Hello friends-<\/p>\n
Hope you had a nice Easter holiday with friends and or family.\u00a0 Besides dealing with some heavy allergy issues of being sick several days, I too, enjoyed Easter.\u00a0 I cooked a roasted leg of lamb for the first time. We eventually ate about 8:15p.\u00a0 Hey, ya gotta try almost everything at least once, right?! Oh and yes, of course, it was delicious! Ask my brothers and “Mr. Right.”;)<\/p>\n
I saw my nephrologist last week and had an overall good report.\u00a0 Except for a couple issues- there seems to always be something outta whack.\u00a0 Darn phosphorus went back up almost 4 points.\u00a0 It went from “perfect” 2.9 to 6.2.\u00a0 I know I did accidentally miss a couple doses of my binders when eating and I have had more icecream lately, maybe even some cheese and starches as well as drinking ice tea.\u00a0 So, I have cut back on those items, Again.<\/p>\n
My hemoglobin is 14.9! My goal is to be between 10-12.\u00a0 Not exactly sure what this means… My iron though, did not go up much and the Dr. wasn’t too happy so she ordered another shot of iron.\u00a0 And this is where the fun begins…So my wonderful nurse, we’ll call her CC and don’t ask what that stands for- she goes after my left arm. After making a fist and digging the needle around a few minutes, no luck.\u00a0 In nursing terms they call it: ” blowing out.” It’s not a good when veins do this.\u00a0 So, CC goes for the right arm- again, no luck. She’s starting to lose it and decides to get another nurse and have her try.\u00a0 Nurse 2 comes in-\u00a0 along with nurse 3.\u00a0 I bet I could come up with a good joke- How many nurses does it take to get a needle in Carmen?\u00a0 Nurse 1 stands aside to watch along with nurse 3 giving pointers.\u00a0 Nurse 2 trys the right arm since CC blew out the left arm. She really digs around- I’m squirming because\u00a0it hurts.\u00a0 Apparently what my lovely veins thrive on doing every time a needle enters is to run and hide.\u00a0 They disappear. This makes it rather challenging for the nurse not to mention very painful for the patient.\u00a0 After 3 tries and 2 nurse, I tell them to stop.\u00a0 No more for the day.\u00a0 So, I had to go back the following Monday to have them try it again. This time, I had drank at least 24-32 oz of H20.\u00a0 CC psyches herself up this time- in fact she commented on how huge my veins were- they were like snakes.\u00a0 She goes for the right arm since she blew the left one last time.\u00a0 Shocking- she still has no luck. Now, she really loses it.\u00a0 Goes gets Nurse 2 again- she decides to try the left arm.\u00a0 Success! Now, this process of receiving iron is about a half hour deal.\u00a0 I have to keep my arm completely still.\u00a0 It’s resting on the arm of a chair while nurse 2″s arm is resting on the table. She has to slowly push the iron in the syringe.\u00a0 CC starts to move the table…she couldn’t believe what she was doing?! She just leaves.\u00a0 Nurse 2 and I start laughing.\u00a0 CC comes back- starts looking for a bandaid as I usually need one after giving blood or getting poked by a needle. She’s asking “where are all the bandaids?” Leaves to get more and I couldn’t help myself saying: “well, you used 3 on me last week.”\u00a0 CC came running back in -” what did you say behind my back?” Nurse 2 told he between laughs. Ya gotta have fun while sitting for a half hour having a needle in you!<\/p>\n
Hopefully the iron does go up this next week!<\/p>\n
After badgering the nurse coordinator in the Transplant Dept, leaving the same message for the Social Worker and Receptionist; she decides to actually return my call.\u00a0 I had left a message letting them know that I have chosen the coumadin pill for the blood thinner and screw the Dr’s that are in dispute.\u00a0 It’s my body.\u00a0 Taking 2 months to try to agree on this is ridiculous!\u00a0 So, I lived up to my nickname back when I worked at the hotel- “The Hammer” and dropped it on them.\u00a0I did get the green light to go on\u00a0coumadin.\u00a0Now, I just needed to get the prescription from my nephrologist or primary care.\u00a0 I chose my nephrologist because I was seeing her the following week.\u00a0 Well what do you know?\u00a0 She cannot prescribe the blood thinner- it has to come from the hemotologist or my primary care.\u00a0 Why can’t my incompetent nurse coordinator get the proper instructions\/information to me? I then decide to go with my PCP because the hemo is not too fond of me taking the pill.\u00a0 PCP of course, has to see me (charge me more money).\u00a0 I see her today- and take a guess? She has NOT received any paperwork from KU Med authorizing the blood thinner.\u00a0 Imagine that! Time to drop the hammer again!\u00a0 My awesome PCP did indeed give me a prescription.\u00a0 So, after waiting an hour and a half to see her to get the physical prescription, I had to have blood drawn as this determines my dosage to take.\u00a0 My veins, boy, they sure have eyes! The first tube of blood filled up no problem; the 2nd one, well, the veins were not\u00a0liking it and decided to take off.\u00a0 This caused the digging to occur again.\u00a0 You can run, but you can’t hide! They were found, and decided to give up another tube of blood.\u00a0 Whew!<\/p>\n
