Did you accomplish anything today?

[cariad]

I think I've figured out SAS enough to actually complete the homework due Thursday. However, I am not taking this course to be able to crank out a few homeworks, I want to actually learn the program. I meet with the instructor in an hour to try to understand a few issues better. Still, it is a relief to be able to say that it looks like I've at least managed to complete the assignment.

[CebuShan]

Good for you, CarIad! I have done nothing today. I'm still tired and sore from the weekend. Stayed snuggled in bed watching movies.

[Cordelia]

Having a lazy day here, it's cold, rainy and windy and just plain miserable outside, I'm happy to stay inside and do.......nothing!       I figure we all need days like that   

[kristina]

Here it is.  My new poncho.  Tadah!

Wonderful Poncho, Natalya! I do like the pattern very much!

How long did you work on it ?

[MooseMom]

I managed to get a good bit of housework done today.  I vacuumed the ceiling fans.  It was a real slog because I have a cold; I don't know if I feel awful because I'm uremic or because my head is full of boogers...probably both.

[Cordelia]

Not much. Had D this morning, walked home from the hospital since I live so close, had lunch and just woke up from a much-needed nap   

Oh! I got my "labs report card" at my unit today, it was the best ever, so that was a huge accomplisment!       

[MooseMom]

Oh! I got my "labs report card" at my unit today, it was the best ever, so that was a huge accomplisment!       

Did you get actual numbers on your "labs report card" or those smiley/frowny faces?  Whichever, congratulations!

[Cordelia]

LOL MM   on the smiley/frown faces        You know what's really funny? Today I had a dietician I've never met, don't know what happened to our "usual" dietician, quite honestly, I can't stand her, she's condescending and arrogant to be blunt. Anyways, I was very happy to meet this other lady, she was very nice, she said I was doing great. Apparently my albumin was a little low, still on the safe side, so.....I must eat more protein     

Yes, I got a smiley  today   

Thanks for your congrats!     

[Riki]

My bp went weird on Wednesday, and I haven't quite been right since.  I've been doing more sleeping than anything else.  I went to the ophthalmologist on Thursday, and he told me that my eyesight was gradually getting worse.  I'm almost said "well duh" out loud to him, but I didn't.  I've been going to the guy since I was a teenager.  Although, he did suggest that I get myself reacquainted with the CNIB again.  It must be pretty bad if he's suggesting that

[Cordelia]

So far, got up, saw the kids off to school, showered and I'm soon off to a kidney disease support group this aft, it's once a month and I look forward to getting together with other people who are in the same boat as me   

[CebuShan]

So far, got up, saw the kids off to school, showered and I'm soon off to a kidney disease support group this aft, it's once a month and I look forward to getting together with other people who are in the same boat as me   

  You have a support group?! That is so cool! My D SW has been trying to get one started here but it seems that, other than me, no one is interested. My support group is right here on IHD.

[Cordelia]

Hi Cebushan! Oh no, I'm so sorry to hear that, that is really frustrating so much when you want to and no one else does     

I really enjoy mine, it's a good-sized group too. We meet at my hospital in the board room, it's once a month, there are two facilitators and they are just awesome people, just like here, I love support networks, I don't know what I'd do without my friends there and my IHD friends here, it's so comforting to vent in a place/setting where you feel comfortable!       

[cariad]

I barely accomplished anything today. I was chatting with another woman in my public health class and saying that I just do not like this text and cannot seem to retain any of the information that I'm reading, and she said she had the same problem and we laughed about a few of the quirks with the book (like the chapters have a conclusion, then you turn the page and there is an additional 20 pages to read, spotlighting some facet of public health. It's psychologically damaging.)

I tend to talk to the same people in class each week, and I was discussing salt and how many experts believe that the studies show that limiting salt has little to no health benefit. (Little benefit to hypertensives, none for non-hypertensives.) The EMT in the class wants to see the article (there are actually many) so I found one that talks about how slow public health is to adopt new information, that we get the same arguments shoved at us for a lifetime. OK, I know this is a renal forum and there are other benefits to dialysis patients in limiting salt, but I find I have little patience for these outdated arguments. Immediately after the conversation, we started laughing because sure enough, one woman starts talking about the evils of Ritz crackers because of the sodium. If one more person says in those really earnest tones that we just have to get everyone to lose weight and never again consume any fat or salt, I swear I'm going to lose it and devour a bacon double cheeseburger right in their faces.

