How can someone help?
2019 was definitely a challenging year for me, as you have learned if you've read through my posts. Unfortunately, some of my challenges have spilled over into 2020. In the fall of 2019 I was in the midst of caring for my dying ex-husband, selling my house, navigating my disability application, and changing from Cobra … Continue reading The snake in the grass.
It's been a very long time since I wrote. (Thanks Captain Obvious!) But so many things prevented me from writing. Health reasons, mostly. Physical and mental. My depression, anxiety, and lack of motivation is very hard to deal with on some days, so on some days, I just don't deal with it. I go back … Continue reading Where I’ve been, where I’m going
A minor head cold has turned into possible pneumonia, and I'm being treated with antibiotics. I've been completely incapacitated for a week, but luckily I am at home and not hospitalized. The other good news is I've lost about 6 pounds because of my lack of appetite! I also am catching up on a lot of … Continue reading Setback
Navigating a chronic disease is always challenging. Early in the diagnosis, you don't know enough to know what questions to ask. I have found this especially true when starting the process of being on a kidney transplant list. All I have to do is go through the checklist of shots, tests and appointments and I'm … Continue reading Twice as nice
In the two years that I've been on peritoneal dialysis, I've had 9 different machines. The Fresinius Liberty Cycler seems to be a delicate piece of equipment. But it's doing something pretty complicated. Just to remind you how this thing works, very simply: 8 liters of fluid flows in and out of my body all … Continue reading The Elephant in the Room
I got very excited when I first was evaluated to be on a waiting list for a kidney. I was so optimistic about just getting on the list I thought I wouldn't be waiting that long, even though I was told it could be 5-10 years before I got a transplant. Coming up this January, … Continue reading The Ultimate Gift
On Saturday, September 16th, the PKD Foundation sponsored the Twin Cities Walk for PKD, Polycystic Kidney Disease. I was honored to be the emcee this year, as I have been for many years. I always try to make the program fun and entertaining. This should be an inspiring day, congratulating teams and individuals on their … Continue reading Walk for PKD
Like everyone else this week, I'm focused on the tragedy unfolding in Texas and Louisiana. It will be a long road ahead for thousands of people who somehow survived the flooding. I particularly am thinking about dialysis patients this week. How scary and difficult this must be! What if I had to evacuate my home … Continue reading Houston, we have a problem.
I have events and different things in my life that are now perfectly normal for me. Normal for me, but not most people. A good example of that is my dialysis solution delivery day, which happened this week. Every month I order solution and supplies that are part of my prescription. And every month, it … Continue reading Delivery day
If this is your first visit to Michele Needs a Kidney, welcome! I was keeping people updated about my health on a Caringbridge site, but found that I needed more flexibility in my posts. So I've started this WordPress site instead. A year ago at this time, I was lying in a hospital bed in … Continue reading New start
