I Hate Dialysis Message Board
Introduction => Introduce Yourself => Topic started by: Mercurial on August 12, 2008, 08:40:50 PM
-
I had a rare disease (so rare that there's not even an agreed-upon spelling) occur the summer of 7th grade, at which point it was treated with prednisone, putting it in remission until I turned 21. Over the course of fall quarter, I went from being a good student who got up at 6:30 am every morning of every day to being a student barely able to get up by 10 am who cut class frequently. I had no idea my kidneys were failing until I got up Saturday one morning to go to my job at the library and discovered that my vision had gone completely blurry. A couple ricochets later, I ended up at an ER in Spokane where they told me that my kidneys had less than 7% function and that I was lucky that I hadn't had a stroke from the resulting high blood pressure (which was causing the blurry vision).
Over the next two years I pretty much ran myself into the ground trying to juggle dialysis with finishing my tech writing degree. I ended up having a meltdown and had to leave school without finishing. After over 14 years on dialysis, I'm back in school, working on a software engineering degree.
I got on the transplant list last June after waiting for the immunosuppressants and drug regiment to advance by a couple generations since prednisone by itself had pretty much rendered me skeletal when I was on it. The transplant team here agrees that I was wise to wait, especially since I've been relatively stable on hemo.
Last November, I had to have a duel nephrectomy since a suspected tumor was causing my body to generate wayyy to many red blood cells due to a condition known as 'polycythemia vera'. It had gotten to the point that I was having 200 ml of blood wasted about every 2 weeks just to get it down to normal levels.
I've worked as a librarian (boring when you can't read everything you touch), computer tech (%&(# real estate agents that need their notebook back in one hour), web designer (wild goose chase expert), yo-yo teacher, and kite store employee. Currently, I'm just doing the school thing since that takes up about all the extra energy I have.
My friends would tell you I'm the tall, quiet guy with a darkly dry sense of humor.
Cheers,
M:>
-
:welcomesign; to IHD. Sorry to hear how much you have been through. Fourteen years on dialysis makes you one tough cookie. You'll find plenty of experience here with almost any situation you can imagine. Others will listen when you need to rant or offer encouragement if that will help. Post often!
-
Welcome, Merc. I think you'll fit in well here, especially with a good sense of humor.
-
Fourteen years on dialysis makes you one tough cookie.!
More like a little insane. 'They're coming to take me away' is my theme-song.
-
:welcomesign;
-
Welcome Mercurial, good to have you aboard.
-
:welcomesign; Nice to see you here and hope you'll post often.
-
:welcomesign;
-
Welcome! You've had a very busy career life in the midst of illness! Do you think you'll end up with a software engineer career or will you combine your job skills? Just curious because I'm a tech writer, too, and I think the tech writer field includes a lot of software engineers who came over to the "dark side" :2thumbsup; I went into tech writing because I saw it as a career that allow me to work from home if necessary.
-
:welcomesign;
-
:welcomesign; You will fit right in! Most of us a little crazy and have a strange sense of humor. I think you have to in order to survive. I also have had a lot of owls surrounding me the past few weeks, so your avitar really caught my attention. This is a great site with wonderful members, tons of information and endless support. Post often. I'll look forward to more of your posts.
-
Welcome Merc, glad to have you as part of our family
Boxman, Moderator
-
:welcomesign; You will fit right in! Most of us a little crazy and have a strange sense of humor. I think you have to in order to survive. I also have had a lot of owls surrounding me the past few weeks, so your avitar really caught my attention. This is a great site with wonderful members, tons of information and endless support. Post often. I'll look forward to more of your posts.
It's either laugh at it or drink--pretty much the choice doctors have to make if they're going to make a career out of it.
Tell me about these owls surrounding you... I grew up in the county near the mountains and love to hear about sightings.
My avatar is an adult Saw-Whet owl... I was in some undergrowth when I was about 12 and had a juvenile flit in and land on a branch right in front of me. Very odd being eye to eye with a living creature that looks like a stuffed toy. We stared at each other for a couple minutes, then it flew off. I call it my spirit guide. Apparently they aren't afraid of people and actually like their heads scritched when researchers are tagging them.
-
:welcomesign;
Aw. The nurses call me Eeyore when I have a full pout going (a rare thing)...
-
Welcome Merc, glad to have you as part of our family
Boxman, Moderator
Glad for the nice welcomes.
I kept going by your avatar and glancing at it like something was missing. Is that a prosthetic right leg? Does it start at the cannon, or go higher?
-
Welcome! You've had a very busy career life in the midst of illness! Do you think you'll end up with a software engineer career or will you combine your job skills? Just curious because I'm a tech writer, too, and I think the tech writer field includes a lot of software engineers who came over to the "dark side" :2thumbsup; I went into tech writing because I saw it as a career that allow me to work from home if necessary.
I'm definitely aiming for a software engineering career. I would like to pick up some machinist skills and program for a company specializing in milled metal parts. I would have gone into radiology, but couldn't fit the 40+ hour a week 9-5 school schedule into my week. Gigantic machines overflowing with technology make me light-headed in a pleasant way. If there's a whiff of ozone to go with all the electricity a machine is sucking down, it's even better.
I'm going to keep how much tech-writing I know under my hat unless someone directly asks, otherwise everyone's backlog of documentation will land on my desk. At least my personal documentation of whatever I'm working on will be well-written... ; )
-
Welcome to our community! Glad that you found us. Hope you aren't too mercurial and will hang around for quite a while! There is lots going on at this site - information, support, fun, a place to vent, rave, rage or rant. so please take advantage of all this IHD family has to offer :grouphug; We look forward to hearing more from you. :flower;
Bajanne, Moderator
-
:welcomesign;
-
:waving; :welcomesign;
Hello and Welcome!
-
Welcome to ihatedialysis.com M:>,
Oh Boy will you ever fit in around here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74jzU87QjGw
Enough said. Welcome to the craziness.
Sluff/Admin
-
Welcome to ihatedialysis.com M:>,
Oh Boy will you ever fit in around here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74jzU87QjGw
Enough said. Welcome to the craziness.
Sluff/Admin
Er, nice boas... o_0
-
:welcomesign;
xx
carla
-
:welcomesign; Merc!
-
Welcome to the site. It sounds like you have had quite the adventure in illness and dilaysis. Have a look around the site. Lots to see.
kitkatz,moderator