Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Friday, October 12, 2012
PD and surgery.... a step forward!
Well we are investigating a new route with dialysis. David is currently on Hemodialysis. That is where he goes into a center 3 days a week and has 2 (15 gauge...that's really big) needles placed in his fistula and his blood is pulled out, sent through a machine where toxins and extra fluid is pulled out, and then put back into his body. The whole process takes 3.5 hours and there are some side effects such as severe muscle cramping, drop of blood pressure (causing dizziness, sweats, ect.) and severe fatigue. It is really rough on your body.
We are investigating Peritoneal dialysis (PD) which is a dialysis that is done at home. The basics of it is a catheter is placed in the patients abdomen and the patient fills the abdomen (via the catheter) with dialysate (a special fluid), leaves it in there for a while and then drains it back out (via the same catheter). While the fluid is inside the patients abdomen, the toxins that the kidney typically filters are drawn to the fluid and then they are pulled out along with the extra fluid when you drain out through the catheter. (The whole process is probably more complex than that but that is my best understanding at this point).
The perks of PD outweigh the bad. Perks: no fluid restrictions!!!, do it at home, we can travel more easily, no muscle cramping!!!! The bad: risk of infection (since the catheter is a direct line to the abdomen), this is done every day 7 days a week). But like I said...to us the perks out weigh the bad!
To start PD David will have to first have the catheter placed in his abdomen (here is the surgery part of the post title). It is an outpatient surgery (meaning he can go home the same day) but it is a real surgery. Right now the surgery is scheduled for this coming Thursday! wow!!
Once the catheter is placed and healed we (David...and probably me depending on time) will have to go through a few weeks of training on how to do PD at home, and everything that goes along with it. After that.....we are free!!! (well we will be on our own for PD)! We are not completely alone, we will still have a team that will always be there when we need them. A dietician, social worker, doctors, and nurses but David will only have to see them once a month rather than 3 times a week! He will have to go in once a month for his typical labs, but that is no big deal!
The other big change (well it's not really that big) is the amount of supplies we will need. PD has a lot of supplies with it. We will get monthly shipments of all of his supplies so we need to have a place to store them. I was reading a blog of a woman who was on PD and she said she gets 30 boxes of supplies a month!!!! Good thing we have a house!!!
It will be an adjustment, but if all goes well it will be a positive step for us! We will miss dearly our "family" at our current dialysis center. We have really gotten close with the nurses, techs, and doctors, and some of the other patients. But we know that the time that we will now have at home will be worth it. We can always come back and visit! And if things don't work out with PD David has already put in his reservation for his chair (chair 10) at our current center!!!
So right now we are moving forward...but not sure what the near future will be like. It will probably get rough before it gets better but it will be worth it in the end!!
Ultimately David STILL NEEDS A KIDNEY!!!! If you or someone you know feels the urge to donate (even if you are not type O) please let us know! It's a hard thing to ask for but it is necessary in order to be able to put dialysis completely behind us!
In other news....MY SISTER IS IN LABOR AS I AM WRITING THIS!!!!! I can't wait to meet my little (or not so little) nephew!!! I will post pictures when he is born!! (Because you KNOW I have my camera with me!!!)
So hopefully I will update after David has his surgery with how it went. Nothing is a done deal yet..but we are praying things go well!
Thanks for your support, prayers, and love that we have felt from our friends and family through this all! It has been amazing!
~DAB (David and Alice) :)
We are investigating Peritoneal dialysis (PD) which is a dialysis that is done at home. The basics of it is a catheter is placed in the patients abdomen and the patient fills the abdomen (via the catheter) with dialysate (a special fluid), leaves it in there for a while and then drains it back out (via the same catheter). While the fluid is inside the patients abdomen, the toxins that the kidney typically filters are drawn to the fluid and then they are pulled out along with the extra fluid when you drain out through the catheter. (The whole process is probably more complex than that but that is my best understanding at this point).
The perks of PD outweigh the bad. Perks: no fluid restrictions!!!, do it at home, we can travel more easily, no muscle cramping!!!! The bad: risk of infection (since the catheter is a direct line to the abdomen), this is done every day 7 days a week). But like I said...to us the perks out weigh the bad!
