The "Adjustments", edition.

iPad shuffled to "Yeah", Usher featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris. Wake up and dance!  I'm feeling like I'm slacking on the blog. But I'm not. I did write every Monday Wednesday and Friday when I went to incenter hemodialysis at the dialysis centers (shiver). It was a way to pass time (3.5 hours). I became real attached to my iPad then. Music, writing and the World Wide Web. Yeah we had TVs. As a matter of fact in Detroit we had high def TVs with cable. But even then there's only so much on tv. I'd have the tv on mute. Eh. Jamiroquai, "Virtual Insanity". Good song. Good video. As I'm adjusting to nocturnal home hemo I tend to wake up in the morning and then maybe write. I also missed my music. And finally I'm tired of the Today Show. I wandered off once Tamron left. I digress. 

I'm adjusting to nocturnal home hemodialysis. I'm learning how to sleep with 2 needles in my left arm.   Hehe. Roger Miller, "King of the Road". I loved this song when I was a kid. Lol. And the needles have tubing which are connected to my portable (75 pounds) kidney. And the new addition of a blood leak sensor...the most unintrusive item. This is all covered by a cut off pantyhose leg over all the needles and tubing on my arm.  I also have a pillow on my left side for my arm. But when I go to sleep I roll over on my side..my left side. Yes. I know I'm not supposed to sleep on my fistula. And I don't.  You can sleep on your side without laying on your arm. I actually end up with my arm at a right angle and my hand near my head. And for some reason my hand is clinched in a fist. :-/   Steve Miller Band, "Jet Airliner". Then I may roll over on my back. My arm may still stay near my head. Or I may bring it down...slowly..on the pillow by my side. Sometimes I have to move it down because my hand gets numb. And unclench my fist. Lol. 

Anyway. My sleep is getting better. We still have the odd blood leak alarm going of. Not sure why it happens. I thought it was my movement. But it's not. Someone in one of my home hemodialysis Facebook groups (how specific is that?  Lol) suggested that it was errant perspiration that causes the alarm to sound. Well, the alarm is sensitive to moisture. That may be it. Ray Charles, "What'd I Say". The good news other than that, this has been the most boring transition in my dialysis life. Good! 

Now, of course life just can't go on without drama. I'd been unusually tired and it took way too long to get rid of a cold. And don't forget that in February I had the ablation procedure to shrink a parathyroid gland. Well kidney failure..ESRD means your body chemistry is wonky. Dialysis and drugs try to make it at least good enough to stay alive. Let that sink in. "Good enough to stay alive" I am now taking vitamin D pills. I get doses of epogen to increase my read blood cells..then sometimes I don't .. in case  I've had enough. In other words the doses come and go based on my blood lab readings. Steely Dan, "Babylon Sisters". I take a calcium supplement. I ingest a phosphourus binder because my body cannot rid itself of phosphorus. And now. My potassium levels has dropped to dangerous levels. WTF?  Where did that come from?  Lol. 

The first of the month Brian takes blood samples. No, he does not stick needles in me. The needles that I stick in me are attached to tubes.  He inserts a dodad attached to the tubing and the vials to collect the blood. After he collects the samples (4 vials before treatment, 1 after) he does something with a centrifuge that the dialysis clinic gave us. He refrigerates the blood then we drop it off at FedEx the next day. In about a a day or 2 I get an email that my results are available. As do my nurses. If there is a problem when they see the results they call me with instructions. Such as increase this medicine, stop that one, we've called in a prescription...at either a local drug store or the Davita pharmacy. James Brown, "Get Up Offa That Thing". Yikes I'm chair dancing!!  So I get a call from my nurse Monday. My potassium level is 2.3. Oh shoot. The normal levels 3.5 to 5.5. Yikes. 

Low potassium is just as bad as high potassium. Nurse asks me if I'd been cramping. I have, but not bad, but watching my toes splay every now and then. And she asks if my chest has been hurting. It has. Thought it was heartburn, but I admit on Sunday it was a real hurtin' heartburn. And I'd been ridiculously tired. And yes, I was still going to deep water fitness and to my trainer.  So now I am taking a gigantic potassium pill twice a day. Al Green, "Still in Love With You". Swoon. Heh. The first time I tried to swallow the pill ..I couldn't. Ugh. Like one of those big ass iron pills we had during pregnancy. Ugh. Ugh Ugh. It didn't want to go down. Ugh. 

And yet, there's more, but this is enough for today. I just want to feel good one day. I mean really good. I hate dragging Brian on this awful journey and yet I'm so grateful for his support. Ah well. My glass is still full. Striving for that day when I feel aces again!  The weather is great. A little windy. Dad celebrated his 91st birthday. And he's walking his ass of every morning!  Signing off with The Whispers, "Just Gets Better With Time".   {wanders off looking for Brian to dance... <3.  }

My real specific Facebook groups, but what a wealth of information and support!