The "The Blog Will Have Fewer Entries in the Future", edition.

iPad shuffled to The Isley Brothers, "Make Me Say It Again Girl". Sometimes I forget the power of Ron Isley. :)  Today was a multi-stick day. For whatever reason my venous (top) button hole was being difficult.  4 techs to get the stick. 45 minutes. Sigh.  5 or 6 needles. I lost count. I know on know. I said no more than 2.  I just don't want to skip any days. And the flow was fine, so there was no clotting. No idea why my button hole was being difficult.

I'm going to cut down on the blogging. I initially was going to just quit.  But it was a tantrum. My last entry, I asked my readers yo help me help people with kidney disease. Not only did I not get any responses, only 8 people even bothered to read the entry. And I am grateful for those 8. I am also grateful to the people who have donated and sponsored the my team for the National Kidney Foundation Zoo Walk.  Some people have indicated they will walk with me. I had several people last year who said they'd walk . Only one person showed up. I was delighted to see him.  

I get it. The kidney disease is important to me because I have it. It doesn't mean much to anyone not affected by it. I know I was clueless until it happened to me. The purpose of the blog is to educate my readers in hopes they never have to go through what I went through. I do need some feedback. I get it if people don't or can't donate.  Just let me know. "Sorry Pat, I can't donate, but I support you". Eh. I got nothing.  With the readership down to these low numbers, I guess my job is done.  I have the responsibility to those who have donated  to write entries through the end of May, and I will write.  After that I'll write if I feel like it. 

The Isley Brothers, "Here We Go Again". Yes, I downloaded Some Isleys yesterday.  What a great trip down memory lane.  I squealed on some songs. Brian told me to calm down. Lol. We go to watercolor class.  It's pretty hard.  I have to get my artist eye on. I have to sketch the subject before painting.  Drawing and painting oranges are hard!!  Lol. After saying that, my current project is actually looking good.  And guess what?  Brian has a natural talent!!  

Finally, we are moving stuff out. The china is mostly gone.  We have a taker for the piano. Most of the furniture should be out in the next week or so.  I am so looking forward to moving. Still much to do. But  we see the light at the end of the tunnel.  Yay!

Getto Boys, "Mind Playing Tricks on Me". Thank Brian  for this bring on my playlist.  It was on his playlist.  He'd play music while getting dressed in the morning and leave his music on after he left.  So this would come on and I grew "fond" of it.  Lol. Quiet day here. Was just told old guy is in rehab. :-(   Once more I'll ask you to help me to help others. That could be me one day.  Or you. 

Signing off with The Guess Who, "American Woman". Heh, I just cranked up the volume.  Today is the fundraiser for the National Kidney Foundation of Michigan (NKFM) at California Pizza Kitchen (see flyer for loa cations). 20 percent of your total cost will be donated to the NKFM.  We're heading to the Laurel Park Place location after dialysis for lunch today. Have a great day!  

The "Help Me Help People With Chronic Kidney Disease", edition.

iPad shuffled to "Bust a Move", Young MC. Party over here!!  Way to wake up. :-)  I'm really on a mission to do the National Kidney Foundation of Michigan (NKFM) Zoo Walk.  I mean, I'm motivated to walk, not just for me but for whatever the NKFM does for research, preventative education and assistance for people with kidney issues. But it's more than personal for me now.  My Wendell is very ill.

Steely Dan, "Babylon Sisters".  Remember I told you that infections are life threatening to people on dialysis?  Well his life is threatened.  In October 2012, when my kidneys were in the final stage of failure and I didn't know it, we talked about his kidney failure and dialysis. I knew nothing about dialysis at that time. Little did I know I'd be there within 2 weeks.  At the time, he was working, riding his motorcycle, traveling, do all sorts of things. Living his life.  Doing peritoneal dialysis (PD).  You do peritoneal at home on your own schedule.  Gives you a lot of freedom.  You're not stuck on that 3 day a week schedule.  It also allows you to dialyze more often for better clearance and removing more toxins. It also allows the diet to be considerably less strict...because you are dialyzing more.  I know.  You're saying Pat !  Why aren't you doing peritoneal dialysis?  That's a great question.  

The Gap Band, "Early in the Morning". Back in the day, when the Gap Band came on, everyone hot up!!  Party starters!  I was on schedule to do peritoneal dialysis. It requires a surgical procedure to insert a catheter in my lower abdomen (peritoneal cavity). This is just another way to get the toxins out. The catheter and PD process are highly suseptible to infection, so great care is take to sterilize everything.  As with my chest catheter, you should not touch the tip. Lots of gloves and alcohol swabs.   Well sometimes things just happen and you get an infection anyway. Understand that PD is a safe  method of dialysis, but sometimes shit happens.  In addition, the medical community recommends you do it for about 5 years.  Any longer, all kinds of nasty things can happen.  Anyway I opted out because I wouldn't be able to go swimming. (Sad face).  High chance of infection with a hole in your stomach. 

Anyway. When I was told my kidneys failed and I had to start dialysis immediately, I kinda knew what that meant.  Thanks to my Wendell.  I called him once I was out of the hospital to let him know.  He gave me information and we discussed a lot of things. He let me know it wasn't fun, but life goes on just fine.  We found out we were both going to walk in the NKFM Zoo Walk last year.  We found each other in the crowd. :)  I got the pics to prove it!!  