To start PD David will have to first have the catheter placed in his abdomen (here is the surgery part of the post title). It is an outpatient surgery (meaning he can go home the same day) but it is a real surgery. Right now the surgery is scheduled for this coming Thursday! wow!!
Once the catheter is placed and healed we (David...and probably me depending on time) will have to go through a few weeks of training on how to do PD at home, and everything that goes along with it. After that.....we are free!!! (well we will be on our own for PD)! We are not completely alone, we will still have a team that will always be there when we need them. A dietician, social worker, doctors, and nurses but David will only have to see them once a month rather than 3 times a week! He will have to go in once a month for his typical labs, but that is no big deal!
The other big change (well it's not really that big) is the amount of supplies we will need. PD has a lot of supplies with it. We will get monthly shipments of all of his supplies so we need to have a place to store them. I was reading a blog of a woman who was on PD and she said she gets 30 boxes of supplies a month!!!! Good thing we have a house!!!
It will be an adjustment, but if all goes well it will be a positive step for us! We will miss dearly our "family" at our current dialysis center. We have really gotten close with the nurses, techs, and doctors, and some of the other patients. But we know that the time that we will now have at home will be worth it. We can always come back and visit! And if things don't work out with PD David has already put in his reservation for his chair (chair 10) at our current center!!!
So right now we are moving forward...but not sure what the near future will be like. It will probably get rough before it gets better but it will be worth it in the end!!
Ultimately David STILL NEEDS A KIDNEY!!!! If you or someone you know feels the urge to donate (even if you are not type O) please let us know! It's a hard thing to ask for but it is necessary in order to be able to put dialysis completely behind us!
In other news....MY SISTER IS IN LABOR AS I AM WRITING THIS!!!!! I can't wait to meet my little (or not so little) nephew!!! I will post pictures when he is born!! (Because you KNOW I have my camera with me!!!)
So hopefully I will update after David has his surgery with how it went. Nothing is a done deal yet..but we are praying things go well!
Thanks for your support, prayers, and love that we have felt from our friends and family through this all! It has been amazing!
~DAB (David and Alice) :)
Sunday, September 16, 2012
So.....it's been a while!
Well I have no excuse for how long it has been since our last update besides the fact that WE HAVE BEEN BUSY!!!! Of course with school starting for Alice, dialysis, David going through his busiest season at work, and Alice started a part-time job (in addition to teaching..I am still a teacher!) things have been crazy!
But we have had many changes and new things in our lives so the blog has been pushed aside for a while but we are back in business!
First, our schedule. With dialysis still 3 nights a week we are adjusting back to our crazy schedule of rushing home from work, letting the dogs out real quick, and then rushing to dialysis. It's been a bit of a challenge with Alice back at school because the dogs don't get to go out as much and Finnick is adjusting to the new schedule but overall, they are doing well with it. Tuesday/Thursday nights (or non-dialysis nights) Alice has started working at Curves a workout facility for women only. (She also works Saturdays there) but it has been a nice part-time job where she gets to help women care about their health and workout herself!!!! Though, this does present the challenge of when are we going to cook and clean but we are slowly adjusting.
We have been blessed by our families who have helped out in many ways whether it is helping with meals, bringing us meals, driving us around when our cars don't work, or helping out with our boys, OR JUST PRAYING FOR US!!! We can say that we truly have the best families around!!!
We are always asked...How is David doing? Well my (Alice) standard answer is he is doing OK. With CKF (cronic kidney failure) and dialysis you will always have your good days and your bad days. Our prayers are that there will be more good days than bad days. For the most part there have been more good days. Our biggest battle right now is keeping David's blood pressure from dropping during dialysis. It's crazy because we used to worry about his BP being too high but now that it is controlled we have to worry about it tanking during treatment. The staff at the dialysis center have been great about trying different tricks to keep his BP up but we usually have, at least a few times a week, and issue with it going too low. David and typically feel when it is starting to tank and we can do something about it, but sometimes when he is coming off the machine it is hard to control and he doesn't always meet the requirements to go home (top number has to be over 100). But the staff has always been able to get him there eventually and we go home without too much delay.
