When I was trying to find a kidney donor, I decided to share some experiences that I had that were related to my painfully time on dialysis. On Sep. 1, 2010, I finally received a living-donor transplant. I still want to use this blog to let you know a bit about my personal history. I sincerely hope that you'll read, and get to know me a little. I will also tell you about my wonderful cats from time to time, so please...read on. Thank you!
I still remember all of this as if it were yesterday, and it still hurts. Overnight--Apr. 27th/28th, 2003--Socks and Jerry both disappeared. Monday, Apr. 28th, 2003: I had overslept slightly, so I really didn't have time to count kitty noses as I flew out of the house to go to work, but I did notice that two of the cats were missing--Socks and Jerry. There was really nothing I could do, though, until I got home from work. So when I got home, I asked my roommate/boyfriend if he'd seen either Socks or Jerry, because I hadn't. Nope. No sign of either. So the first thing I did was to go out on the patio and do everything that I could think of that might get one or both of them back. I swept the patio. Jerry loves to chase things (i.e., a moving broom), and I think Socks did also. Then I gave them a small saucer of milk, which either missing cat would have loved and come running to get. Likewise with the crunchies I gave them. Both missing cats loved crunchies. Jerry still does. Nothing worked. Nothing brought either cat out of hiding. So, my next idea was that if I went for a walk through the neighborhood and called their names and looked in every corner that I could legally get away with looking in, maybe they'd come home after they heard me calling their names. But...again, no luck. I went to bed that night feeling like I didn't even want to go to sleep. My Jerry, and his brother Socks, were missing, and I was afraid that if I let myself sleep through the night, I'd miss out on being sure that they returned home safe and sound. It was the beginning of four and a half weeks (as it were) of feeling like a walking, talking wreck. More later. Oh--here's a picture of my Tony and Jerry at about 3 months old...in 2001, and also a picture of Mup and me, from 2004 (sorry for the poor quality!!).
Well, here it is. Apr. 27th. This is the 6-year anniversary of the last time that I would ever give kitty dinner to all 9 cats, because overnight that night--or early Apr. 28th--both Socks and Jerry disappeared. A month later, I would get Jerry back, but Socks never made it back. I hate to admit it, but the truth is that I really only had enough time and energy on my paws to search for one, although two were missing. And Jerry was the one I searched for, because he was the one I'd known since his Day One. I'd have loved to be able to search for Socks too, but between working full time and being so tired always, (evidently from kidney failure), my resources were limited. Speaking of all of this, next week I'm planning on going to San Diego to visit my friend (ex-boyfriend/ex-roommate). I'm looking forward to this. THIS 38 year-old has got to fly the coop, even if it's just for a little while. I plan to leave on Cinco de Mayo...oh boy, that should be fun!! I just remembered, Cinco de Mayo in South San Diego is much like FIESTA NIGHT!! But maybe not this time, since it's a work night for many. Well...I survived Cinco de Mayo when I lived there; I'll survive it when I'm there to visit. But the thing is, I've been in need of a vacation for a long time now, and I've been meaning to get out there since February. If I can leave here on the 5th, or even if I have to wait till the 6th, either way, I'll be sure to get back on the 18th--in plenty of time for the pre-op on the 19th, and my transplant on the 20th. Yes. Audrey was right. May 20th will be here before we know it!!! And it'll only be for a week and a half or so, but I really need this vacation! I'm planning on coming back here tomorrow...or later today....so, till then... Here's a picture of Socks Clinton. Our Socks looked a lot like that, except with no black on his chin or nose. OK, now I'm outta here for a while. Love ya!!
When I got home today, from dialysis and the dentist, there was a message from the Living Donors coordinator. She says she'd like to proceed with a surgery date of May 20th!!! YES!!!! Now you know, that works for me...so I left her a voice mail message to affirm. As soon as I hear back from her again, all systems will be GO!!!!! YES!!!! YES!!!! May 20th...exactly a month after Bobby's birthday...so once again...(never mind). My job is to keep affirming that my transplant will be a success...and to keep disinfected!!!!!! YES!!! OK, OK, enough with the Yes's, I know. I'm thrilled...Blue, but thrilled. Quite a combination...blue and thrilled. I've gotta admit, it's quite a trip. Incredible!!! I've never received such good news in all my life!!!! Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaytah!
I know, I know, what are the odds that the birthday boy himself will happen to read this??? But, in case so, my birthday wishes will have reached him. Happy Birthday, Bobby Jameson, and many, many more!! My itinerary for tomorrow includes scheduling my transplant, and making an extra special birthday cake...I think I'll write, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, RPJ" on it. That way there'll be room for it all. Once I have a picture of said cake on my computer, I'll post it up here. But for now, here's my birthday message to you. Love ya!! As promised, here's that cake. By the way: I called to schedule my transplant, but by the time I got home, it was almost 4:00, so I ended up leaving a voice mail. I'll give it a couple days. If, by Wednesday, my call isn't returned, I'll call again. But yes, I did try to schedule today, so things once again are moving forward. Bobby, you've brought me nothing but good luck on the transplant front ever since we met. Thanks!! Now...here's the cake. Note: I NEVER said my cake lettering was of professional quality!!! That, I never promised. All that I can promise is that you'll be able to read it. Have a lovely, lovely rest of your birthday!!
I must have misunderstood my doctor. I thought he wanted me to have four more blood cultures drawn! Nope. Just the one set of cultures that were drawn last Monday has to go through at least four different tests for infection. If all of them are negative, which they are so far, and the last test will be on Monday, Apr. 20th...if that's also negative, I get to call and schedule my transplant!!!!!!! YES!!!! Believe me, I'm thrilled, even if I don't sound like it!! So, once again, Apr. 20th proves to be a lucky day for me. Two years ago on that day, I had the "PD" catheter put in. That's the same "PD" catheter that had to come out last May when I had peritonitis and a perforated ulcer. WOW!! So I could be getting a Cinco de Mayo transplant after all!!! Or, maybe even BEFORE May 1st!!!! YES!!! Damn, I'm thrilled!!! And I love how Apr. 20th seems to bring me such good luck...especially, ESPECIALLY, this year!!! ;-) Happy Birthday to you!!! Happy Birthday to you!!....(if you're about to have a birthday, I trust you know who you are; that's for you) Well...gotta get ready to take the car out to Kirtland (which is about 13 miles west of Chardon). Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaytah!
I just realized! It's my 5/6th's birthday!!!!!! In other words, today, I'm exactly 38 & 5/6ths old!! Damn!!! I REALLY didn't want to make it this far! All the times I've had chest pains, and shortness of breath, and whatever else...you'd think that would have been the beginning of the end...but nooooooo. I'm still here, and I'm not sure why. Well...one thing's for sure. Once I get my transplant, I'll be sooooooooooooooooooo absolutely positively gorgeous, no one will be able to resist me! ;-) This was my birthday song last year. I'm going to find a better song for my birthday this year, but I wanted to prove that there was, indeed, a song written with my name in the title. I, however, happen to spell mine with a "y" at the end...not an "i" as in the title of this song. But, it's still my name. Actually, the other reason I threw this song in is because, after my transplant, when I'm so irresistibly gorgeous, someone out there, somewhere, might actually want to sing this song for me. Juuuuust an idea!!! ;-)
I know. I keep ridiculous hours, don't I? Well, that's what happens when you find a good writer who happens to be a night owl, and then you yourself can sleep through dialysis, as I did again today. What a day, too! I started off treatment as usual, doing my crossword puzzle before my eyes got so tired that I just had to fall asleep, which is also usual. The unusual part was, that when it was over, I didn't want to get up out of that chair. First of all, I was still tired. Second, I've gotten used to having to stay in the chair a while to let my blood pressure go back up (when I say "go back up", I mean up from, say 86/48--I think that was a reading yesterday or the day before). So when I was allowed, even encouraged, to get the heck outta there, I was surprised, and not exactly ready. Apparently, today my blood pressure didn't get that low until I stood up for the first time. Wonder why I call the machine a "moonster"?? That goes back to two years ago, when I first started "PD" (Peritoneal...). My cat, Tony, was scared silly of the PD machine, so I started calling it a "moonster"...for "monster". When I switched to hemo., I called that machine a "moonster" too. So there's the history of that. Da-yam!! I'm supposed to be getting healthy for my transplant, and here I am with muscle aches and a general feeling that if a truck ran me over, I might perk up a little. Oh well. Off to rest this bug off, and hopefully have four negative blood cultures starting yesterday, so that I can hurry in and get my transplant!!! God, I can hardly wait!!! I'll be so much healthier after my transplant, that I'll be just absolutely irresistibly gorgeous!!!!!!!!! (Consider that a fair warning.) ;-) Laaaaaaaaaytah!!
Yes, unfortunately, the word is that I get to wait until next month to schedule my transplant, because I have to wait three to four weeks after the antibiotic I'm on during treatment has stopped. And they don't want to stop it yet, and I have NO idea why!!! I thought we wanted me to get my transplant NOW, BEFORE my birthday!!! If we stretch this out too long, it'll be after my birthday after all. I need to AFFIRM!!! If I don't AFFIRM, it won't happen. I'm affirming a Cinco De Mayo transplant!!!!! I need some cooperation here, but that's what I'm shooting for!! Look at this. I took this with my new WebCam. My eyes are really starting to look worn out and tired, and here's why. See...the fluid piles up all at once, then comes off all at once. Every two days, except on weekends, the fluid comes off all at once during treatment...then has two days to pile back up...off all at once, on all at once...like a damn yo-yo!!! Humans weren't made for that kind of trauma. My eyes are tired and worn out from being puffy with fluid one minute and damn normal the next. My poor little heart is probably getting tired of all of this, too. You have NO idea, do you, how I wish I could pee again!!! I hope I make up for all lost time and then some, as soon as I get my new kidney!!! For almost a year and a half now, I've even gotten the physical sensation that I've gotta pee...but of course, I haven't been able to. I can hardly wait till I can do that again!!! THIS is why I thought I had to get in right away to get my transplant...so I won't have to go through THIS for much longer!!! AFFIRM, AFFIRM, AFFIRM..... Oh, and here's another picture I took the other night, too. My hair really is longer than it was a year or so ago; but it might not be as healthy as it once was. Notice that it looks like there are all kinds of gaps between my teeth. There are NOT. For some reason, my WebCam makes it look that way, but my teeth are almost perfect!!! Just wanted to spell that out for you. Let's face it. I won't have all of my beauty back until after my transplant....but then, look out, because I will DEFINITELY be an irresistible beauty!!! ;-)
