Hey everybody, I'm Ross

[skyeye67]

Good evening everyone and I am so glad I ran into this site     Where do I start?  Here goes....I have been a Type 1 diabetic for 30 of my 43 (soon to be 44) years.  In January of 2008 I was diagnosed with ESRD and told I would be going on PD.  After placement of the catheter, training of both myself and my caregiver, and healing I began PD.  I remained on PD for approximately 7 months during which I suffered a heart attack (with no symptoms) and twice suffered through peritonitis.  At the point, at which my second diagnosis of peritonitis was made, my nephrologist told me that it was necessary to remove my PD catheter and I would be going to begin hemo.  In the period since, I have moved on to my third nephrologist, literally moved from Mississippi to Pennsylvania, survived a second heart attack and one cardiac arrest, been diagnosed with sleep apnea and been pulled through a long ordeal involving my diabetes and the care thereof.  I am very fortunate to have a care giver, my ex-wife, who I thank God for every day and believe if not for her I would not be here today typing this.  As I say on my Twitter profile I am fighting kidney disease and so far it is a push.  I am on the transplant list at Vanderbilt University Hospital in Nashville, TN and am trying to get on the list at Lehigh Valley Health Network here in Allentown, PA.  I currently go to hemodialysis at a clinic in South Allentown 3 days a week for 3 1/2 hours each treatment.  I have been through so much in the last 3+ years that I feel I can not cover it all here so if anyone has any questions I am asking them now to feel free to please contact me and ASK...I will feel honored to answer.  I look forward to making many friends via this site and will say thank you in advance for everything that I am sure I will learn.

[ToddB0130]

Hi Ross ..... welcome to IHD.  I grew up in Bethlehem.  I've been in the Philadelphia area for 15 years now.  I wasn't aware that the Lehigh Valley Hospital had a transplant department.  I may have to check their transplant wait list times and possibly add them as a secondary (I am scheduled for transplant at the University Of PA Hospital in Philly).   Again ...welcome to the group.  There's a great deal of information here.

[justme15]

hi ross!
My sister lives in Bethlehem, so I 'm in that area usually once a year! I may check into the wait list at lehigh valley as well.
I was on PD for a couple years before I got a transplant. now my transplant is failing and I am hoping for another transplant before I have to start dialysis.
welcome to the site, there is a ton of useful info. 

[willowtreewren]

Welcome, Ross!

 

Good grief. You have really been through the mill these past few years! Did you ever learn what precipitated your heart attacks? That must have been quite alarming! 

I often pass through Allentown on my way from Tennessee to Massachusetts where my daughter lives. And right past that hospital!

Well, you'll find lots of helpful folks here along with scads of useful information.

Looking forward to getting to know you better.

Aleta

[Poppylicious]

  Ross!

[boswife]

  and sounds like your going to have lots to offer as well as gain from IHD    Will be good to hear more from you 

[skyeye67]

Thank ya'll for the generous welcome and yes, I hope I am able to add something here and am sure I will learn much.  It was heartining as I was telling my ex-wife about this site she asked if she could check it out and I told her she would be welcome.  She has been my caregiver since the beginning and has truly been a godsend.  For those who mentioned it yes, LVHN does have a transplant program and the phone # is (610) 402-8506.  As far as I know it's the only program between Philadelphia and the Lehigh Valley.

I did find out what brought on each of my heart attacks.  The first one, in October of 2008, was caused by blockages in coronary arteries.  These were discovered by a cardiac cath and treated by placement of two stents which (knock on wood) I have had no problems with so far.  My second heart attack and following cardiac arrest was caused by hyperkalemia.  Martha and I had been out for a walk (our usual) on a Saturday.  When we got home I decided to take a nap and when I woke up I was nauseous.  Like me, I sat around for an hour or two hoping the feeling would go away but instead it got worse, leading to vomitting.  Over the course of the night I continued to vomit and dehydrate myself.  Martha works nights so she had left for work.  At the time I was drinking diet green tea which, with the dehydration, I continued to drink.  What we didn't know at the time was the diet green tea contained potassium as a result of removing the sodium.  When Martha got home from work she saw how bad I was, continually vomitting, and called the ambulance.  A short while after getting to the ER, while laying on the stretcher, I told Martha that I didn't feel good.  She told me to tell my nurse so I rolled over, feeling like I was going to vomit.  Instead I went into cardiac arrest.  I do not remember any of this but they worked me for 45 mins. and at one point told Martha that it did not look as if I was going to make it.  Well, I did and I'm here today.  I want to advise EVERYONE to read the nutrition labels on everything they consume and look for hidden ingredients.  There are many ways to list potassium other than the obvious and potassium WILL KILL YOU if too much ends up in your system.  I now drink primarily spring water for which we have read the complete lab analysis and found no potassium.  I apologize for such a lengthy story but I wanted to try and cover it completely.

[kellyt]

Welcome Ross!     Sounds like you have been through a lot.  I'm so glad you found this site.  I look forward to hearing more from you.  You and I are the same age.

[fearless]

wow.  I'm glad you got through that and are here now.   

[shorty590000]

thank you for the info about the sodiumm. I am fairly new to kidney disease and my kidney function is 18%, I just came off dialysis a month ago and I have to be very careful about everything I comsume...This makes me even more aware of what I am drinking. . and eating..

[looneytunes]

Hi Ross and