We have received some news concerning David's transplant status that is a little discouraging. Basically David's Antibodies percentage is higher than we thought and this could mean a longer wait for a kidney. (It's more complicated than that but I (alice) and still trying to wrap my head around the whole thing). We are still doing more research on options and what this means exactly, but we realize we may be in this thing for longer than we expected.
The one piece of hope we can hold on to is we have been told by many sources that David's quickest and best chance of getting a kidney transplant is with a living donor or the Donor Exchange Program. A living donor would mean someone gets tested to be a match for David (requirement..you need to currently have 2 kidneys) and if you match you will give David one of your kidneys. The Donor Exchange Program is where someone WANTS to donate to David but they don't match him (whether it be blood type or antibodies) and that person would donate to someone else who has a person who would then donate to David. The donations would happen at the same time. This could be across the country even. (Example, You want to donate to David but you don't match him, they put you into a system and cross-match you with people all over the country. Once they match you with someone who has someone who matches David...they do the transplant. So your kidney would go to someone and their person's kidney would go to David. Clear as mud?!?!)
It's hard for us to ask someone to do this. It is a gift we can NEVER repay anyone for. But we also realize this is the chance of getting David off of dialysis and back to a "normal life". We know our God is BIG, we know He has a perfect plan and HE knows already who will give David a kidney. We know that but we also need to realize we can't just sit back and do nothing. We need to do our part in educating people on the importance of organ and tissue donation.
Life right now is not easy. David and I are limited in what we do, where we go, and much more. But we are blessed by a support system that is our saving grace. Our families and close friends have meant the world to us through this last year. We would be lost without them. We have realized who our supportive and close friends are, and what friendships we need to work on. We have realized how important our parents and siblings are to us and how much they love us. We have realized how much David and I need each other. We have grown so much closer to each other and our love has grown SO much. Marriage is more than hearts and flowers. When we vowed to each other to be there in sickness and in health I have come to realize how deep of a commitment that is and how much I want to honor that commitment. Some people when they get married simply say their vows (and we were probably guilty of that) but after almost 5 years, I am realizing how much those vows are true, and what they actually mean.
Well this post has turned out to be SO much longer than I originally anticipated. But I guess I had a lot to say! Hopefully there won't be so much time in between posts anymore, and I will be more faithful in updating. Maybe I will even talk David into hosting a post in the future! I am going to try to leave you with some pictures to describe our life the past few months...If I can remember how to load them!!
Thank you friends for your support and prayers!!!
~DAB!
Our Team at the Dash for Donation
David and I at the Dash for Donation
Our baby boy Finnick (who is almost as big as Oscar now) loves to play in water!
Our nephew who raced for David in the Dash for Donation. This kid means the world to us!
Alice was able to go to Indiana for a quick trip to see her college roommates for Napes baby shower!
David and Shawn having a little fun at the Dowler family reunion.
David and his mom chowing down on some sweet corn at the Sweet Corn festival
Alice and the girls at Amber's bachelorette party!!
David was the best man in his cousin Larry's wedding (and Alice and her dad were the photographers)
Another picture from the wedding!!
David and Alice at the wedding!
But we have had many changes and new things in our lives so the blog has been pushed aside for a while but we are back in business!
First, our schedule. With dialysis still 3 nights a week we are adjusting back to our crazy schedule of rushing home from work, letting the dogs out real quick, and then rushing to dialysis. It's been a bit of a challenge with Alice back at school because the dogs don't get to go out as much and Finnick is adjusting to the new schedule but overall, they are doing well with it. Tuesday/Thursday nights (or non-dialysis nights) Alice has started working at Curves a workout facility for women only. (She also works Saturdays there) but it has been a nice part-time job where she gets to help women care about their health and workout herself!!!! Though, this does present the challenge of when are we going to cook and clean but we are slowly adjusting.
We have been blessed by our families who have helped out in many ways whether it is helping with meals, bringing us meals, driving us around when our cars don't work, or helping out with our boys, OR JUST PRAYING FOR US!!! We can say that we truly have the best families around!!!
