neurotic!!
But was there anything wrong with me??? Hell, no!! I was finally starting to look (and feel) like a grown woman. That summer--the summer of '86, I kept extra busy so that maybe no one would notice that I was indeed withering away to nothing, because I was getting sick and tired of my mom, for instance, telling me I should eat more. WHY, I thought??? So I could get fat like she is???? Exactly. I wasn't going to let that happen, so I kept extra busy--reading...sewing...studying the Driver's Handbook so I could get my Driver's License. As of Aug. 1, 1986--the day I went and got my first permanent driver's license--, my weight was about 96 lbs. But, I was just about to have myself kind of a nervous breakdown.
October, 1986, I reached the point where even going to a private school wasn't going to solve my nervous condition, and one day, I can vaguely remember, I absolutely broke down and cried, because I knew that something was wrong. I just didn't know what was wrong.
And with that, I was admitted to the hospital--St. Vincent Charity in Cleveland, if that's still around. I had no other choice. I was in bad shape, and I said that I'd do anything to get better. My first night there, a nurse told me that I was slowly killing myself, and that if I didn't stop, my little heart would. That did it for me. No more excessive dieting. BUT, I remained careful not to gain TOO much weight.
OK, now if you think this was easy for me to remember, guess again. I've forgotten so much in the way of details, I wonder what exactly has happened to my memory!!
I'll be back later, to get a little more into this, but that pretty much covers the first--and most critical--year of my dieting rollercoaster.
I understand, by the way, that once a person is anorexic, that they can slip into that nasty pattern of behavior again at any time. That doesn't explain why I haven't, after 23 years. Maybe I reached the point of true recovery while in the hospital, in the fall of 1986. Maybe. I may never know.
I'll be back...later, or tomorrow.
Love ya!!
(Poofski)

Taking a few turns for the worst~~

Today, I woke up with a horrible stomach ache...not too unlike the early stages of peritonitis. But, my drained "magic soup" is still clear--I think. I don't know. Sometimes it looks cloudy from different angles, but clear from others. I'm getting scared. The discomfort wore off after my first "PD" exchange, so I'm not too worried yet. I'd better NOT be getting peritonitis again!!! I've had that twice, and believe me, it's hell!! Besides, I follow the procedure to the letter. I NEVER skip anything. How could I possibly get peritonitis already??? I couldn't! There's no way!! I'm determined NOT to!!!!
You know, this is all such hard work...I really wish we "PD" patients, who do their own treatment at home, could get a damn certificate...so that we'd then be certified "PD" nurses!!!! I could live with that! I could make a career out of that!!! Hell, why not... It seems like that's all I have the energy to do anymore...so...why not...
In case you didn't figure it out, that's almost all that I've had the time or the strength to do these last couple weeks. And yes, I'm damn sick of it already!!!
But...am I gonna let it get to me? I hope not!
Must run for now.
Till later, my darling gator!!
(poofski)

Greetings from my Self-Water Filtration Station~~

I could call it that, right???
As I type, I'm refilling...with fresh "magic soup". I've already drained. This is Exchange #3 of 4 for the day.
OK. There. Now I'm done with #3 of 4.
The trouble with manual "PD" exchanges is that it's a constant interruption from my day, every four hours. I am glad that I don't have to have another graft in one of my arms again, for hemo. (as we tried late in January of this year, but it got infected and had to come out, in mid-March). But, I'll be even more glad when I switch to the "PD" machine, which will probably mean having 9-hour nights...but at least I won't have interruptions to my daily activities, and I may even be able to go back to work...but that's probably damn wishful thinking.
No wonder people just want to get a transplant ASAP...or at least, THIS person wants to get a transplant ASAP if not sooner.
I'm not holding my breath, but maybe, IF I can only get Medi-Cal, I'll be able to get re-listed at Sharp, and maybe I'll be closer to getting that transplant than I fear I might be. In other words, I fear it might be a longer wait than absolutely necessary...or called for. I mean, I've been accruing time on one list or another since June 2007. That's two years. So, essentially, I should NOT have a 5-year wait ahead of me AT ALL! I'm just afraid I will have a 5-year wait, if not longer. I don't know.
The other night, I said I was going to start in and write more details of my own past. And I will. But first, I need a break.
FYI: no matter what kind of dialysis a person does, I promise you that it does wear a body out!!
Till later, or till some time this weekend.
Have a LOVELY evening!!!
Ta-taaaaaa....for now.