Anyhow, then I happen to mention the renal diet (to make a point that there is no such thing as a single Healthy Diet) and for reasons I cannot remember, the nurse in the class starts talking about a dialysis patient she came into contact with who 'wanted to drown'. Excuse me? She said the woman was eating pretzels and so the nurse told her she cannot do that, so the patient stopped eating pretzels and switched to Cheez Its. OK, where does the wanting to drown come in exactly? Then she said something about she had no problems with her eating the pretzels because her blood pressure was low which was just confusing (then why exactly were you telling her to stop eating them?!) and I asked 'was she drinking too much fluid' and the prof jumped in because I think she could tell I was getting agitated and we were short of time. There is simply no faster way to wind me up then to hear of a nurse judging a patient, speaking to the patient's inner thoughts ("she wanted to drown") and not seeming to have a very firm grasp of how dialysis works. So, I said "Well, there are loads of problems with dialysis in this country, and I'm doing my presentation on it so I'll have more to say at that time."

So, the accomplishment: I kept my cool and did not insist on having it out with this person (who I'm sure is a perfectly lovely individual when she's not saying bizarre, contradictory, and judgmental things about patients). This is actually quite an achievement for me.

[Cordelia]

Not much, just D this morning. Too rainy, too cold to do anything outside today. I'm tired of the rain, we've had so much in the last week at least........

Going to ly down for a nap this aft and likely do a load of laundry tonight since it's cheaper to do laundry at night after 7 pm, it's not as high peak time for Kilowatt hours as it is the morning/afternoon during the day. Here in Ontario, there are times you can save money doing laundry at particular times of the day.

Laundry is soooooooooo B-o-r-i-n-g      LOL

[CebuShan]

I haven't done much yet. I had D this morning, I'm being beckoned by the dog and cat to take a nap. Then I need to start looking through my dvds to find one for the Halloween party at the clinic.

[Cordelia]

Naps are great!            I feel refreshed now   

[cariad]

Submitted my SAS program. I think I finally figured out what the instructor was looking for. Not only does everyone agree that there is not enough time each week for a proper class, but there is a language barrier.

Had a cracking discussion about schizophrenia today in psychological anthro. The prof wanted to know what differences we saw between the perception of people with schizophrenia vs. those with chronic, physical illness. Gee, if only I had experience with chronic illness.

Someone mentioned the lack of credibility that mentally ill patients have with doctors, and I said that chronic patients also see their credibility compromised, but the difference is that they would be accused of lying, a conscious choice, as opposed to having their experience denied because they lack a connection to reality. The prof liked this (he likes very little - quite particular) and said "Yes, it's one thing to be called a liar, a liar is still granted the possibility of speaking truth. In schizophrenia, you are seen as incapable of speaking truth." I loved his wording so much, I wrote it down. I received my grade for our first paper - 28/30. He seemed to appreciate what I wrote. Also, the woman whose paper I peer-critiqued, I think I saw that she received a 27/30, so that makes me feel better. I basically was trying to give her a crash course in anthro analysis in the five minutes I was afforded to talk to her. I was concerned that my critique came off as insulting, because I had to just get to the point as quickly as possible. She seemed very happy with whatever grade she received. Off to computing class soon....

[CebuShan]

Did get my nap in. The dog woke me when it was time for him to go out. (Good boy!) My husband called and said he had something for me to look at. So, I got dressed & we went to look at a house. We both loved it. We can start moving in whenever we want! Yay!

[Cordelia]

Cariad, that is great! It's such a good feeling when accomplishing something!     

Cebushan, good luck with the house!   

Tonight I made a renal-friendly apple crumble/crisp, oh, it was sooo good! It took me a long time to peel, de-core and slice the apples, but I'm surprising my family when they get home later tonight with a yummy bed-time snack! It was the first time I made it and it turned exceptionally yummy!!!!!           

My arm is killing me though from all the cutting, but it was well worth it!       

[Riki]

I got up this morning, took a shower and went to the doctor for my obligatory yearly pap.  He surprised me by being incredibly quick, no waiting!  He wants me to come back in some morning next week to have my cholesterol checked.  The nurse keeps a basket of suckers on the desk, so on the way out, I grabbed a green one.  I think after what I had to do, I deserved it. *L*

I went home, plugged my ipod into my mom's computer speakers, then danced around to Katy Perry"s latest release until I got tired, then laid down for a 3 hour nap. *L*

[Cordelia]

I wish my doctor had suckers              

[Riki]

I wish my doctor had suckers              

your doctor doesn't have suckers?? your doctor sucks.. *LOL*

[Cordelia]

LMAO! Riki!    Nope           

[Riki]

They're green suckers too.. so they're good

[Cordelia]

Mmmm the green and purple ones are my most fav