We are always asked...How is David doing? Well my (Alice) standard answer is he is doing OK. With CKF (cronic kidney failure) and dialysis you will always have your good days and your bad days. Our prayers are that there will be more good days than bad days. For the most part there have been more good days. Our biggest battle right now is keeping David's blood pressure from dropping during dialysis. It's crazy because we used to worry about his BP being too high but now that it is controlled we have to worry about it tanking during treatment. The staff at the dialysis center have been great about trying different tricks to keep his BP up but we usually have, at least a few times a week, and issue with it going too low. David and typically feel when it is starting to tank and we can do something about it, but sometimes when he is coming off the machine it is hard to control and he doesn't always meet the requirements to go home (top number has to be over 100). But the staff has always been able to get him there eventually and we go home without too much delay.
We have received some news concerning David's transplant status that is a little discouraging. Basically David's Antibodies percentage is higher than we thought and this could mean a longer wait for a kidney. (It's more complicated than that but I (alice) and still trying to wrap my head around the whole thing). We are still doing more research on options and what this means exactly, but we realize we may be in this thing for longer than we expected.
The one piece of hope we can hold on to is we have been told by many sources that David's quickest and best chance of getting a kidney transplant is with a living donor or the Donor Exchange Program. A living donor would mean someone gets tested to be a match for David (requirement..you need to currently have 2 kidneys) and if you match you will give David one of your kidneys. The Donor Exchange Program is where someone WANTS to donate to David but they don't match him (whether it be blood type or antibodies) and that person would donate to someone else who has a person who would then donate to David. The donations would happen at the same time. This could be across the country even. (Example, You want to donate to David but you don't match him, they put you into a system and cross-match you with people all over the country. Once they match you with someone who has someone who matches David...they do the transplant. So your kidney would go to someone and their person's kidney would go to David. Clear as mud?!?!)
It's hard for us to ask someone to do this. It is a gift we can NEVER repay anyone for. But we also realize this is the chance of getting David off of dialysis and back to a "normal life". We know our God is BIG, we know He has a perfect plan and HE knows already who will give David a kidney. We know that but we also need to realize we can't just sit back and do nothing. We need to do our part in educating people on the importance of organ and tissue donation.
Life right now is not easy. David and I are limited in what we do, where we go, and much more. But we are blessed by a support system that is our saving grace. Our families and close friends have meant the world to us through this last year. We would be lost without them. We have realized who our supportive and close friends are, and what friendships we need to work on. We have realized how important our parents and siblings are to us and how much they love us. We have realized how much David and I need each other. We have grown so much closer to each other and our love has grown SO much. Marriage is more than hearts and flowers. When we vowed to each other to be there in sickness and in health I have come to realize how deep of a commitment that is and how much I want to honor that commitment. Some people when they get married simply say their vows (and we were probably guilty of that) but after almost 5 years, I am realizing how much those vows are true, and what they actually mean.
Well this post has turned out to be SO much longer than I originally anticipated. But I guess I had a lot to say! Hopefully there won't be so much time in between posts anymore, and I will be more faithful in updating. Maybe I will even talk David into hosting a post in the future! I am going to try to leave you with some pictures to describe our life the past few months...If I can remember how to load them!!
Thank you friends for your support and prayers!!!
~DAB!
Friday, May 11, 2012
Donate for DAB
Hi everyone! I have exciting news! Donate Life Ohio is doing a 5K in July to raise awareness for organ donation and transplant! I have decided to form a team "Donate for DAB". The date is July 14th in the morning, the cost is $15 if you join our team ($25 if you register alone, unless you are a registered donor then it is $20...but you would much rather join our team!!). THE DEADLINE TO REGISTER AS PART OF OUR TEAM IS MAY 24TH!!!! To join our team go to www.dashfordonation.org and click register. Once you are at the registration page you would register as a 5K -team member. The organization is "Donate for DAB", Then is says if you want to be part of the Sea of Green, the answer is YES! (this means you are directly associated with someone affected by organ donation...that would be David in our case! hee hee). For team captain put Alice Brooks, then you can pay with credit card.