During the summer we stayed in contact, chat over Facebook.  Brian and I were in the process of moving Shawn so I didn't see Wendell much.  Then he fell off the face of the earth in October 2013.  I called and found out he'd gotten an infection and was in the hospital. He told me his symptons. He thought he was dying. Peritonitis.  It IS life threatening. Anyway.  The infection did a number of him.  He stopped eating.  Lost his appetite. He'd lost a lot of weight. He's 6'6. He was probably under 150 lbs.  I'd bring him food. Along with his girlfriend and mom. Lol. He'd have chicken salad, fruit, chili. Whatever he asked for.  It frightened me because I'd gone through this no eating thing with my mom. 

He got better and was well enough to go home by Christmas 2013. I was part of the group that would bring him meals. Then I lost contact again in February.  I called. He was back in the hospital. :-(   The infection returned. But he was getting better.  We planned a taco party after Brian returned from visiting Shawn.  We came back.  I called him. No answer.  Nothing on Facebook.  His brother finally posted something on Wendell's page. It was a little alarming. I messaged him.  Long story short I was given the information so I could visit him. 

Average White Band, "A Love of Your Own". Brian and I went to visit him yesterday.  He was in the observation area.  We had to put on protective gear. He had a breathing tube and couldn't talk. That being said, he had a wide smile when we came in. I talked and he mouthed stuff at me. I can't read lips. :-(  But there were a few things we got. :)  I asked him about his appetite because he looked as if he lost even more weight.  He pointed to a feeding tube............  I told I was still looking forward to me and my team pushing him in the wheelchair for the walk.  He nodded and smile.  I left my phone number on a pad of paper on his test and told him if he needed anything, have someone call us. 

I wanted to cry when I saw him.  He's 2 years younger than me. He's been a great friend since we were 10, 11 years old.  So I'm walking with a purpose this year. I raiding funds with a purpose.  Please help me.  You know people with kidney disease. You know people who don't know they're in some stage  of the 5 stages of kidney disease.  You know people whose kidneys have failed. You know people whose kidneys are failing.  You know me.  I know you want to support us.  

Signing off Will Downing, "Send for Me".  Saw him at Chene Park years ago. Had backstage passes and a photo taken of me and Will Downing.  I never got the photo and have always what happened to it. Lol. Have a great weekend. Please think about sponsoring my team at the NKFM Zoo walk. I'd love if if you'd join us walking (strolling) through the magnificent Detroit Zoo to show support for people with kidney disease.  To support me and my Wendell. :)   Please. 

Ten Facts You Should Know About Kidney Disease

The "I Felt Really, Really Good Yesterday", edition.

iPad shuffled  to Tears For Fears, "Everbody Wants to Rule the World". Back to Water Aerobics.  I'm enjoying being in the water.  It's a tiring workout. I tried it about a year before my kidneys failed completely, but I was in throes of the kidneys failing. Everything about it was tiring. Changing into the swimsuit was tiring. I used the stairs to get into the pool.  I was in shallow water aerobics, so the impact of the floor hurt my back and my knee. Getting out of the pool was almost impossible. I had to hoist myself up and out, even using stairs.   Getting out of the wet swimsuit took time. Standing up too long was impossible. Trying to dry myself thoroughly was difficult.  So I'm putting clothes on damp skin. I'd sit down to put on my pants, but getting up was hard.  I'd be more tired trying to get dressed.  And then I had to walk to the car.  I'd be whipped.  I quit going.

Soul Survivors, "Expressway to Your Heart". Lol. They're White. Who knew.  Lol. Huge R&B song. :-)  When I started back last summer, everything was so much easier.  Yes, the aerobics would tire me out, but getting dressed, undressed and getting in the pool were non-issues. We also did deep water fitness instead of shallow water.  Sometimes the exercises seem impossible.  I float away, or my body whines about the routine being foreign. Lol. But I keep moving.  There are some exercises that require us to move our legs while raising our arms high out of the water. I float naturally, so I have no problems.  My husband however is solid.  He sinks like a rock.  Lol.  The instructor know I'm doing dialysis. It really isn't a problem.  I did have to build up my strength.  

The Stylistics, "You Are Everything".  I did have a problem one day.  The floatation devices are what we called ski belts when I was a kid when waterskied and swam (of course we wear floatation devices in deep water fitness!). The devices wrap around your waist. Well the device can get tight and ride up your rib cage.  Once day the pressure on my rib cage made it difficult for me to breathe.  I moseyed over to the front of the pool to stand....it has a 4 foot deep ledge. Trying to be inconspicuous. I just wanted to take a break.  Heh, the instructor was on to me.  She had me get out of the pool...without missing a beat on leading the routine.  Lol. I got out of the pool on the side.  Now I hadn't attempted to get out of the side ever.  I'd go to the shallow end and walk up the stairs. She had someone with me while I changed clothes.  Liability issues anyone?  Lol. Anyway, just that one incident.  

Pharrell Williams, "Happy". Ok for the record, we've been following Pharrell for years starting with a The Neptunes.  Did you know he helped produce "Rump Shaker"?  Do you even know "Rump Shaker"?  Lol.  Back to swimming. Now I can dress, undress, and walk to the car with no problems. It's not an issue if there no parking spaces close to the door.  I may be slow sometimes, but I'll walk the walk!!  I'll be tired, but it's a good tired. :)   When I woke up yesterday, I felt good.  Really good.  Like the good I hadn't felt in years!!! I liked it!!