How the time flies....

That's another song title, isn't it?? I'm positive that it is.
Anyhoo...
Three years ago today, I was driving home from East Dundee, Illinois. On the way home, I pulled into various rest stops along the way and took pretty restful kitty naps in my truck. And all the way home, I was still reeling from having met Dick Biondi in person. Oh, to have a moment like that in my life again...while we're all still alive!!!
Today...my hemoglobin is 10, which is low even for a dialysis patient!! Which means...remember, last night, I said I must be anemic, because I feel anemic?? I was right on the money, again!! No wonder my doctor thinks I should do "PD" at home. I make a pretty good self-nurse. What do they call that, when you aren't officially a nurse, but you have to be your own nurse??? That'd be "self-nurse", right??? I'd think so.
Geez!!! I'm anemic alright. I just hope I don't need another blood transfusion!!! Why am I anemic, you ask?? Well...my "PD" catheter was bleeding an awful lot this week. Now, most people have at least one good kidney to make new blood for them. In the absence of ANY kidney whatsoever, I tend to get anemic pretty easily.
So, there ya have it. That might explain why I should be looking for a donor...
I got off on a tangent, and thanks for letting me do so...but, back to my donor search.
Type A or O.
California, preferrably, as I hope to not have to travel, nor do I want my donor to have to travel here from out of state.
Training for "PD" starts tomorrow, so I'll be VERY busy for a week or so.
Must run for now, as we're going to take an early-evening walk (early for us, that is).
And, I have another headache, so......
In case I don't come back here tonight...
Good night, sweethearts, good night!!!!
Love ya!!
Ta-taaaaaaa, for now!!
(pooferoni)

Three Years Ago Tonight....Wow, has it been that long???

Yes, it has been that long.
8:00pm, July 28, 2006, I found myself in the same room as the "Wild I-tralian"--Dick Biondi. In case you had no idea, he's a living legend, and still on the radio in Chicago.
Now I've heard that it is possible for someone to absolutely light up a room just by being in it...but I hadn't actually seen this happen until I met Dick, and I haven't seen this again since.
Dick is a wonderful person, and he's even more wonderful in person. He and I must have hugged each other at least 10 times that night. One or two of those times, he was in the outfit pictured.

When Dick learned that I was the same person who had emailed him a few times previously...and that I had driven there all the way from San Diego...I'm not really sure if I HAD to catch him, but I did; I held him up.
What an unforgettable night. The question is...was my trip worth it??? Well, of course!! If I can jump on the chance to see, and hug, Dick Biondi in drag...it's worth it! Would I do that again?? NO!! For a long trip...next time, I'm flyin'!!! I don't care how much I don't care for the heightened security at the airport. Next time, I'm flyin', if it would be more than a six-hour car ride!!
Er....ah....Dick, if you happen to run into my blog here...first of all, remember it IS my blog...second, sowwy about that picture there. But, after all, I wasn't the only person that night who saw that.
Besides...look at my Blogger photo, and there's Dick, in his regular outfit. ;-)
Now...what else was there....I don't remember. I feel like I'm dragging tonight.
I may have to start testing my own hemoglobin. I can NOT believe that I'm not anemic at this moment!!!! I feel sooooo damn anemic right now; forgive me.
Must be time to say~~
Good night, sweethearts, good night!!!
Love ya!! Thanks for stopping by!!
(poofski)

By the way, this was Utah...three years and three days ago.

That reminds me, I took this picture in Utah. Er...ah...the date on that SHOULD be Monday, July 24, 2006!! Look, Ma, no traffic!!! Now there's a sight you don't see often, unless you happen to live where there's no traffic. Geez...goddamn flimsy paint there (on my hood). See why I have a big sanding and painting job ahead of me??
OK; now, I am outta here, till later...or tomorrow.
Tomorrow, I have to see my "PD" nurse early, then I have a "post-op" appointment, with the surgeon who put my new "PD" catheter in, and then I have two appointments over in the Transplant Center, so thank goodness, we're getting the ball rolling again on getting re-listed at Sharp.
In case I don't come back tonight,
Good night, sweethearts, good night!!!
(poofski)

Memories of Greater Chicagoland~~

On my trip, I took these pictures, both of which are in Greater Chicagoland. One is a Speedway station (get a load of THAT advertising..."Always Fresh Coffee"...at the pump??? HAA!!), and the other is the room that I stayed in, in Elgin. I took these on July 28, 2006. The shot of my room was my final look at it, in person, that night.
Enjoy!!
I'm posting this one "on the go", as we're about to take a comparatively-early evening walk.
Three years ago today, I rested, and watched the clearly Midwest thunderstorm happening outside, so thankful that I had nowhere to go until the next day, when it miraculously was a lovely (but HOT) day.
Three years ago tomorrow...well, you'll just have to come back tomorrow to find out about that. But, if you're thinking that a certain "Wild Itralian" was in my plans, you're absolutely right. Boy, Chicagoans ARE spoiled as hell!! It's not like San Diego, or Cleveland, or anywhere else, has a DJ who is willing and able to host a sock hop...at all!!
OK; off we go...into the wild blue yonder.
Ta-taaaaaaaaaaaaa, for now!!
Laytah, my darling gaytah!
Thanks for stopping by!
(poofski)

Aaaaaahhhh...Elgin, At Last

After a night in, I believe, Omaha, NE, I found myself energized enough to drive the rest of the way to where I was headed, which was the Days Inn in Elgin.
After having already gone through the life-sized rollercoaster called The Rockies, Nebraska and Iowa seemed like nothing to drive through...except that the speed limit on the highway in those two states is 70 mph, and trucks are not required to slow down and stay in the right-hand lane...so essentially, EVERYONE gets to go 70 mph, in EVERY lane. For me, this was a bit of a challenge, as my transmission was already starting to show signs of wearing. I did the best that I could, but sometimes it didn't seem to shift up into a higher speed for me, and I found myself going relatively slow, considering how people seem to want to go faster than the posted speed limit.
I remember making a few stops along the way, one being in Iowa, where I had one of my tires checked. I must have thought it looked low or something.
And, three years ago today, was when I drove past the highway sign for a town called What Cheer, Iowa. Boy, I had to do a double-take when I saw that one!
Finally, come evening, I entered Illinois. Aaaaaahhhhh...the Midwest...that I hadn't seen since 1997.
By the time I got into Illinois, it was already starting to get dark.
I entered greater Chicago shortly after midnight. This was where, and when, I accidentally went off-roading, for 2 of the scariest seconds of my life since I left the Rockies. Long story short, my headlights just weren't bright enough to carry me through the rural backroads of greater Chicago after midnight...so I ended up going off the road, quite by accident, and went right back on the road as fast as I could.
Finally, around 1am on July 27th, 2006, I arrived at the Days Inn in Elgin, IL...and took the rest of the day off, so I would be rested up enough to enjoy what I went out there for in the first place.
Naturally, I'll finish this tale! I'm on a roll here.
But...we're gonna take a late stroll around the neighborhood in a minute here, so I gotta run.
Good night, sweetheart, good night!!! Love ya!! Thanks for stopping by!!
Ta-ta, for now!
(poofski)

Seats, Anyone???