I will pick up our race packets when it is time and get everyone their bibs, shirts, and such! So if you join our team please leave me a facebook comment so I can keep track of who is on our team!! WE NEED AT LEAST 5 PEOPLE.....BUT MORE WOULD BE BETTER!!!!
This is a GREAT way to raise awareness for Organ Donation. So many people are affected by this and so much awareness needs to take place! It's a way to help! Maybe David's donor will come out of this...who know's!?!?!? (Well God does!!).
P.S. You DO NOT have to run..you are free to walk! All ages are welcome!!!!!
If you have any questions feel free to contact me! Thanks for joining our team!!!!!!
Alice
I will pick up our race packets when it is time and get everyone their bibs, shirts, and such! So if you join our team please leave me a facebook comment so I can keep track of who is on our team!! WE NEED AT LEAST 5 PEOPLE.....BUT MORE WOULD BE BETTER!!!!
This is a GREAT way to raise awareness for Organ Donation. So many people are affected by this and so much awareness needs to take place! It's a way to help! Maybe David's donor will come out of this...who know's!?!?!? (Well God does!!).
P.S. You DO NOT have to run..you are free to walk! All ages are welcome!!!!!
If you have any questions feel free to contact me! Thanks for joining our team!!!!!!
Alice
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
LIfe is busy!!!
Sorry for the lack of updates lately. Life has become VERY busy! David is doing pretty well! We are settled into the dialysis routine. He is not cramping as much regularly because they try not to take him below his dry weight...but it is still very much treatment to treatment. Overall he is doing well. I forget if I already blogged about it or not but they did something with him for his hook-ups that is called Buttonhole. Basically when someone gets hooked up to dialysis they put two 15 gauge needles in your access (typically a fistula like David has). Well so they don't destroy the fistula by poking it at the same place each time with sharp needles...they move up and down the access and poke at a different spot each time. Well....since David's fistula is not in a straight line and goes a little deep in his arm one of the techs suggested early on that they "buttonhole" David. This is basically where for 9 hook-ups in a row they stuck the needles in the same place at the same angle (and the same person did it). This basically formed a channel into his fistula. It is almost like an ear piercing into his arm. Now they use what they call a "blunt" needle (trust me.....it is not blunt) but the blunt needle does less damage to the access. So for most people they don't stick them in the same place....but for David they do stick him in the same place every time. It's kinda confusing but it is working well for him! It even cuts down on the bleeding time after treatment!!! (Top two pics...Finnick, bottom pic..Oscar!)
Well like I said we have been busy. We added a new family member to our family! We have been thinking for a while of getting Oscar (our 4.5 year old black lab) a brother to play with since he was spending a lot of time home alone while we were at dialysis. We started looking for a year old black lab and ended up with a 9 week old black lab puppy. Meet Finnick!
My (alice) heart fell in love with him when we went to look at him. He was the only one out of his brothers (there were 4 of them total) that paid attention to Oscar and to us! So we knew he was the one. However...since he is so young....he needs A LOT of attention. Oscar gets annoyed with him but they are doing much better! Even now they are both in the yard laying together enjoying the wind! Finnick has kept us super busy but he is super sweet!! He is almost 11 weeks old now and growing like crazy!! If I can figure out how to post pictures on here I will do that soon!
We also found out.....WE ARE GOING TO BE AN AUNT AND UNCLE!!!!!!! We have 7 nephews on David's side of the family...BUT now my sister is pregnant and I am SO EXCITED!!! I don't know if I am more excited for her and Jason or my parents to be grandparents (to a human...they are already the best grandparents to my boys!)
We have also been enjoying the nice weather! It is so wonderful to have a large fenced in backyard for the boys to play in so they aren't barking at each other in the house! We spend a lot of time outside while daddy is at dialysis! We have been busy working in the yard and scooping a lot of poop!! I have been trying to work out at every chance I get and David comes and walks with me and a co-worker some days when we have a chance.
I (alice) am looking forward to Spring break in another week. I look forward to getting some stuff done around the house and spending the days with my boys! I also have some photography things lined up that I am SUPER excited about! I just did engagement pictures for David's cousin and his fiance! I am almost done editing them! I am very pleased with them so far!!!