No make no mistake, I have End Stage Renal Disease and I can have some really bad days, but I just felt so wonderful yesterday.  And I went to the dentist to have the stitches removed. I was still all smiles. :-)  Yeah, and I'm feeling pretty good today.  No promises after I get off the machine, though.  I may feel like I lost a fight.  Eh, but a few good days is worth it!!!

Signing off with The Whispers, "I Only Meant to Wet My Feet".  Oh..thanks to my very good friend for helping me pack up the china and other stuff. This is making the move very close.  The living room, dining room, one bedroom and four of the basement rooms are good to go!  Some furniture should be going out within the next 2 weeks!!!

Oops to long. Really signing out now. Cameo, "I Just to Be". Party over here!!!  Have a great day.

The "Team Pat's Adventures Update (National Kidney Foundation ofMichigan Zoo Walk), edition.

iPad shuffled to "Blues Away", The Jackson's.  Time for an update of Pat's  Adventures, my team for the National Kidney Foundation of Michigan (NKFM) Zoo Walk. To date we've raised enough money to help educate 8 doctors on the latest research and care, who in turn can provide better treatment to the 73 million Americans at risk for kidney disease and have helped screen 20 people who may be at risk for kidney disease. 

"5 Minutes of Funk", Whodini. Back in the day, I preferred Whodini over Run DMC. Hands down.  Other  programs of the NKMF include Healthy Families Start with YOU.  This is a community-based health education program that aims to increase the number of people who adopt positive, healthy lifestyle habits.  In the program, early childhood professionals are trained to conduct a series of two health chats with participating parents or caregivers.  The participants provide information about the nutrition and physical activity practices within their households and are asked to set a health behavior change goal.  Parents receive support and health-related incentives and literature. In addition, NKFM offers educational classes about healthy eating and physical activity to assist parents in achieving their goals. 

Program outcomes from the 2010-2011 year:

Over 70 early childhood sites have partnered with NKFM to provide HFSY.

94% of participants indicated they made at least one of the following healthy behavior changes while participating in HFSY:

• Choosing foods low in fat
• Limiting salt intake
• Quitting smoking
• Increasing exercise
• Increasing fruit, vegetable, whole grain, or low-fat dairy consumption
• Decreasing fast food consumption
• Decreasing pop consumption
• Decreasing TV watching
• Taking blood pressure/diabetes medication as prescribed by their doctor
• Discussing chronic diseases with their doctor
   

In 47% of participating households, other household members made healthy behavior changes along with the participant.

I think that's huge.  Anything to educate on the risks and decrease risky behaviors. 

The Originals, "Baby I'm For Real", The Originals.  Written by Marvin and Anna Gaye in 1969.  Loved it as a kid. Love it now. :-)   So how is the team doing. I still have just one walker and that's Brian. Brian has raised $100 from his sponsors. I have raised $525 from my sponsors. The team overshot the goal for this year!!!  The goal was $400 based on last year. We are now at $625!!!  Maybe we can make it to $1000?  Thank you!  There is still time be a sponsor and/or sign up to walk with us. I look forward to hearing from you.  Link is below.  Please feel free to contact me if you have questions.  I appreciate your support. :)

Signing off with The O'Jays, "Lovin' You". Have a great day.  I'm loving the weather!!!

Pat's Adventures NKFM Zoo Walk

The "Our Pets Truly Are Family", edition.

iPad shuffled to "Valentine Love", Michael Henderson. Hadn't heard that in a while. What a pleasant surprise.  :-)  Some of my readers already know that yesterday we had to say goodbye to our precious dog, Jade.  She was 12 years old. Not bad for a dog. I dislike the short lifespan of dogs.  But it's a 2 way street. If they lived longer, I wouldn't have had 4 wonderful furry friends. <3   I've had a dog for over 45 years. Victor, a miniature-toy poodle, was my first. My reward for going to overnight camp when I was 10 years old.  A miniature-toy is a cross between a miniature poodle and a toy poodle, separate breeds. They are not teeny tiny poodles.  He was followed by Maury, another miniature-toy poodle He was more my mom's dog than mine, but I inherited him when my parents moved to Las Vegas. He joined Clark, the giant poodle Brian and I got 3 months after we got married.

"Here I Go Again", Whitesnake.  We got Jade a few months after Clark died.  For Shawn.  She picked Jade's breed from an American Kennel Club (AKC) book of dogs we had.  She thought the breed, West Highland White Terrier..Westie for short, was cute. Hey, she was 11 years old. Brian wanted a beagle.  I wanted a Portugeuse Water Dog. Yes I knew about them before the Obama family.  So there!  Lol. We found a breeder in Howell and went and bought this little white ball of fluff.  

One of my favorite Jade stories involves Jade, mom and dad.  Jade is home with my parents while Brian, Shawn and I are out. Dad is in the basement listen to his radio.  Mom gets locked in the bathroom. Now this has never happened before and no one has ever gotten locked in the bathroom since.  Mom starts yelling. The only one who hears her is Jade.  Jade runs down to the basement and started barking at dad. He's like what the heck?  He calls Jade over to pet her, but she continues to bark and running up and down the stairs. Dad eventually gets that Jade is trying to get him to go upstairs. When dad goes up stairs he hears mom hollering and gets her out. Jade saved the day!!!  

