Into the New Year

 Still taking life one day at a time.

Still dealing with covid. Have had 2 shots and a booster and am doing ok so here's hoping covid doesn't get me!

I can't believe it's been going on for 2 years now!

I also can't believe we're into February already!! 

So still going along doing my thing but some days are a bit MORE.

The thing nowadays is that we are having to use trickier parts of my graft in order to USE more of it and make it last longer.

So there are parts on both sides that are now unusable and are avoided and we have to get the needles in shorter parts to access the graft. They go in each end of the curve around my cherry blossom and also on either side of the one blossom (to avoid the ink). They go into the short space above the curve (and it's tricky around the curve because...it curves!! Can't always fit the whole needle in there...and the last places they use are up closer to the scar on my inner elbow on both sides. I generally don't move my arm much once we start so it's ok and I'm good with whatever they have to do. Grafts don't last as long as fistulas because they are made of plastic but my nurse explained that the graft is like layers so that's why you can use it for so long before it gets compromised. (3 years before the two spots became unusable)...when you see it on the sonosite (ultrasound machine-which makes everything easier) you can see that both sides are no longer shiny and look used up. So here's hoping the tricky spots take another 3 years before we have to figure out what next!!

In the meantime,

I am feeling tired and sometimes stressed and sometimes antsy.

It will pass but in the lows I'm just TIRED. More than one way.

Take a deep breath and carry on!

Rough Week

 This has been a rough week. Everything was weird because dialysis was bumped around so I had Tues and wed through the week off to do my thing so I spent both days snugging with Loki and by mid afternoon of second day full on allergic reaction. When I went to dialysis the next day they had to give me oxygen to help me out and instead of taking fluid off they gave me some which helped a lot ...then I could actually start eating and drinking again because I was actually quite dehydrated and couldn't eat anything but crackers and drink water (which wouldn't stay down). By the next dialysis day I just had a cough and got some lozenges which helped too and another 2 days off basically had me trying to eat, drink, rest, and hope for better days! I haven't had a cold in YEARS! I've been excellent at keeping them at bay but apparently when you spiral down and out of control everything goes to shit!! Still here. Breathing!

2nd Covid Shot

 In May I received my second shot and only had a sore arm for a day and was a bit more tired and achy than usual but no other issues. Here's hoping all will be well.

1st Covid Shot

 I got it on Tues. the 20th. and possibly get the second in 4 months.

It didn't hurt until the next day but I think that was from sleeping on it. 

Then I was achy and tired but I'm fine today. 

I am stressed for other reasons but I'm sure it will pass.

It's just an insane world we are living in right now and it gets hard to deal with sometimes.

Just breath and carry on...

Fistulagram and Angioplasty

 So March 23 I went to Orillia (in the midst of this Covid world so it was a very stressful day for me because I ONLY go to dialysis and home right now) to have my graft looked at with dye so they could see if it had any problems. I don't know because I didn't see because I was just laying on the table covered in towels but they checked it out, saw what problems there were and then put little balloons inside it to expand it and make it better. So then I went to dialysis because it was my usual dialysis day. So for the WHOLE treatment my BP was 230/115 or something else...they did give me a pill at the end of it to help bring it down a bit but I just basically got home had something to eat and went straight to bed. It was NOT my best day but I must say that it was an improvement over all because my numbers are better now, my clearances are better and there is no more whistle in my graft. HOPEFULLY, my graft will be good for awhile now and I don't have to repeat this day again any time soon!! 

One Day at a Time

 I've gotten used to dialysis 3 times a week. (Tues, Thurs. Sat. mornings) I thought about switching but I'm happy where I'm at and I am getting comfortable with the other patients. Things have been going pretty well. I've had my graft for about 3 years now. Have to go Mon. to Barrie to get my arm checked out and see how things are looking. Hopefully I can keep this graft for awhile yet but we will see. In the meantime I watch a lot of shows and plug away at building the worlds for a story I hope to write someday. (I do have interests besides fighting to live! lol) Still HERE! One day at a time!!

Checking In

 Going along doing my thing, One Day At A Time.

Took a pic to share in case anyone is curious about the dialysis:

Because I have a graft (a loop graft) the needle on the right goes in at the top. It takes the blood out and runs it through the machine. Then the clean blood comes back in through the bottom needle and while I DO feel much better doing hemodialysis than I did doing PD dialysis, I'm always tired on dialysis days and I usually nap or at least laze around because standing up sometimes gives me a headache. My body feels achy and sore and really it shouldn't be a surprise because dialysis is like making your heart run a marathon...do I look like a person who WANTS to run a marathon?

I am grateful anyways for every day, even the dialysis days.

Keep breathing and cherish the moments!