Along for the Ride

Earlier today, I was updating one of my classes about my medical situation, letting the students know that I would be absent a couple of days soon for surgery procedures and whatnot. My students are bright, and they know when things aren't right, so I try to be open and honest with them. After I explained the purpose of a fistula and how dialysis works, I asked the kids if they had any questions for me. One boy raised his hand, and in a timid voice, he looked at me and said, "Are you scared?" I had to fight back tears because I was so moved that he was concerned about my state of mind and vulnerability. I told him that yes, I was scared, but that I have a lot of wonderful people in my life that are supporting me, and that mom is going with me to the surgery. Laughing, I told them that I'm 33, but I'm never too old to want my mama. The kids thought that was funny, and we all had a good laugh. That moment stuck with me all afternoon, though. I've had p...

Today I met with a vascular surgeon to discuss the next stage in my kidney adventure: the installation of an arteriovenous fistula. A fistula is a type of vascular access for hemodialysis. Since dialysis involves filtering so much blood, the vein used to access the blood has to be big and powerful. Basically, the surgeon will connect a vein and artery in my upper left arm. After doing an ultrasound, it was determined that my best vein is located on the upper arm, the cephalic vein. While they typically try to avoid the dominant arm (I'm left-handed), that vein looks the best, so that's the plan. The surgeon said that the incision will be approximately 2-3 inches long inside my elbow. The surgery is an out-patient procedure, and it's scheduled for Oct. 7. I should also be under complete anesthesia, thank goodness! The procedure should take about 45 minutes, and during the four weeks after the surgery, the fistula should develop as the vein and artery "grow"...