Doug E. Fresh, "The Show". You see, mom and Jade had a special bond.  Mom was Jade's never ending supply of Cheetoes. Rofl. We think Jade thought she'd never get anymore Cheetoes if she didn't get mom out of the bathroom. Well of course Jade was rewarded with Cheetoes when mom emerged. Lol. My mom bought bags of Cheetoes specifically for Jade.  And we'd better not touch it!  Lol. 

Jade was also quite a comfort to me while I sick. She'd jump up on my lap and we'd just relax or nap. When I came home from the hospital, she'd lay near me. She liked being loved and we loved to love her. :-)  She started failing the last 8 months or so.  The last 2 weeks the labored breathing accelerated.   In addition, she had glaucoma and she really couldn't see. Brian thinks she could differentiate between light and dark. She navigated the house pretty well.  She wouldn't go up stairs, but she'd go down. Go figure. She eventually would get disoriented, her breathing was labored and she was listless.  It came down to quality of life. We had to make a decision.  It was decision made out of love.  Oh what was the problem?  She had Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, which affected her lungs.  It's also known as Westie Lumg Disease and there is no cure. 

Kem, "You're On My Mind".  Well yes, Jade is on my mind, as are the rest of my dogs. Love them all. Have great memories of all of them.  I'll miss my food vacuum cleaner.  I'll miss trying to step over Jade  while she moves to where I'm trying to go.  I'll miss her raising hell because the mailman had the audacity to come on her porch.  I'll miss playing share with her at bedtime. She never shared her toy. Lol. She'd fuss at me for even trying. Lol. I'll miss my "talky" dog. She started giving us lip as a puppy and never stopped talking to/at us. I'll miss her stealing Shawn's socks. She'd grab a sock and walked away nonchalantly like we couldn't see her.  Rofl. 

We love our dogs. :-)  Signing off with Roy Ayes, "You Send Me". Yes, I know.  Blame random shuffle. I have 500 songs and yet...   Have a great weekend. Enjoy Easter Eggs.  :)

The "I've Never Liked Going to the Dentist", edition.

iPad shuffled to "Let Me Ride", Dr. Dre. Explicit version. You lose too much with the censored version.  I like it. Don't hate. I went to the dentist in February for a check up and teeth cleaning. See, before you can get a kidney transplant, you need a clean dental bill of health. Pun definitely not intended. No chipped or broken teeth. The preference is to not need dental work soon after the transplant. The chance of infection is high.

"Go Your Own Way", Fleetwood Mac.  I knew going into the visit I needed some work. The silver fillings from when I was a kid were coming out and weakened teeth to the point of breaking.  None of that caused me any discomfort, but it could jeopardize a potential transplant.  The final verdict was one extraction and two crowns.  I don't like any of that. Lol. I don't even like the usage of the tools during the teeth cleaning. 

"Ocean of Thoughts and Dreams", The Dramatics. I close my eyes and get lost in this song. Ron Banks. <3    After the teeth cleaning, I was scheduled for the start of the series of appointments.  I forgot we were headed to Illinois, so I canceled with the intent to reschedule. Of course I put it off. I finally kicked myself into gear once I was approved to remain on the transplant list. I'd be beyond pissed at myself if I got "the call" and be denied because of something within my control.  I admit that my mom influenced my dislike of dentists, but she is not totally at fault. Mom would tell me she didn't want me to be afraid like she was, the told me about being drilled on with little to no anesthesia as a child. Lol. That's all I needed to hear.  Lol. 

"Groove Me", Guy.  Always makes me want to dance.  Yep, I'm bopping in the chair now. As a young child, my dentist was fairly cool. He'd entertain me with chattering, moving teeth. :-)  I don't recall anything bad. The issues started as an adult when I had impacted wisdom teeth.  I was in my 20's.  I should have known something was up when my dentist referred me to an oral surgeon. My boyfriend at the time (Yes of course it was Brian - lol) took me. I wasn't to anxious about the extraction. I told the dentist I didn't want to go under, so the plied me full of novacaine. Well the extraction started. I need to add that the oral surgeon had forearms looking like Popeye.  Lol. 

He started pulling. And pulling. Apparently my roots extended down to my toes. :-(  Tears were coming out of my eyes.  I felt the pressure, but no pain. The surgeon was tugging and pulling with those mighty forearms.  Nothing.  They eventually pulled out a gas mask and stuck it on my face. I actively fought it. I thought I was dying. But docs arms were strong and I eventually gave in to the anesthesia. I eventually came to on the last few tugs. Still crying. When he finished and I came out to Brian, I looked like I had lost a fight. Badly. I was swollen and bruised. I was off work a few days. When I returned I still looked bad. People asked did Brian hit me. And looked at him sideways. :-(  "No, no..tooth extraction". 

"A Real Mother For Ya", Johnny Guitar Watson. "I'll pay ya tomorrow". A few years after we got married, the other wisdom tooth acted up. Let's just say the same thing happened with a different dentist. I ended up having to go to a maxillofacial surgeon in the aftermath. I had nerve damage in my face. *sigh*.  It's long gone now, but you can see why I'm not keen on going to dentists. 

