New from California

[AIRon]

 I am glad I found this site...where do I begin. My name is Aaron and I live in central California, I have been fighting ESRD for about 2 years now. I first found out I was going to have kidney problems when I started My entry into the U.S. Army they found protein in my urine but didn't seem to think it was much of a problem, well after my tour was up I came back to California and in 2002 found out that I had type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure to boot. My family doctor couldn't get my "BP" under control so he referred me to a specialist. It was too late, I found out i only had 17% kidney function. I tried to fight the loss with a strict vegan diet it was working and I got up to 23% function, but than life got in the way and I missed a few appointments and neglected to refill one of my prescriptions and in two months dropped down to 9% percent. i was scared to death about dialysis, I didn't know anything about it, and I could only read so much about it before I got upset and went into denial. Finally last month I got so tired of being sick and tired I told the "Doc" I wanted to go on dialysis. I thought it was going to be an in and out kind of thing but I ended up staying in the hospital for eleven days, come to find out I had high cholesterol and A heart murmur...luckily the heart murmur was caused by the perm cath being too close to my heart so they fixed that and it went away. i had to stay so long because they didn't have any room for me in a treatment center so I had to wait till one opened up. So here I am, even though I have a wife and three beautiful girls I still feel alone because of my disease no one knows what I am feeling, they don't know how bad the anemia kicks my ass everyday, and how the cold chills me to the bone, here feels different after reading a lot of these posts it looks like all of us here are going through the same things and as grim as it is it is good to know someone out there knows how I feel. Thats my story,I do work full time in a diesel repair shop about nine hours a day six days a week I am putting my wife through college so I have to bust my hump to keep everything a float It's hard as hell but I manage, the dialysis helps a lot it keeps the evils toxins out of my brain and makes me easier to get a long with. So I guess I will see you guys around the forums looking for answers.

[Jean]

Well, Aaron, glad you decided to join us. That is a great intro. Whereabouts in Central Ca do you live? I am in Riverside, down south here. 60 miles or so from LA. Inland. You have had quite a ride with this nasty disease we have. I can only imagine how hard it is for you to ge tup and go to work every day, doing what you do. Hope things get better for you soon. Younow have a loving and caring family to talk to who knows what you are going thru.

[RichardMEL]

G'day & Welcome Aaron! That's quite a story - it seems strange that your GP couldn't control your GP? Was much tried to do that? I mean did you try a number of drug therapies? I think that may have been the critical point for you. I'm also surprised the Army medical didn't think protein spill into your urine wasn't important- maybe it was just a little bit? When I was told (I too had a routine physical where they discovered protein) I thought "So what?" I felt fine and didn't think it was a big deal. Wrong-o! they told me and it was bam off to the nephrologist, and well the rest is history.

Either way you're here in the wacky world of dialysis. Working 6 days is bloody tough and it's great if you can keep that up given the needs you have to support (wife studying, 3 kids, etc) - that's a lot you're putting yourself through - just remember that you also need to look after YOU while you're doing all this stuff to look after your other loved ones!

Anyway good to have you here and look forward to seeing your contributions!

 

RichardMEL, Moderator

[monrein]

  and thanks for your introduction...I just wish we were meeting under different circumstances.  You most definitely aren't alone and you will find both answers and support here.

[Bajanne]

WElcome to our community!  You have found just the place for you at this time - the IHD family   Thanks for sharing that intro with us.   I trust that your dialysis sessions are going okay.  You have quite a lot on your plate, but I am continually impressed concerning the strength of the human spirit.  You will make it.   Maybe your wife would like to join our website as well.  We even have a area for caregivers and loved ones.
Take advantage of all this site has to offer.  In fact, don't think of it as a site - it is a genuine family
Looking forward to hearing from you.





Bajanne, Moderator

[AIRon]

Thanks for the warm welcome, Jean I live in a small town called Tulare it is between Bakerfield and Fresno and it is mostly an agricultural based economy,and yes my sessions are going well. Wednseday I had an eval for PD and I hope to be starting that soon so I don't have to sit in the treatment center for hoursd at a time.

[Poppylicious]

Hi Aaron,

 

I know what it's like to feel all alone with this, although my feeling alone comes from your wife's point of view as it's my Blokey (husband) who is the one living with dialysis.

 

[AIRon]

I know my wife cares and is very hurt that I have to go through this...I think I meant being alone in the fact I don't know anyone who has ever been through this, even though I am surrounded by people in the treatment center I am in and out with out any real contact with them and we all kind of look like a bunch of strangers in a big room. In here (IHD) it is up lifting to see so many who know exactly what I am going through and it looks like we all share the same feelings and experiences.

[Zach]

Good to have you join our community!
 

[peleroja]

Welcome to the group; so glad you found us.  Don't know where in central Ca you are, but if you don't mind a bit of travel, we're having a meet and greet in the Riverside area on Sunday, June 6.  Look for a post called IHD mini meet.  Gonna have about a dozen So Cal IHDers.  Hope you can make it.

[Jean]

It is Sunday June 6th in Riverside. PM me if you want to come and I will give you directions and phone numbers. You can of course, bring your wife. We would love it if you came.