rough

gone thru rough patch — on recovery autobahn recovering from kidney transplant

legs still not stronger

many nights recently = zero sleep = super irrittable, hair trigger descent into trollness

 

1/2 great day

As a fellow dialysis patient answers when the nurses ask him how he is, “I’m still here.” He was just old enough to get in the Army in the Spring of 1945. They pressed him into duty for MP duty to help put down the Halifax Riot. We talked about that one morning in the waiting room.

He uses a walker. He recently broke his wrist. He has shingles.

When I bellyache about my pain, I look at him and wish I had kept my mouth shut.

Today in dialysis my ulcer troubles were almost manageable: right heel mostly quiet, left calf, the bigger “fella” gnawed on my nerves less, but he still chewed some. After four hours in the chair I was ready to exit to the car and drive home.

My friend the ex-MP, who was a school teacher was quiet about his suffering, except for the odd, very low groan. He was in the treatment chair next to me.

Grace, my dog greeted me at the door, grin and wagging tail.

God bless you all and keep you safe.

Not a great day

I have leg ulcers, small one on my right heel/ankle and a larger one on the back of my left calf.  This morning CCAC wound specialist had a look and changed the treatment of the wounds.

These two infections are holding up my open heart surgery.

Given my track record with ulcers, healing could take two months. Right now I have no angina or shortness of breath.  What I do have is a lot of pain from the ulcers. Much of today was very bad.  I walked to shake it off.  I tried to find a comfortable position  and failed.  But this evening about thirty minutes after Grace, the dog, and her cat wingman, Cadbury, joined me on my bed, the pain went away.  Grace brought her lamb squeaky toy with her on to the bed. I hope the pain stays away so I can sleep.

Goodnight to all and God bless you all.

Dialysis, hot stuff

not much sleep last night

another strange day at dialysis today

soon after settling in, my body was aching and muscles in shoulders and neck super tight and tense

nurse went to get me something I have never heard of, a cervical hot pack, which is kept in hot water, wrapped in a towel and placed on tight neck and below. and I do mean HOT, MELTED THE TENSION and I dropped into a deep deep sleep after basically two sleepless nights, bless you Nurse Sue.

ablut two hours I surfaced from my deep deep oblivion sleep, and to my alarm, the tenseness came flooding back into my nexk and shoulder, so I asked for hot pack number two which helped yet again.

tension tried to slip back in during the afternoon, but I held it off fairly well

Reset

Got a call from preregistration for my parathyroid surgery this AM. I had been told July 3 for surgery date, but this is not the case. The true date is July 31st. I have also scheduled some heavy duty oral surgery for August 13th. This will all work out.

One problem though, the parathyroid trouble has finally kicked up some bone pain in my hips. Hurts like a bastard when I walk. Seems the surgery will help, but it can take a month to reduce if not eliminate the bone pain. Fortunately it does not hurt to sit or lie down.

I am having to limit my activities. Back to using a walking stick. Things could be a whole lot worse.

bump

on Friday I attended for the morning a conference then carried on over to get my dialysis treatment and then returned to the conference for a reception and dinner.  The “bump” seems to have come from standing for two hours or so on a cement floor at the Midland Cultural Centre yakking with some conference attendees, sitting in the dialysis chair for four and a half hours, then sitting on one of those unfriendly plastic, stacking hall chairs we have all encountered over the years.  That night as I walked from my car to the door of my home, my right hip growled and it has continued growling with a few moments of quiet normalcy since then.  I was unable to attend day two of the conference.

Today I am using my walking stick indoors, which is a very rare thing. i have not had to use my stick since April.   Fortunately I can lie down and sit down without discomfort. Walking is not so good.  

Rght now I am waiting for our window guys to finish. I am sitting on the sun porh, although today is a little grey, cloudy, may rain, and a cool wind blowing, no whitecaps on the Bay.  Grace was a little excited at our visitors, but she has handled it well.

I hope this “bump” will go away with some taking it easy time.