"Who Am I (What's My Name)", Snoop Dogg. It's the bass!  So here we are today. Or yesterday, actually. Time for an extraction. I remind my self I get stuck 3 times a week at dialysis. I've had 4 minor surgeries within the past year.  When I needed a crown a while back, it was a piece of cake. And I finally I can go to that special place in my mind to calm myself. I get prepped, injected with a lot of novacaine and it's on. About 15 minutes the tooth is out with no drama at all!!!  By the time I actually felt something, it was the tooth extraction itself. Dentist tells me to clamp down on the gauze. It's over!!  Not only was it out, I didn't need any of the pain meds!!  I go back next week to get the stitches removed. One procedure down, two to go.

"Check It Out", The Tavares. Brian sings this to me. (Shhh. It's a secret). ;) "if you let me lead the way, I'll give the world to you".  Well that's a sign off song if I ever heard one.  We broke the record for most snowfall. Yay?  It's going to get warmer.  I promise. :-)   Have a wonderful day. 

The "Ain't Nobody Got Time For That", edition.

iPad shuffled to Steve Miller Band, "Abracadra". "...I wanna reach out and grab ya'". I admit it, the hook "grabbed me". Lol.  Old dude still isn't back and the same guy has been in his station. I need to ask about that. Bun lady is back.  I asked. Old dude is still in the hospital. :-(

So. Friday I had breathing issues.  I was attended by 2 nurses.  Listening to my heart and lungs. The breathing problems started after the dialysis machine started beeping. The tech had stepped away.  After a while, the warning beeps launched into a siren. I admit. I'd never seen (heard) that before. My blood pressure spiked high and the venous flow pressure spiked. I don't know the outcomes of that, but the nurses were concerned.  They gave me oxygen and I got stabilized. The charge nurse wanted me to go to the hospital after treatment. She called my doctor (nephrologist) to let him know what happened. He had her attached to a heart monitor for the rest of treatment. I stabilized, my breathing returned to normal, my blood pressure returned to normal and my heart rate was fine.  I was able to go home and enjoy the weekend. 

SOS Band, "Tell Me If You Still Care". I like the song.  However the video is awful. The lead male singer is dorky. Lol. The female singer has a kick ass voice.  I'm glad I didn't end up in the hospital. I had things to do over the weekend. The first was going to the baby shower for the daughter of my cousin. I hadn't seen her since she was a little girl. Hooray for Facebook.  She is so pretty. :)  Her shower was in Romeo, Michigan. I had a fabulous brain fart.  I mixed up Romeo with Romulus. Oops!!  I was planning on going to Romulus.  Near the airport.  Until my brain kicked in. Lol. Romulus, southwest of me. Romeo, northeast of me. Good thing I used google maps. Romeo. Land of the apple orchards. :)  

Little Anthony and the Imperials, "Going Out of My Head".  What was significant is I went alone. No Brian driving me. I've gotten spoiled. However, I was sure he didn't want to go to a baby shower.  I drove the 35 miles there and took the scenic route back.  Down Van Dyke, instead of the freeway. I was surprised the little towns closed at 6 on  Saturday.  I also noticed the sky was dark behind me. It had been cloudy all day, so I didn't think about it. I moseyed on home. Apparently I missed the hail storm!  Anyway I had a great time at the shower...even if we did a record number of games - lol.  It's been a while since I've attended a baby shower. Lol. 

Tevin Campbell, "Can We Talk".  I still had things to do on Sunday. Brian wanted to see the Captain America movie. Shawn was his movie buddy, especially the last few years as I was diving into kidney failure.  I recall going to a movie when it was so difficult to walk. Well that's not an issue now!  However, I am not necessarily a fan of Marvel movies ( I'm ducking now. Blasphemy. I know).  I saw the first X-Men movie. That was one and done for me. Spider-man didn't faze me. Wasn't interested in the Fantastic Four, Ironman  or Captain America. Well that clearly changed after yesterday. Why didn't you tell me about the eye candy named Chris Evans?  And this was in 3D?  And then there was Samuel L. Jackson and Robert Redford?  I enjoyed the hell out of that movie!!!

Gino Vanelli, "I Just Wanna Stop".  In addition to the movie, I got excited for the trailers. Spider-Man in May. Maleficent in May, and Godzilla !!!! In May. Lol. That was not the Godzilla we grew up with!!  All in 3D. Let the movies begin!!!!  It feels good to feel good. I'd been feeling bad since 2011, at least. I didn't go out much because I was tired or didn't feel good. I may bitch and moan about dialysis but I feel so much better with it than without it. And I'm doing stuff. Don't get me wrong, I get tired and I get depressed and I get odd physical issues and my diet is restricted and I'm highly susceptible to infection, but still...I feel better than I did before November 2012. :)

Signing off with "Yeah", Usher featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris. Don't you just love hearing Lil Jon in the background...holding his chalice.  Lol lol. "Let's go!"  This is song that makes you wanna get up and dance...right now!  Since I shouldn't stand up at this moment I'll just chair dance. :-D   Have a great Monday!

The "I'm Having Trouble Breathing This Morning", edition.

iPad shuffled to War, "All Day Music". I need this calming song.  About 10 minutes into treatment I started having trouble breathing, got a headache and a little light headed. My blood pressure spiked as did my heartbeat.  The tech got oxygen for me and 2 nurses came to check on me. They checked, poked, prodded and asked questions.  I gave the right answers for not having a heart attack. They're calling my doctor, but the charge nurse wants me to go to the hospital.  I'm still pulling deep to breathe right now.