Well I guess that is the short version of what is going on right now! Life is getting better than it was a couple of months ago. We are adapting and adjusting.....growing and learning!
Hopefully I will figure out updating pictures!
~Alice and David, Oscar and Finnick
(**Edit** If there are any r's missing in any words please forgive me....for some reason my r button is not working right and I have to slam it in order to type!)
My (alice) heart fell in love with him when we went to look at him. He was the only one out of his brothers (there were 4 of them total) that paid attention to Oscar and to us! So we knew he was the one. However...since he is so young....he needs A LOT of attention. Oscar gets annoyed with him but they are doing much better! Even now they are both in the yard laying together enjoying the wind! Finnick has kept us super busy but he is super sweet!! He is almost 11 weeks old now and growing like crazy!! If I can figure out how to post pictures on here I will do that soon!
We also found out.....WE ARE GOING TO BE AN AUNT AND UNCLE!!!!!!! We have 7 nephews on David's side of the family...BUT now my sister is pregnant and I am SO EXCITED!!! I don't know if I am more excited for her and Jason or my parents to be grandparents (to a human...they are already the best grandparents to my boys!)
We have also been enjoying the nice weather! It is so wonderful to have a large fenced in backyard for the boys to play in so they aren't barking at each other in the house! We spend a lot of time outside while daddy is at dialysis! We have been busy working in the yard and scooping a lot of poop!! I have been trying to work out at every chance I get and David comes and walks with me and a co-worker some days when we have a chance.
I (alice) am looking forward to Spring break in another week. I look forward to getting some stuff done around the house and spending the days with my boys! I also have some photography things lined up that I am SUPER excited about! I just did engagement pictures for David's cousin and his fiance! I am almost done editing them! I am very pleased with them so far!!!
Well I guess that is the short version of what is going on right now! Life is getting better than it was a couple of months ago. We are adapting and adjusting.....growing and learning!
Hopefully I will figure out updating pictures!
~Alice and David, Oscar and Finnick
(**Edit** If there are any r's missing in any words please forgive me....for some reason my r button is not working right and I have to slam it in order to type!)
Sunday, February 26, 2012
How to become a donor 101
Many people have asked what it takes to become a donor. So I thought I would do a little post to get you started if you are interested!
Organ donation is a huge gift to give someone. Many people don't know that there are many organs that can be donated by a living donor...such as a Kidney!
donatelifeohio.org is a great website on organ donation. It gives a lot of information about how to register as a donor and ways you can volunteer and spread awareness of organ donation. I am sure you have all seen the green chair commercials. I proudly wear a green chair pin on my coat in order to spread awareness of organ donation.
Well back to information on kidney donation......
In order to donate to (let's say to David) you would first need to be the same blood type. For him that is O. You would need to contact OSU comprehensive transplant clinic. (I can provide you with the number if this is something you would really consider). It would start with a basic blood test to make sure you are blood type O. The next step would be physical testing to ensure you are healthy enough to donate. Basically you have to be in tip top shape! More detailed blood work would be done then. Not only do you need to have matching blood types, but your antibodies that are build up in your blood have to match or be very similar to the person you are donating to.
Living organ donation is a very selfless act. It is a big decision that should not be taken lightly. However, the gift you can give to someone who is in need is priceless. It is an amazing gift that can never be repaid.
If you do want more information please feel free to contact me! I am also looking into what fundraising can be done toward dialysis and organ donation. There is a walk sponsored by the National Kidney foundation in October that I will be participating in (not sure if I will create our own team or walk with our Dialysis unit) but I will update closer to time!
Thanks for all the support you all continue to show us!
David and Alice
Organ donation is a huge gift to give someone. Many people don't know that there are many organs that can be donated by a living donor...such as a Kidney!
donatelifeohio.org is a great website on organ donation. It gives a lot of information about how to register as a donor and ways you can volunteer and spread awareness of organ donation. I am sure you have all seen the green chair commercials. I proudly wear a green chair pin on my coat in order to spread awareness of organ donation.
