Welcome One and All!

I started this blog to chronicle the my life as a renal patient. I started having issues back in 1983. I had an infection that hadn't been treated as an infection; it had been treated as pulled muscle as I had been working as a nanny at the time. Life went on and then I dealt with a series of infections of infections which resulted in 4 minor surgeries from 1985 to 87. Than I had 3 kids; dealing with minor infections along the way. This culminated in discovering in 1998 that I was in what the call Chronic Renal Failure, my right kidney was imploding, the left was starting to go as well.

I finally had the right kidney removed in 1999, which resulted in complications. I almost didn't make it. When I moved back to Edmonton from BC, I started seeing a nephorogist, Dr. Caldwell, from the U of A. In 2007 I had 75% renal function, fast-forward to today I have 13% and it is getting worse.

I decided I needed a place to share what I am going through for a variety of reasons:

1) to get out of my head and work through the anxiety and fear that I am feeling.

2) that somehow my ramblings can be of help to others.

3) most of all to share my journey with others and to help me share with my own family.

Great Sites for Information

Kidney Foundation of Canada

Kidney Foundation of Canada

National Kidney Foundation (USA)

National Kidney Foundation (USA)

(I will Post more as I find out more information.)

Here are some great foums and educational sites...

Kidney School
Kidney School
Kidney Friends Forum
Kidney Friends


Also there are some groups on Facebook:
Canadian Kidney Connection
Canadian Kidney Connection

Ontario’s Renal Community
Ontario’s Renal Community

I will add more as they come in. Cora

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Arg...I really hate AHS!

So I heard back from the Renal Insufficiency Clinic to "discuss" my situation. Well the short news is, unless i give in on the local  anesthetic, it is a no go. I gave a suggestion, an epidural (I know this works as I had it for both kids), apparently that is a no go. Dr. Passani has said that they will not book an OR for me either, as no "reputable" surgeon will do a "very minor, 5 minute surgery" under a general anesthetic.

Also we can't do the the hemodialysis as the catheter is also done under a local anesthetic. So that is it...guess I will be waiting until I am so sick that I can't go on and I am hospitalized. I am so done! Tired of fighting the system. I have no more energy to give to this.

Oh and I am listed as noncompliant, so they have given up on me. The noncompliance is around blood work. I have the veins of a 90 yr old. They are small and deep, add in the fact that I am in renal failure does not make it easy to get blood. I have had bruising so bad I have been asked if I have been in a fight! Never mind that the lab tech is having to poke me more than once. Which add to my stress level. I actually have panic attacks waiting and often leave just in tears. The last lab took 2 techs to do my blood; one to hold the needle in the place and the other to hold the vial at a lower level, so that it would fill using gravity... definitely doesn't evoke confidence to get my blood done.

So that is it. I will be going on as much as I can.

Cora

No comments: