The "I Switched To a Warmer Coat Today", edition.

iPod shuffled to Aretha Franklin, "Day Dreaming". I like the guitar in the arrangement.  I hate moving to a warmer coat. It means it's getting closer to snow and ice. /cry.  Just makes me closer to that move to Las Vegas.  The weather we have now is pretty much as cold as it gets there.  We'll be calling the Salvation Army to get the stuff we can't sell or give away. I can't believe that we've cleaned out most of the clothes. Did I tell you I found letters mom and dad wrote each other before they got married?  And my mom's journal?  I read some of it. There was too much - lol. I took it to Vegas to Dad. :-)

"You Can Make It If You Try", Sly and The Family Stone". Perhaps it was Larry Graham's bass that turned me to funk at a young age?  Lol. I mentioned getting button holes at dialysis.  What are they?  In a nutshell, it's creating a single insertion point when the needles go in. In order to develope the button hole, the tech inserts the needle in the same hole at the same angle and same depth.  Prior to this, my sticks were like a ladder, up and down the length of the fistula.  Now, it's one hole for venous, one hole for arterial.  The benefits include, it doesn't hurt, it greatly reduces the chance of an aneurism (those large unsightly lumps I've seem on other patients) and needle infiltration (the needle comes out or misses the vein). Did I mention less pain on insertion?  We're still creating the button holes. They should be fully complete in another 4-6 weeks, but already, it doesn't hurt.  Finally, the needles will be blunt because the hole is established and I'll be able to cannulate (stick) myself!  Heh. I've come a mighty long way in a year. From the chest catheter to eventually inserting my own needles. :-)

So what does this have to with my trip to Vegas?  "I'm Every Woman", Whitney Houston.  I like this version better than Chaka Khan (duck). BUT, Chaka's version is great also.  Trip, needles....Remember I said the button holes are created by the same person sticking the same spot at the same angle and same depth over a period of time (about 8 weeks)?  Well the trip was about 3 weeks into the process. My tech, social worker and head nurse contacted the center in Vegas to ensure I'd get the same tech each visit to continue the button hole.  This requirement affected my time. I was scheduled for 2:45 PM  ( 5:45 PM Detroit time ) for the three days I went to dialysis. :-(

I get to there on Wednesday and give the tech my instructions.  The nurse and center basically said , "oh hell naw.  We ain't messin' with any midstream button hole".  Who was I to argue?  What was I going to?  Refuse treatment?  I don't think so.  Had I known they weren't going to do the button holes, I'd come in in earlier when the center called and asked me to come in at 10 AM.  I was getting out between 6-7 PM on that late shift.  Then had to go back to the condo and cook dinner.  Lol. And you just know those had to be draining dialysis days.  Anyway, you do what you have to do. :-)

Roy Ayers, "Mystic Voyage". My Ivy line performed to this song. I still remember the moves. I have no idea why.   Lol lol.  Did you chuckle at the selfies of me and Dad?  We looked like we had no clue what we were doing. (We tried). My kid and my nieces and nephews do it so effortlessly.  Lol. Shawn told me to practice more a and smile instead of frowning.  Lol. My niece does it with the mirror and looks gorgeous. I do it with the mirror and look like a clueless crazy lady.  Lol lol lol. You try it and let me know how it goes.  I have a crapload of selfies that will never see the light of day....and that doesn't include the ones that got deleted immediately!  Lol

Photos of button hole stuff.  Signing off with "Virtual Insanity", Jamiroquai.  Nice song. Great video. :-)