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...
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. ;-)
Friday, October 30, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
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!!!
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
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!!!
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
"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
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
Monday, October 5, 2009
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
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
Thursday, October 1, 2009
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!
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!
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
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
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
Friday, September 25, 2009
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!
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!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)