One more idea quickly before I turn everything off and get my beauty rest.
Anyone want some leather seats?? They're in pretty good shape for their age (came out of a 1989 Toyota Cressida). As I once put in an eBay listing, get creative. You could use these for living room seats...or seats for some other room.
The other thing is, I have some other spare parts left over from when we had a 1983 Cressida and a 1985 Supra. Just thought I'd mention it. Check CraigsList, San Diego. I have several listings there, including these seats.
Thanks for considering, or at least reading!!
Now, I really DO mean, Good night...ta-ta...etc.
Love ya!!
(poofski)

"Over, Under, Sideways, and Down"

So if I ended yesterday in Avon, Colorado, that meant that I drove through the rest of Colorado today, three years ago. July 25, 2006. What a drive!!!! As the song title says, "Over, Under, Sideways, and Down". Geez!! I'd give anything for that adventure again, BUT at the time, I thought I was gonna die! Thank goodness, I made it through, ending the day in Nebraska, I believe. Yes. Nebraska. I drove through Colorado, just missing Denver, as I was on I-76--just west of Denver. This is a beautiful country. I can't believe I actually drove through so much of it!
And, by the way, my transmission problem is NOT caused by that gear selector switch. So, we're back to Square 1. We figured we'd analyze that part of the situation ourselves...my sweetheart and myself. Thank goodness I do have someone here who cares about me, and who also happens to know how to work on cars more so than I do. Too bad neither of us are equipped to handle this particular transmission. There WILL be a solution to this; I just have no idea what at this moment.
No wonder I'm so tired. It's after midnight, and I didn't get a nap in today.
So....
Good night, sweetheart, good night!!! Love ya!!
Best wishes, ta-taa, etc.
(poofski)

More "PD" info~~

To refresh your memory, "PD"=Peritoneal Dialysis.
I'm sooooo tired of being on ANY dialysis...BUT, that's not really....I mean....never mind.
Friday--as in yesterday, I went over to the same "PD" clinic where I used to go when I first started "PD" here in San Diego the first time, two years ago. My nurse remembered me immediately, and of course I remember her. I missed it there, so it's good to be back. The only reason I'm back there, is because I told Fresenius that I didn't want to go to the Fresenius "PD" clinic.
I had my dressing changed, and my nurse flushed the "PD" catheter. There was sure a lot of blood in that catheter, which is rare, but does happen sometimes, in some people. Geez, no wonder I feel anemic again, after losing that much blood!!!
Monday, I have to go back and have the catheter flushed again, and next week probably, I can start training. Every time you go back on "PD", you have to be re-trained, just to be sure you know what you're doing, so you don't make a mistake and get peritonitis. Trust me; I had peritonitis twice and almost died from it both times. You do NOT want to get peritionitis, so re-learning what you're doing when you are your own nurse, is important.
My nurse also remembered my cats...although I am pretty sure she only saw Jerry when she was here two years ago. My little Jerry.
Oh...to change the subject for a minute, little Cousin seems to be fussy these days. Wonder what's gotten into him.
Anyway, so that's what's up with the whole "PD" thing. So, hopefully I'll be off hemo. pretty soon, as early as next week, or whenever I've been re-trained and whenever Baxter can come over and deliver me a month's supply of stuff. Geez, I wonder where we're gonna put it all...... Damn it, no matter where I live, there's just no room for my "PD" supplies!!! DAMN!!!! Yet, with hemo., I'd be a "one-arm wonder", not able to do half the things that I still can. I really DO need a transplant, don't I....Absolutely, right??? Yup!!!
OK, here's the thing. I have other things to take care of here before bed, so....
Good night, my sweetheart~~~ta-taaaaaaaa for now!!
(poofski)

I stand corrected~~

So here's the thing.
My trip started on a Sunday, three years ago. BUT--
It was the 23rd--NOT the 22nd!!
So, everything I've said so far since the 22nd, has to be pushed forward a day.
I really must move this calendar in the computer room here from March to July. Wonder why I didn't think of that before.
TODAY, three years ago, was when I drove through Green River, Utah, and ended my day in Avon, Colorado.
(*sigh*) I'm having a headache at the moment, so I'll be back later. Just let me take a Percocet...or a Vicodin...(for the time being, I have a choice. What AM I going to do with myself...)
Today was a busy day, and I do have much new news for you, but I'll have to come back later with that.
Gotta RUN for now.
Love ya!! Ta-taaaaaaa...till laytah, my gaytah...
(poofski)

