Back in Saipan

[cris]

Hello Everyone!
My stay in the Phils was so brief, I wish I could be with my family a little longer, but I can't, I have to work. So, back to Alcatraz!!!
When I saw my Mom again, I cried of how she really looks now. She lost weight from 52 to 41. Her jawline prominent, hair thinning which was once thick and luster is gone. I inspected her feet and it was black on top to the toes. This is due to the poor circulation of the blood, not vein problems. I really goaded her to move, lift up her spirits, walk a little. Put her feet on a warm bath with rock salt and massage it everyday. It worked, her feet is majestic again. She's a little bent now, but her mind and brain is still as sharp as ever. She still reigns as the Queen of the family. My 2 daughters have grown, the eldest to my height now and the youngest as spanky as ever.
I have discussed so many things with the doctors.  found her fressenius settings as the pump on 160-180, she can't take any higher. The needles I am trying to switch her from #16 to #18 as she hurts so much even with the graft and the EMLA. She goes to the center Tues & Sat. at 8:00a.m. and as expected is also the queen of the place. She has that some kind of command bearing which she was able to maintain even with her frail body now. She gets recormon every two weeks and neprosteril every other treatment. The machine does not have a setting for KtV. The administrator/group of doctors cannot afford to buy the dialyzer setting. I was told by her neph that this is not important as we can see how Mom responds to treatment even without this. It really pisses me.
I talked to her team of doctors at the Kidney Institute for possible transplant. Some doctors says go, Mom can still take it, some says No, she may survive the operation but there's too much risk during recovery, prone to infection, etc. at her age of 78 yrs.
She has the willpower and can still hold herself on limited liquid at almost 1 liter/day with the help of ice, of course. I think what's really paining her is her arthrities. Some nights, I have to be awake just to massage and calm her whole body. She couldn't sleep without taking rivotril.
I showed her this site, introduced everyone of you. I can see her admiration to all of you. I told her, if you can do it, she can also.
Please let me know if you notice something odd with her treatments. Thank you so much.

[paris]

Cris, the love for your Mother is so apparent. I am glad you were with her and could help her.  It is hard to live away from your loved ones when they are going through so much.  She sounds like a strong, amazing woman.   

[okarol]

Hi Cris,
By being involved you've probably already improved the level of care your mom was getting. She is lucky to have you! 

[stauffenberg]

I infer from your message that your mother is on dialysis in the Philippines, but I don't understand why her dialysis is so substandard in that case.  Where I was dialyzed in the Philippines there was also some limitation on the pump speed of the machines, but they were only restricted to a maximum of 350 rmp, which is almost the usual rate in the Western world of 400 to 450.  Otherwise the machines were essentially normal.

The major problem I noticed there was that there was absolutely no public funding for dialysis, and private health insurance was almost unheard of.  As a result, most patients could only afford perhaps one dialysis session a week, which was far from adequate, so they were all in an extreme state of deterioration.  When I arrived at the dialysis center none of the patients could believe I was a patient as well, since I looked so healthy by comparison.

The normal way of getting a transplant for residents of the Philippines is for them to pay a donor for a kidney, either in the form of cash payment or setting them up in a small business to guarantee work for them, such as by giving them a jitney bus.  Has your mother investigated that option?

[cris]

Stauff,
Thank you for your comments. Mom can't go on higher than 180, as her heart reacts. I think she gets sufficient dialysis. I am a matching donor for her, however, she does not want to go through the ordeal of transplant, no matter how I convinced her. She said everything and everyone on earth has its end, and let God takes the course for her. I understand the differing opinions of the doctors. Her vascular surgeon says she can survive the transplant, yet it is ominous that the dr. emphasizes how much it would cost us. The two nephrologist were in disagreement, one said, Mom can still survive, the other says, Mom is too old to survive. The heart doctor agrees with the other Nepro of the too much risk and so with her lung doctor. I managed to pull-out all doctors from their busy schedules in one conference sitting and discussed everything. In the end, it is still my Mom's decision.
Right now, Phils. is high on the ban of Kidney transplant to foreigners. However, at the provincial center where we go, there is an agent donor for transplant. He said he got a lot of donors willing to donate because of poverty. His donors come from the far-away province. Right now, he has an available donor with blood type "A". I just pray that these donors will be informed correctly on what they have to go through. They only ask for a very cheap $ price of about $2,000-$3,000.
If anyone contemplates on the possibility of getting a kidney donor-transplant in the Phils. My family can guide you through not as an agent but as a loved one and extended family.
Stauff, I always like your inputs, it is always educating.