Aerosmith, "Dream On". Lol. I've rolled into the 70s. So this is pretty much the entry today. I'd planned to write about addition National Kidney Foundation of Michigan programs. I want you to know where your money goes when you sponsor my team in the Zoo Walk. That'll wait until next week.  

Signing off with Ramsay Lewis, "Love Song". Maybe this will help relax me and ease this breathing thing.  Have a great weekend!  :)

The "Where Do The Donations to the National Kidney Foundation ofMichigan Go?", edition.

iPad shuffled to The Whispers, "I Only Meant to Wet My Feet". "....you got me walking on wall to wall love".  Today is my Dad's 88th birthday!!  Go daddy!!  If you get a chance, wish "Suave Dave" Happy Birthday!!  :-D   <3

Well, everyone is back at dialysis today...except old dude. :(  There's another guy in the chair. I need to make sure old dude is ok.  I'm not digging the dialysis clinic becoming the die-alysis clinic. :-(

Kem, "You're On My Mind". Not a Kem fan, but this song!  It's great. So I'm pushing the National Kidnet Foundation of Michigan (NKFM) Zoo Walk. The Zoo Walk is one of several fund raisers for NKFM.  The Kidney Walk at the Detroit Zoo is where it all started! More than 4,000 people attend this heartwarming event each year that features Radio Disney, many children’s activity stations, multiple food and vendor areas, a raffle of “gotta have it” items, a celebration of individual family teams, dialysis teams, and corporate teams, a Champions Tent for our kidney patients, free parking and of course a chance to spend a day at the zoo.  There are also fundraising walks in Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, Lansing, Muskegon and Portage.  The NKFM also has golf tournaments, balls and fun runs. 

Kashif, "Help Yourself to My Love". So they have all these fund raisers. What to they  do with the money they've collected?  Well I've been involved in 2 of the programs. One is the peer mentoring training.  The company that operates my dialysis center asked the NKFM to help them start a peer mentoring program.  Peer Mentors are Chronic Kidney Disease patients or have a lot of knowledge and/or experience with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). The Peer Mentor program is designed to support fellow patients by listening, problem solving, empowering and being a source of information about CKD.  The other program is Special Events - Assisting the development department in fundraising and supporting various events such as the Kidney Ball, Kidney Walks, golf outings, wine tasting and more. This is a great way to interact with donors, businesses and community leaders all while having fun. We did this by volunteering at the Health Fair a few weeks ago. 

Teena Marie, "Portuguese Love". Little woman, huge voice!  In addition to those programs, NKFM has prevention programs for children from preschool to middle school. One of the programs is  Healthy Kids and Kidneys.  Overweight and obesity are of epidemic proportions in children. Pediatricians are reporting that they are seeing more children with diabetes and high blood pressure. With the Centers for Disease Control estimating that one in every three children born in 2000 will develop diabetes, the leading cause of kidney disease, the National Kidney Foundation of Michigan (NKFM) provides health education and health behavior change programs for middle school students.

Healthy Kids and Kidneys (HKK) is an 8-week evidence-based health education and disease prevention program, offered to fifth-seventh grade students in elementary/middle schools within Detroit, Pontiac, Flint and Inkster.

These are just a few of the programs the NKFM offer.  You know I'm going to go over all of the in the coming weeks.  

The Stylistics, "You Make Me Feel Brand New". The voices, the orchestration and the arrangement.  This group and song got my attention back in high school. Love, love it still.  

During the period leading up to the Zoo a Walk, there will be addional fund resisters. Last week, Noodles and Company donated proceeds from each meal to the NKFM.  On April 30, the Michigan  California Pizza Kitchen restaurants will donate 20% of your bill to the NKFM. (See below) I hope you will visit the restaurant on April 30. Margherita pizza. Yum!  I hope you can join my team in the walk or sponsor the team, Pat's Adventures. :)

Signing off with Michael Jackson, "Butterflies". Heard Floetry's version at the credit union. I'm gonna download that, too. :-)   The they played Usher, "There Goes My a Baby". I though they stole my playlist. Lol. Enjoy your day!  

The "I'm Worried About MY Dialysis Module Family", edition.

iPad shuffled to Meshell Ndegeocello, "Who is He and What is He to You". I love seeing a woman playing a strong bass. And Meshell is good. I love hearing the birds when I come out of the house in the morning. :)  I wasn't too happy when I arrived at dialysis this morning. Well it started out ok.  I walked in the entrance. A nurse and a tech were behind the desk, so I got buzzed in, instead of knocking on the door (hurts my knuckles) or calling my module.  Both of which may not get answered. They don't necessarily get answered because folks are busy.  Yet we have to wait to get called back to the treatment area. It's ok. We just got spoiled because the door used to be propped open and we just walked in. Of course that caused problems, so the door got locked and we have to wait now.  I guess the purpose of life of some folks is to just cause drama.  *sigh*.