Off to the drugstore to get the coumadin! You know, next time I fill a prescription, I’m just gonna say “put it on my tab.”\u00a0 The Pharmacist was very, very helpful cause they have to ask- “have you taken this before?”\u00a0 This time, I get an entire 8.5 by 11 description of the drug, it’s side effects, warnings, etc… After reading it, I turn to “Mr. Right” and say: “this is some serious stuff.” Of course, I didn’t say stuff.\u00a0\u00a0So, here’s a run down of possible symptoms: Pain, swelling, or discomfort; headaches, dizziness, weakness; unusual bruising; nosebleeds; bleeding gums; bleeding from cuts- takes long time to stop; heavier menstrual bleeding, pink or brown urine; red or black stools; coughing up blood; vomiting blood or material that looks like coffee grounds.\u00a0 Oh boy! Why was I anxious to get on this crap?? It gets better- here are some things to avoid: eating large amounts of green leafy vegetables as these contain Vitamin K. Too much can lower effect of coumadin.\u00a0 Avoid cranberry juice &cranberry products; avoid alcohol; any activity or sport that may cause serious injury. That almost eliminates just about everything.<\/p>\n
After being on this, I have to have my finger pricked at least every week if not a few times a week to see how thin my blood’s getting.\u00a0 Believe it or not, there is a stupid co-pay fee every time.\u00a0 Unbelievable!\u00a0 After being monitored about a month, and the blood is thinned enough where it should be, I get active on the list again, then\u00a0I go off the pill a few days prior to transplant.<\/p>\n
So, about 12:08 this morning yesterday); I’m doing my last exchange before I go to bed, and couldn’t believe what was coming out of my body! Bright red fluid.\u00a0It’s the color of\u00a0Koolaid or Fruit Punch.\u00a0 Seriously.\u00a0I panic. I call the after hours number to the clinic and aske to have the on call nurse paged.\u00a0 She calls back and says it’s nothing to worry about- it should clear in a day.\u00a0 I may have burst a blood vessel or had a cyst that ruptured.\u00a0 Luckily, I wasn’t doubled over in pain.\u00a0 I thought my hernia might have burst.\u00a0 I do my first exchange in the morning; same exact color, “fruit punch.”\u00a0 My 2nd exchange is normal. My 3rd one is again light red.\u00a0 No so much color of fruit punch; maybe a watered down version.\u00a0 If this doesn’t clear by tomorrow, I have to have a cat scan.<\/p>\n
In lighter news, my friend Anna is doing excpetionally well after just 3 weeks post transplant.\u00a0 I’m still a little jealous. I am also very very happy for her.<\/p>\n
I am very disappointed that they did not show the transplant for Susan on Desperate Housewives.\u00a0 Granted, she actually did not have one- but the daytime soaps do a pretty good job portraying those hospital stories!\u00a0 I think I may write the show expressing my disappointment.<\/p>\n
The local TV newsreporter is discussing my story with the producers- I’m pretty confident it will be aired as she expresses what a compelling story I have.\u00a0 I was hoping for this month since it’s organ donation month.\u00a0 I don’t see that happening- April’s almost over.<\/p>\n
So, I was walking around Target recently, and saw a BeBelly.\u00a0 It’s a spandex like, somewhat of a tube top looking item- that goes over your belly for pregnant women to keep their pants up.\u00a0 My jeans love to become unzipped by themselves several times a day since I have a belly due to my hernia.\u00a0 I thought I’d try this out.\u00a0 So far, it’s not working too well.<\/p>\n
Well, it’s about time for my last exchange before bed.\u00a0 Let’s hope it’s not fruit punch.<\/p>\n
Thanks for your patience in reading this.\u00a0 I’ll try to give weekly updates.<\/p>\n
Thank you for the dedicated prayers and ecouraging support!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Hello friends- Hope you had a nice Easter holiday with friends and or family.\u00a0 Besides dealing with some heavy allergy issues of being sick several days, I too, enjoyed Easter.\u00a0 I cooked a roasted leg of lamb for the first time. We eventually ate about 8:15p.\u00a0 Hey, ya gotta try almost everything at least once,
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