Hello from San Jose, CA!

[DocRose]

My name is Rose, age 43, and, yes, I'm a doctor with kidney failure.  I went to med school later on (age 38), graduated after 4 years, and started my residency training in Family Practice.  Unfortunately, 33 years of Type 1 Diabetes caught up with me and my kidneys failed halfway through my intern year.  I started on hemo November 2012 and switched to PD on Feb 1 of this year.  I tried to continue working, but busy 16 hour days was too much for me and caused me to skip my 9 hours of dialysis (when I wasn't told I would have to work those long hours.  If I knew, manuals during the day would work for me just fine).  Long story short , got really sick and my neph gave me a choice....be an excellent doc after my transplant or wind up as a dead doc.  So that put my dream on hold.  I'm currently listed at Stanford for a combined pancreas and kidney.  So, waiting for my life back but in the meantime keeping up with medical reading and teaching physiology courses at the local colleges.   I hope to make some friends on here going through the same fight to remain as healthy as possible before the transplant!   It's very nice to meet everyone!

[CebuShan]

Welcome DocRose!   
Many of us here can relate to not being able to work. I always feel like I'm being judged by people that know I'm sick but can't seem to figure out that I'm not going to get better!
There's a whole thread on here about Ignorant things people have said to you. It's funny/sad.
Anyway, I'm glad you found us. These people have been my lifeline.
I used to live in Milpitas and Fremont! My husband & I both have had surgeries at Stanford!
Best of luck to you!

   

[DocRose]

Thanks for the warm welcome CebuShan!   yep,  I've dealt with my share of ignorance and, surprisingly, mostly from the medical community.  Sigh!  It's nice to have a place to vent sometimes!  Yay for having lived here in crazy expensive Silicon Valley.  I grew up in Santa Clara but have spent time living in San Diego and Las Vegas.  I recently moved home to my family as the only transplant hospital where I was living didn't offer the SPK transplant I need!

[CebuShan]

I really wanted to list at Stanford but since I live in the Midwest now  I chose University of Wisconsin. I did my research and they are very good.
 I'm homesick for CA! My family all still live there and I love coming back to visit. My Mom still lives on the coast, near Half Moon Bay.
It is kind of funny the number of medical professionals that I have encountered that I have to teach them about dialysis!   

[Rerun]

Hello DocRose glad to have you.  We have another Doc on here that does hemo at home but has had quit his practice.  I'm so glad you found us.  I pray you get your kidney soon. 

Rerun, Moderator   

[Bambino_Bear]

  Doc Rose!