The "Memorial Day at the Dialysis Center", edition.

iPod shuffled to "Spread My Wings", Troop. Nice smooth 80s hip hop. Video had lots of Jheri curls.  Lol. I can overlook that. The song is good. Holiday at dialysis.  It's quiet and a little empty. My partner isn't here. He was here on Friday (after I fussed at him on Wednesday lol).  I see what the plan was. Come Friday. Skip Monday. At least he planned, I guess. He misses Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. He may show up on Tuesday. Definitely come on Wednesday.  I fuss at him for missing treatment. His private little nagger (with a smile).   He's getting better about skipping treatment, but he's still gonna do his thing.  I just mentor away. :-)

Steely Dan, "Babylon Sisters". Last week (and maybe this week?) the State of Michigan was inspecting the dialysis center. It started last Tuesday.  When I came in on Wednesday there already changes. And it looked like the entire center staff was here. Lol. The recovery chairs had coverings over them.  Just the recovery chairs, not the chairs we sit in for treatment.  I asked why?  When we finish using the all of the chairs the staff cleans, sanitizes and bleach the hell out of the chairs when patients finish. Have you ever seen super strength bleach wipes?  I have seen them and can smell them from across the module.  Lol. The only time I'd ever seen the chair coverings was when a patient had bed bugs (!). :-(  yes he was on the other side of the room from me... And on 2nd shift....thank goodness.  Anyway the only answer I was given was the inspection team said so. <Shrug>.  

"Me, Myself and I", Beyonce.  "Its all I got in the end".  <----  Remember that.  Ok back to the inspection.  There is a ledge that goes around the module, behind the chairs.  The patients usually put belongings there.  Well now we can't. We have trays on our chairs to put stuff on but they're small.  The left side is for the patient's arm for dialysis...the arm we can't move. My bag is pretty large and I already have the iPad, the phone and my candy on the right side. So yay(?)....the bag goes on the floor.  These are the immediate changes that directly affect me. I saw the inspection team worrying the staff, especially the top 3 nurses.  One of the techs told me the inspectors will be back this week. We'll see on Wednesday. And yes, I have no beef with the inspection. It's for the protection and safety for the patients. 

Parliament, "Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off the Sucker)". "We need the funk. Gotta have the funk". Are you moving now?  "We gonna turn this mother out".  On the random status front, my dialysis machine had issues this morning. So I'm in my partner's chair. So his not being here works in my favor. I'd rather he'd be here for treatment.  That being said, they just brought the replacement machine in. I probably would have easily lost 1/2 hour of treatment time, if not more. I'm good. 

Solange, "I Decided, Part 1". I like her. Did I tell you I got infilitrated 2 weeks ago?  That was a clusterfuck week. >:-(   My venous acces was acting up.  Some techs don't even try to cannulate me anymore.  There are now a select few that will stick me.  Well another tried, couldn't get it, then decided to use a sharp needle instead of a blunt needle in the access. Ok, if you say so. The next treatment a stick team leader found out and informed me that should never happen and now my venous button was ruined and a new one needs to be started.  >:-(   So for that day, I got a regular stick with a sharp.  And the that needle slipped and I got infiltrated. Blood immediately ran into the tissue near the site. My arm swelled immediately and it hurt like hell.  

Kool and the Gang, "Summer Madness".  Well, the new button has been started.  I ask for 1 of 3 techs  to stick.  The swelling of my arm has decreased but I've got a huge impressive bruise. The pain eventually subsided after several days. I no longer needed an ice pack. 

So that's been life in dialysis the past few weeks. What new surprises are in store for Pats Adventures in Dialysis?   Stay tuned!  <feel the sarcasm>.  Lol. I'm looking at my phone waiting, pleading for a call from the transplant center. *Soon?*. 

Signing off with "Party Down", Little Beaver.  Nice guitar. And I like the way he searches for his notes during the vocals.  Enjoy your holiday and remember the veterans.  We have a lot in my family. My grand fathers, my uncles and great uncles, my dad, my brother and my husband.  Lol. One day I'll tell you my reaction to Brian in a uniform. ;-)