Anyway, I get buzzed in.  There's a traffic jam at the scale but that's ok.  I go to my chair first anyway. My routine is to put my bag and coat by my chair, then go back and weigh myself. As I walk to my module, the tech says no one is here. She was right. Only saggy pants guy is here. I'm looking at 4 empty chairs!  Where is my module family????  Especially on Monday.  That's 2 days since the last dialyzing. Extra fluid. Studies show Mondays are pretty bad for dialysis patients. More fatal heart attacks. :(   I'm not hopeful anyone else will show up.  I am the last to get hooked.  Everyone is here and hooked up before I even arrive.  The only one may be be old guy.  I know he is changing transportation services.  I hope that's it.  Friday's blog entry I told you about the deaths in the clinic this year.  There are 5 that I am aware of.  I don't necessarily hear of deaths on other shifts or in other modules or on other days. Death is the nature of the beast. Even on the dialysis Facebook groups there are deaths. :(

Chaka Khan, "I Feel For You". I know you are familiar with the hip hop video, but there was a video before that with Chaka singing the song in a nightclub. On a lighter note, yesterday I visited a church where a friend from Pastuer Elementary school was the guest speaker. When he comes to town, he let's us know and we show up. When I say US, I mean those of us who attended Pastuer, Hampton Jr High or Mumford High school.  He is really good. He let's the congregation know he has a business meeting after service.  That's really all of US going to Buddy's Pizza.  Lol.  Oh hey, big guy just came in. Yay!  Now there are 3 of us here. :)

Roy Ayers, "You Send Me". Yeah, I know this is popping up a lot. Maybe I'll get tired of it one day. NOT. Lol.  My topic today was supposed to be the National Kidney Foundation of Michigan Zoo Walk.  The walk is May 18, 2014 at the Detroit Zoo.  I hope you join my team, Pat's Adventures. You can join as a walker or a sponsor.  The link is below. One of the programs you donation supports is The Prescription Drug Bank - The Drug Bank provides certain prescription medications to individuals who are uninsured or underinsured. The medications are delivered through a mail-order pharmacy directly to the individual's home.  I explained my drug ordeal in previous blog entries. I shudder to think about fellow dialysis patients who have problems getting the LIFE SAVING drugs. I'll go over the pricing formula another day.  Let's just say it's a no-win game. ;-(

Well it's time sign off. Dialysis tidbit. My skin gets uber dry. Sucking all of that fluid out of me 3 days a week. And swimming doesn't help. lol. I should buy stock in a lotion company. I carry 3 travel size lotions in my purse and there are bottles of lotion all over the house. I even have some on my bed stand that smells heavenly.  Bath and Body Works Jasmine Vanilla Aromatherapy. :)   Signing off with The O'Jays, "I Love Music". I think this may be my favorite O'Jays song....until I hear the next one. Rofl.  Enjoy the day and listen for the birds.  :)  

Pat's Adventures Zoo Walk Team Page

The "My Dialysis Family", edition.

iPad shuffled to The Dramatics, "Be My Girl".  Let's face it.  I go to dialysis 3 days a week. I'm there over 4 hours each day.  It's a part time job that has no vacation. The office has 7 divisions (modules). Each module has 1 manager (nurse), 1 administrative assistant (dialysis tech) and 6 employees (the patients).  The clinic has a technology guy, another guy that maintains the dialysis machines, a couple of guys that replenish stock (we use a whole lot of stuff!).  The business has board members (the doctors), a CEO (executive nurse), president (the lead nurse). There are also office receptionists / administrative assistants.  The 3 dieticians and 3 social workers and 1 social worker assistant are specialized consultants.  Lot of people, eh?  I think I got them all.  Should I include the transportation people?  There are some who bring people for each shift. Then there's the private EMS transport companies. They transport people who need to arrive via stretcher or need special transportation considerations.  I'll go into detail on that another day.

 Ray Charles, "What'd I Say". Love it!   I got to know staff first, of course, starting with receptionist staff.  They got to know me in order to call my module to let them know I had arrived. "Module 2, Mrs Fields is here". I got to know my dialysis tech. I realized the nurses rotated. Some of them. And yeah, some techs rotated. I still don't know the method to determine how some techs are assigned permanently to modules and others permanently rotate. And I clearly have no clue what happens on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. I digress.  

Nicole Henry, "Waters of March". Starts out with her and a guitar, then the band comes in. Jazzy.  I have coming to the clinic since November 2012.  Some people would engage me in conversation while waiting to be called. No one seemed particularly friendly, but neither did I. Plus I was on third shift. Last in last out. It all changed when I was switched to first shift. 

Ok first shift wasn't a party, but the patients were more vocal and friendly.  In addition to meeting the people in my module on my shift, I got to know people in my module on second shift.  Because I was still last in last out in my module for my shift. Lol.  But I also got to know module 1 and 5 people because I pass them to get to my module 6 (I have no idea how these modules got numbered. It makes no sense to me). I greet and get greeted when I walk by staff and patients.  I also greet shift 2 people, inside the treatment area and the reception area.  I get a lot of, "Hey Baby". Lol. 

I notice when I haven't seen some nurses or techs in a while.  I'll ask if they're alright. You know I'll do the same with patients. Like today. Old dude isn't here.  He's recently been using a wheelchair.  He's back in the hospital.  I'm concerned. A few months ago, he left via stretcher. He is always pleasant. We still try to race to see who leaves first, but he gets off first.  Lol. Lady with big bun is back, but she's been hospitalized. :(   That leaves me, my partner, saggy pants guy and big guy doing ok.  For now.  Remember we lost sweet old lady in January. :(

Isaac Hayes, "Joy".  Shift 2 has been missing people.  Wheelchair lady with access on her thigh has been missing. The other lady that  can hit Defcon one in 2 seconds has been missing.  I asked about them today. Wheelchair lady died. *sigh*. Defcon lady is back in the hospital again. It seems she's hospitalized every 2-3 weeks. :(   In addition, old dude with glasses had died early this year.   3 deaths in my module on 2 shifts since January.  I get that I don't have additional health concerns...diabetes, heart issues, lupus, cancer....but ESRD has exacerbated these conditions in dialysis patients.  I'm losing people I care about to ESRD. They are my dialysis family.  