Well back to information on kidney donation......
In order to donate to (let's say to David) you would first need to be the same blood type. For him that is O. You would need to contact OSU comprehensive transplant clinic. (I can provide you with the number if this is something you would really consider). It would start with a basic blood test to make sure you are blood type O. The next step would be physical testing to ensure you are healthy enough to donate. Basically you have to be in tip top shape! More detailed blood work would be done then. Not only do you need to have matching blood types, but your antibodies that are build up in your blood have to match or be very similar to the person you are donating to.
Living organ donation is a very selfless act. It is a big decision that should not be taken lightly. However, the gift you can give to someone who is in need is priceless. It is an amazing gift that can never be repaid.
If you do want more information please feel free to contact me! I am also looking into what fundraising can be done toward dialysis and organ donation. There is a walk sponsored by the National Kidney foundation in October that I will be participating in (not sure if I will create our own team or walk with our Dialysis unit) but I will update closer to time!
Thanks for all the support you all continue to show us!
David and Alice
Monday, February 20, 2012
Keep on going...
Things have been going well. We are getting used to the schedule of dialysis. Alice is figuring out how to cook on dialysis nights (well she still has some adjusting to do but she is working on figuring it all out).
The worst part at this point is David gets severe leg cramps during dialysis usually toward the last 1/2 hour but they can be VERY painful and take a lot of energy out of him. This is something we just have to deal with. It depends on how much fluid they take off of him and lately in order to get all of the fluid off of him, they have to aggressively pull off fluid.
They have also moved David up to the largest needle size. (largest round, the length is the same for all of them). This means that he will get the best cleaning because more blood can go through the needle so more blood can be cleaned. And let me tell you...it's a huge needle!
David went to dialysis by himself for the first time last Friday, because Alice got to babysit for friends. I think it was harder on Alice to not be with him than him (David was fine by himself). We don't plan on many treatments without Alice going!
Life has been pretty good. We have been trying to do a lot on the weekends since the week is pretty much consumed with Dialysis. Thank you for your continued support and prayers.
I will update more later!!!
~Alice and David
The worst part at this point is David gets severe leg cramps during dialysis usually toward the last 1/2 hour but they can be VERY painful and take a lot of energy out of him. This is something we just have to deal with. It depends on how much fluid they take off of him and lately in order to get all of the fluid off of him, they have to aggressively pull off fluid.
They have also moved David up to the largest needle size. (largest round, the length is the same for all of them). This means that he will get the best cleaning because more blood can go through the needle so more blood can be cleaned. And let me tell you...it's a huge needle!
David went to dialysis by himself for the first time last Friday, because Alice got to babysit for friends. I think it was harder on Alice to not be with him than him (David was fine by himself). We don't plan on many treatments without Alice going!
Life has been pretty good. We have been trying to do a lot on the weekends since the week is pretty much consumed with Dialysis. Thank you for your continued support and prayers.
I will update more later!!!
~Alice and David
Monday, February 6, 2012
Still going strong!
Well David has been on Dialysis for a full week and a day at the dialysis center and things are going well. He is feeling better now that the fluid is starting to come off. They think they have almost pulled all of the original fluid off and now it will be mostly upkeep of keeping the fluid off. It is a constant cycle. Everyone at the center is wonderful. We are both starting to build relationships with many of the nurses and techs. Of course all the ladies love David...he is a very good patient!
We are slowly adjusting to the schedule of dialysis. David went back to work today so this week will be a good test of how he will be feeling working and doing dialysis. I (Alice) am optimistic that things will continue to go well.
David's fistula seems to be holding up well. They are going to try some new things with his fistula to try to get good access each hook up but they will have to explain it better to me once they make a decision because I don't get it...hee hee!
Alice is doing well. I am still working out as much as I can. I am getting up early before work to go workout and that seems to give me more energy during the day and it is the only time I can with our new schedule!
So there isn't really any new updates besides we are doing much better than we were 2 weeks ago!! I pray things stay calm and continue to go well!
I will keep you updated!!