"Green River"...and "Over, Under, Sideways, and Down"

Three years ago today saw me driving through Green River, Utah (and wondering if the song "Green River" had been inspired by that town, or another Green River, or what; I still haven't researched that)...I drove through a few other places as well...ultimately ending the day in Avon, Colorado, I believe. Yes. Avon, Colorado. Land of the "roundabouts." I'll never forget that. That means I'd already driven through Arizona...Grand Canyon and all...and was soon to drive through or near the Rockies. THE ROCKIES!!!?????!!! Yes, the Rockies. So, essentially, three years ago today, my trip was already beginning to resemble the song title: "Over, Under, Sideways, and Down." Well...an SUV, with inexpensive shocks...through canyons and mountains like I've never been through before...no wonder! What an adventure!! I wish really that I could do that again!!!
So you may be wondering, was my trip worth it??? If you don't think so, you don't know Dick Biondi too well, if at all. Sure, my trip was worth it. Just too bad I didn't have my transmission serviced first, because a year later, it went bonkers on me, and I still haven't been able to do anything about that.
The other thing is, of course, that I'm rather adventurous. Was I a happy camper sitting in Cleveland for a year and a half, with no sweetheart, no adventure, no nothing but boredom??? NO!!!!!
I gotta make this brief, forgive me. I have a few other things to do before bed.
Goodnight, my sweetheart, goodnight. Ta-taaaaaa, for now!
(poofski) :-)

It's Been Twee Long Years (Part Deux)

So, three years ago today...er, ah...three years ago yesterday (July 23...a Sunday that year), was when I began my long, long trip.
Here is the sweet little, undermaintained Isuzu that I made my trip in.

As I was getting ready to leave, I told my three cats that I was going to see Dick Biondi, who was newly out of work, and that I'd be back soon...in a few days, most likely. To which my cat Jerry replied, "Meow-WOW-i." (He was trying to say "Biondi"; to this day, I'm convinced of that.)
And, this time of day--12:04AM on the 24th--I had either just crossed the California/Nevada state line, or hadn't quite yet crossed it. I really don't remember.
And thus began my long, long, long trip halfway across the country. Everywhere I went, was this horrible heatwave! I would have roasted to death had my air conditioner not been working. BUT--too damn bad we forgot to maintain the transmission before I left. In the driveway as I type, sits this Isuzu...because the transmission only lasted about a year after I returned from my trip--from San Diego, CA, to East Dundee, IL. Going there, I actually did stop to spend the night at various places along the way. I remember seeing a town called What Cheer, Iowa. What an odd name for a place, I thought. Coming back here, I pulled over to those rest stops and slept in the truck. Damn, I must be adventurous!!!
So, now that I'm on dialysis, I really can't afford to be that adventurous...and I miss it. So, that brings me back to the fact that I really need a transplant, sooner than later. All my nurses agree. Everyone I know agrees. It just comes back around to that, though.
Well...it's way past my bedtime.
Good night, sweetheart...ta-ta, for now!!
(poofski) :-)

By the way~~~ I got 100%!!! YES!!! YES!!!

It's been a very good week, except the stress.
Wednesday, I went over to the DMV, first thing. In fact, I didn't know they open at 9am on Wednesdays, so I was over there waiting in a line that went from National City to Lemon Grove (stick with me here, and you'll find out how I sometimes exaggerate; forgive me), because it was still 15 minutes till opening.
Once the place opened, the line moved fast, and I was in there taking my driving test before I knew it.
And....
I DID IT!! I GOT 100% ON MY DRIVING TEST!!! I DID IT!!! AFTER 23 YEARS, I FINALLY GOT 100% ON THE WRITTEN DRIVING TEST!!!!!
No, there was no behind-the-wheel test for me, as I only moved back from out of state. But, I presume I'd have gotten 100% on that too, if I had to.
I must say, the Online Sample Tests really helped. For me, I think that's what made all the difference. I studied hard and long, and long and hard. I lost much sleep trying to get all that information down, and my hard work was worth it.
Last year, in March 2008, I only got 75% on my Ohio driving test. That was barely passing. But, they don't have Online Sample Tests to help people pass...and they have more questions.
Never, in all my 23 years of being a licensed driver, did I ever get 100% on a written driving test. Just this time!!!
I love it when that happens!!!
So, now I'm officially a California driver--again, and this time it'd better be for good!!!!! Damn, it'd better be for good!!!! I'm not going to play "musical states" again, not after all the hard work I've gone through to come back here!!
I'll definitely visit my furbabies in Ohio, but to live in, I prefer California, for obvious reasons.
I wasn't going to come back to my blog this weekend, but I wanted to share that wonderful info with you, about my perfect driving test.
Have a lovely, lovely weekend, one and all!!! I'll probably be doing some de-rusting, some painting, some car improvements, etc... And Sunday evening, I can wash the car, again, to get it ready for its trip to the shop.
Love ya!!
Ta-taaaaaaaaaa, for now!
(poof)