That being said, we all soldier on and live our lives the best we can. We still laugh  and greet each other.  We still joke around and support each other.  We let each other know we care.  We may not be there the next day. 

Signing off with Jamie Foxx, "I Don't Need It". Head bopping. :)  Have a good weekend. I've heard the birds in the morning.  I love it!

The "I've Seen Three Presidents. True Story", editions.

iPad shuffled to N.W.A., "Express Yourself".  Young Dre.  This entry doesn't have much to do with dialysis adventures, but I'm going to try to find a tie in.   President Obama's visit to University of Michigan reminded me of how I've seen 3 (and a half) presidents.  The first encounter was at Uiversity of Michigan. So how I the world did I get close to 3 Presidents of the United States?  Pure luck. Lol. The first was Gerald Ford, when I attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.  I can't remember the dates, but I remember where I was and certain events around the encounters.  Gerald Ford spent a considerable amount of time in Ann Arbor.  He was a graduate of the university. I'm thinking maybe late 1976 or 1977?

Eric Benet and Faith Evans, "Georgy Porgy". Nice duet. My roommate and had an apartment directly across the street from Michigan Stadium, on Main Street. It's a good distance from campus, but UM had a massive bus system. The bus stop was about 1.5 blocks from our apartment. You see, since we were so close to the stadium, we were close to the uiversity's sports complex. The buses stopped there. So my roommate and I headed to the bus stop. The bus ran every 20 minutes. Always. Never ever late.   Except this time. We notice more people at the bus stop.  As we're wondering why the bus is late.  We notice a lot of Ann Arbor police cars heading west on the street north of the bus stop. A LOT of cars. Us students, not being fazed by much thought it was odd.  Then a lot of Washtenaw County motorcycles went up the same street. A LOT of motorcycles. We're thinking it's strange, but nothing has connected. 

Then, on the street we're on, here come a lot of Michigan State Police cars. A LOT. Yes, we're still clueless. Lol. About 30 totally clueless UM students...waiting for the bus, dammit.  Lol.  After the 10 or so MSP cars, we see a black sedan with heavily tinted windows followed by 2 black sedans with 3 of the 4 doors open and men hanging out of the doors.  (Yes, it was unusual, but we're still clueless. Lol ). Then here comes a black limousine, window down and Gerald Ford is waving at us!!!!!!  We never expected that!!!   Lol. My roommate saluted. Roflmao. In her defense, she was ROTC in high school. Most of us waved back.  Didn't see that one coming!! Anyway, after the limo, 2 more black sedans with men hanging out  of them, and one more sedan.  And the bus. 30 minutes late. Lol.   Lots of hubbub after that.  Even though most people waiting for the bus were wildly liberal, we were impressed that we were that close to a president.   That clearly made our day. :-)   And we didn't bitch because the bus was late. :-D

Ramsay Lewis, "Love Song". The piano is the star.  The campus was treated to Gerald Ford several times that year.  I remember being in the "fish bowl" waiting for a class and we were overrun by secret service.  The secret service guys tried desperately to fit in, but they were so obvious. Lol. They were big burly white guys wearing flannel shirts and I'll fitting jeans.  The students usually looked a lot more scruffier, longer hair,  and tended toward the skinny side, rather than looking like body builders.  Lol. We let them think we didn't know who they were.  We knew President Ford was somewhere nearby. 

Graham Central Station, "The Jam".  After all these years, this song makes you want to dance.  Larry Graham is playing the hell out of his bass.  "Suga'".  The last encounter of Gerald Ford was in one of my classes.  It was a Black History lecture class.  No, he didn't talk about Black history. I think it was a campaign speech. Lol.  The pledgee sitting next to me fell asleep. I'd nudge her every time the cameras came our way. 

The other presidents I've seen are Bill Clinton...during the election. I was going to lunch in downtown Detroit, and he and his entourage were going through the building the same time as I. And yeah, his secret service at that time was nowhere near Ford's. I saw Barack Obama at a Detroit Economic Club luncheon before he had official declared his candicy. 

 The 1/2 president was George W Bush.  I'd picked up Shawn from Herlong Elementary school.  We got on the freeway.  As soon as we got on the overpass, the Michigam State Police in front of us stopped us.  Then behind us, the Michigan State police diverted all traffic behind off the freeway. Lol. There are about 20 of us cars stuck on the Lodge Freeway on the northbound bridge over the I-94 the Edsel Ford Freeway).  Lol. We had to wait for the George W. Bush motorcade coming from Selfridge Air National Guard base heading to Lansing.  Yes, of course we got out of cars to see it.  Lol. The delay was no longer than 10 minutes.  The cool thing was, when the road opened up, we had the freeway to ourselves. And we could see how MSP did the traffic thing without too much disruption to traffic flow.  

Yeah, I have no dialysis tie in. How's this. April is National Organ Donation month. Signing off with "All Day Music", War. Reminds me of summer. :-)   Enjoy your day!!