One down, about nine hundred and ninety-nine to go.

[Mr Pink]

I guess it had to happen sooner or later and it seems that this was my lucky week! Feeling poorly for over a week, a visit to the hospital on Monday has only just ended on Friday, and my journey on dialysis has begun.

It's been an interesting week. I've been wheeled from one end of the hospital to the other, before finishing up in the renal ward (thankfully avoiding the morgue). And the staff have been fantastic, especially the nurses. The renal team were like characterchures of various doctors that have appeared in hospital drama shows down the years, and may as well have called themselves the "A-team." The head nephrologist was actually quite tasty, and reminded me of a character from Scrubs (the ball breaker), as her lackies all looked on nervously, frantically jotting down everything that come out of her mouth.

I had a permacath inserted, which will be used until the fistula is up and running. Waking up from that little procedure was a bit full on. I hope I don't have to experience that too often. After an hour or so of recovery, I was wheeled into the dialysis ward and plugged in. I was still pretty out of it and still on the oxygen following the surgery, some the two hours was a bit of a blur. Part two today and things were as lot clearer.

I'm off the mark. It wasn't stylish in any way, shape or form. I survived. And I'll keep surviving for as long as it takes. Monday will merely be just another day.       






EDITED:  Thread moved to proper section:  "Dialysis:  General Discussion" - jbeany, Moderator

[cassandra]

What can I say? I'm glad to hear you sound pretty positive, and maybe you get a new kidney soon?

good luck Mr Pink, love Cas

[chinksnicky]

That's what we do,keep surviving.As my first dialysis nurse told me,it gets easier,and it really does.Once you get used to just doing it ,the next hardest thing for me was getting used to the needles,but now I put my own in.You will be really happy the day they remove that cath,it was a constant reminder to me,with it gone you can almost forget on the in between days,welcome to life on dialysis and good luck.           Nick

[MaryJoe]

I'm glad you're feeling better, although it sounds like you had quite a journey to get there!  At least you'll know where everything is located in the hospital should you happen to need it in the future. (still avoiding the morgue, of course!)    

[MaryD]

Glad you missed the morgue, Mr Pink.  My renal ward is also fantastic - it helps to know that when you have to make the odd visit back there.  Hope you feel better soon.

[lmunchkin]

Welcome Mr. Pink.  Hate that you have to go through this stuff.

Again welcome & God Bless,
lmunchkin

[boswife]

Dang it...  wish this on no one, but thank God your doing ok with it...  It'll be old hat before ya know it.  Just something ya do..  Just hoping that it gives you the 'feel better' part of it real soon so it makes it all worth it.  hang tough, and     Glad ya found your way here to your new best friends

[Mr Pink]

Thanks for the words of encouragement, folks. Dialysis is not the worst thing in the world. Two down, nine hundred and ninety-eight to go!

[MaryD]

I think it is much better than the alternative

 

[Ricksters]

Stay positive!  I know that for me it is sometimes difficult, but it does help!

Ricki

[Mr Pink]

Three down, nine hundred and ninety seven to go... and feeling better every day!

[MaryJoe]

   I'm glad to hear that dialysis is working to make you feel better.  You have a great attitude!   

[Mr Pink]

Four down, nine hundred and ninety-six to go... and reading a really cool book in the process. It's kind of scary how much better I'm actually feeling. I'm not 100% yet, but I'm a million per cent on what I was a couple of weeks ago. My next appointment with the quacks is on Monday, so I'll find out more then in terms of how things are going, but so far, so good.

[Rerun]

It's okay to cry.  It is a big step into a new chapter of your life.  Your life will go on. 

               

[Mr Pink]

I'm having my fistula tomorrow. It'll be good to get it over and done with.

[cassandra]

good luck with the fistula,
love Cas

[MaryJoe]

Hope your fistula creation is a piece of cake and that it heals well and matures quickly.   

[Mr Pink]

The fistula was a breeze. I'm home and kicking back, taking it easy. It was probably the easiest surgical proceedure I've ever had. And it followed four and a half hours of dialysis.

[brenda seal]

Well done ! Enjoy your day off tomorrow .

[MaryJoe]

   Excellent news!  Glad everything went so well.   

[Mr Pink]

I've reached double figures! Ten down, nine hundred and ninety to go!

[Mr Pink]

It's my fiftieth dialysis today. It's all gone rather quickly, which I guess is a good thing. I've got a permanent twilight chair, so I'm pretty happy about that. My fistula is being used, although I'm a bit black and blue there, which I'm not jumping over the moon about. The health is good. I've only crashed once. The one thing that has come out of this experience so far is the admiration I have for the nurses who have taken care of me thus far. Never did I imagine that I would ever feel such admiration for a profession as I now do with nursing. They have been absolutely amazing. I will be forever indebted to them for their world class care. Fifty down, about nine hundred and fifty to go.

[MaryD]

Mr Pink - What happens when you get down to three to go?  Are you going to fling yourself under a train?  Or will you allocate yourself some more meetings with your nurses?

[Mr Pink]

Mr Pink - What happens when you get down to three to go?  Are you going to fling yourself under a train?  Or will you allocate yourself some more meetings with your nurses?

Hopefully I'll be new and improved before it comes to that.