Too many surgeries here~~

So yesterday, my surgeon checked to see if he could put a new "PD" catheter in. The game plan was that, if he could, he would, and I'd look forward to resuming "PD" (peritoneal dialysis) as soon as the catheter is ready to use, probably in about a month. And if not, he'd have put in another blasted graft, this time in my left arm, and I'd again have had to be a "one-arm wonder". I am VERY pleased to report that he was able to put a new "PD" catheter in. I will soon be able to say "Hasta la vista" to the hemo. routine...going in to Fresenius for three and a half hours a day, three days a week...not able to do anything but read, listen to CD's (Naturally, Bobby Jameson gets more play than any other CD I drag along with me), do needle point, etc... That's a huge chunk out of my car repair and improvement (de-rusting; painting; etc.). So, now I'll have that time of my day back. YES!!! YES!!!
I will have to stay on the "PD" machine for 9 hours a night, but that's a small chunk of my time compared to what hemo. has been. And, I can do it at home, so I'll be my own nurse. Any mistakes made, I can give myself forty lashes with a wet tail (let me try to put a picture of that up; last time I tried to put a picture on here, it didn't work; hang on.)

OK...THAT tail. (TOLD ya I look hot in that tiger suit)
Anyway...so, that's where I was most of yesterday: having a medical procedure, and being kind of "loopsy" on anesthesia and painkillers. I'm still a little "loopsy" on painkillers, but I think the anesthesia finally wore off.
I could've strangled my dialysis technician today. I had to race over to Costco Pharmacy to get my meds after treatment. Naturally, that didn't dawn on her, as she disconnected me 10 minutes later than I had expected, and then took another 10 minutes to change my dressing. So then, I had to race over to Costco, getting there with two minutes to spare. Thankfully, the two pharmacy clerks were still there. They'd closed off the pick-up window, but when I ran up to them as fast as I could, short of breath, and begged them to please let me get my meds, they did. Bless their hearts. They were very good to me.
Either way you slice it, dialysis is full of sacrifices and a lower quality of life. That must be why I'm praying with all my heart that I'll live to get a transplant, before I go completely nuts.
Oh, wait....I might already be completely nuts. Any woman who runs around the house in a tiger suit, just to blend in with the cats.... Awwwwwwwwww, let me have that one little bit of understandable insanity, please, thanks.
I warned you. A little while ago, I said I was "loopsy". Forgive my rambling.
And, that's the latest around here.
I'm kind of stressed out, too.
I WANT very much to be given THIS car...beautiful paint, very little rust.

BUT, I'm afraid I might be given THIS car back...damn flimsy paint, more rust than on most 14-year-old SUV's... Although I've put a lot into it already ($700 tires; $300 shocks; had most of the front end re-done, even did some of the work myself), I think I can part with it, considering I'd be spending another five years just taking all the rust off and painting it...


So, I'm kind of stressed. My "sweetheart" is kind of stressed. When it's all said and done, it's nice to be able to come here and vent my spleen a little, so forgive me.
Gotta go for now.
Have a LOVELY weekend!!!
Good night, sweetheart, good night, and ta-ta, for now!!