~Alice
We are slowly adjusting to the schedule of dialysis. David went back to work today so this week will be a good test of how he will be feeling working and doing dialysis. I (Alice) am optimistic that things will continue to go well.
David's fistula seems to be holding up well. They are going to try some new things with his fistula to try to get good access each hook up but they will have to explain it better to me once they make a decision because I don't get it...hee hee!
Alice is doing well. I am still working out as much as I can. I am getting up early before work to go workout and that seems to give me more energy during the day and it is the only time I can with our new schedule!
So there isn't really any new updates besides we are doing much better than we were 2 weeks ago!! I pray things stay calm and continue to go well!
I will keep you updated!!
~Alice
Monday, January 30, 2012
A way to keep updated...
As many have heard last Monday David had to start dialysis. I am creating this blog to keep friends and family updated!
Background story....David lost his first kidney when he was 3 years old. It never developed larger than a man's thumb nail, and then it got severely infected and they had to remove it. When he was 12 he had to have his second kidney removed because he developed reflux in it. His dad donated one of his kidney to David a month before he turned 13. In between having his kidney removed and the transplant David was on dialysis for only a month.
Almost 19 years later....(and after meeting Alice, falling in love with each other and getting married :) )
A week ago David was very swollen (not uncommon, but it typically went away). He was not sleeping well and we decided to call the doctor and see what he wanted David to do. The doctor decided it was time for dialysis. (There were many other factors that went into this decision but the basis was it was time).
David spent 3 nights in the hospital after having some complications with his fistula (the artery they created in David's arm to allow access for dialysis he had put in about a year ago), they finally got it working and David was able to receive dialysis at the hospital 3 times at the hospital.
On Friday David had his first dialysis treatment at the Dialysis Center that he will go to 3 days a week. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings. Each treatment will be about 3.5 hours long. I (Alice) is able to stay with him during his treatments but he is able to drive himself if need be.
They dialysis center is wonderful. All of the staff is very helpful and nice. The doctor rounds there every week. for as lousy as dialysis is, we feel very comfortable at the center and it is a great place.
David will be on dialysis until he gets another transplant. He is on the transplant waiting list but that will be at least 4ish years. A living donor would be a more ideal situation, but at this time we have not had a match.
We are doing pretty well for the circumstances we are facing. David has his good days and bad days. We are adjusting to the diet restrictions, adjusting to the schedule, and to the new events in our lives. We have been blessed with support of friends and family.
I will continue to update on health and life through this blog.
~David and Alice
Background story....David lost his first kidney when he was 3 years old. It never developed larger than a man's thumb nail, and then it got severely infected and they had to remove it. When he was 12 he had to have his second kidney removed because he developed reflux in it. His dad donated one of his kidney to David a month before he turned 13. In between having his kidney removed and the transplant David was on dialysis for only a month.
Almost 19 years later....(and after meeting Alice, falling in love with each other and getting married :) )
A week ago David was very swollen (not uncommon, but it typically went away). He was not sleeping well and we decided to call the doctor and see what he wanted David to do. The doctor decided it was time for dialysis. (There were many other factors that went into this decision but the basis was it was time).
David spent 3 nights in the hospital after having some complications with his fistula (the artery they created in David's arm to allow access for dialysis he had put in about a year ago), they finally got it working and David was able to receive dialysis at the hospital 3 times at the hospital.
On Friday David had his first dialysis treatment at the Dialysis Center that he will go to 3 days a week. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings. Each treatment will be about 3.5 hours long. I (Alice) is able to stay with him during his treatments but he is able to drive himself if need be.
They dialysis center is wonderful. All of the staff is very helpful and nice. The doctor rounds there every week. for as lousy as dialysis is, we feel very comfortable at the center and it is a great place.
David will be on dialysis until he gets another transplant. He is on the transplant waiting list but that will be at least 4ish years. A living donor would be a more ideal situation, but at this time we have not had a match.
We are doing pretty well for the circumstances we are facing. David has his good days and bad days. We are adjusting to the diet restrictions, adjusting to the schedule, and to the new events in our lives. We have been blessed with support of friends and family.
I will continue to update on health and life through this blog.
~David and Alice
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