Hello to my fellow caregivers

[treehugger]

Hi all. I am new here and wanted to post a  in this section. I am a spouse *and* a caregiver to a PD patient, but I don't have to do much caregiving. We are lucky that PD is treating my husband pretty well and he doesn't have too many health issues complicating the kidney disease.

I give him his bimonthly Epogen shots, and of course do all the lifting around the house. I have gotten so much stronger from carrying the 25 pound boxes of solution up 2 flights of stairs (he needs 1.5 boxes a day, so every other day I carry 50 pounds at a time), plus the 50 pound bags of cat litter and 30 pound bags of dog food that are necessary items in our house. Good thing I do pilates!

Actually, it's pretty nice to find a place where I don't have to explain all the extra work around the house.  My mother-in-law is the caregiver to her mother (Alzheimer's), but other than that, I don't know anyone who deals with disease on a daily basis like we do.

Have a good evening everyone,
Kara

[breezysummerday]

Hi treehugger,
breezysummerday here.
Snickering about our on-line names   
 

I live in anchorage AK and live for the summertime here,
hence my internet name.  Am a caregiver too with all it's
great and not so great moments.  Me and Ray love the
outdoors.  He still works as a chef and I am a Medical Assist
on a mother/baby hospital unit. 

                           

[drinkboy]

Hey Treehugger,

 Glad to hear that your husband is in good health (aside from the the kidney disease of course).  Carrying all those boxes sure will make you stronger...it's amazing how many boxes of solution PD patients go thru

[treehugger]

Hi treehugger,
breezysummerday here.
Snickering about our on-line names   
 

They do go together nicely, don't they. I've been a treehugger (mostly figuratively, but occasionally literally ) since I went to Outdoor Ed in the 5th grade. I now work with a global environmental consultant and I like use the treehugger title to take it back, so to speak (since it is usually used derogatorily). 

As far as my husband's health, we know that we have been very fortunate, both with the very slow decline in his kidney function over the years, and in how his body is reacting to dialysis. That said, we are both so ready to get this transplant thing going. As I've heard somewhere around here, we hate dialysis!

Kara

[mcmkids]

Hi and welcome! This meassage board is great to share info and to just vent! I am caring for my 44 year old husband who is in renal failure due partly to the toxic effects of chemo and then a massive infection that left him dehydrated causing acute tubular necrosis. That was kind of the final nail in the coffin. He does home PD every night and we have had our share of issues with that. Lately, we have been doing OK with PD, though. He was a railroad engineer and made great money, but due to the cancer and now renal failure, he is on disability (at a drastic pay cut, but I keep telling myself that we are lucky that he has the disability coming in!). I still work full time (luckily, I work for a fabulous company that allows me to work from home) and we have three children. Our oldest is graduating from high school in a month, our middle is trying his best to fail out of school and our youngest just badly injured her ankle and is in a cast and on crutches for the next month. The hits just keep coming. You are definatly not alone!  You will find a lot of very real families coping with this illness on a daily basis. Best of luck and I hope this wonderful message board brings you the comfort and support it has brough to me! 

[Romona]