No News is Good News, Right?
So I've been on a bit of hiatus lately, but the good thing about that is that it's a result of being good and busy. Things at work have been crazy hectic, and Mike and I have been chugging along week by week just trying to keep our heads above water. He's been having to work late a lot at work, and I've been up to my eyeballs in papers to grade, school projects like field trips and GT testing, and trying to implement healthy lifestyle changes. Thankfully, I have enough energy to keep going and feel more like my old self!
I started dialysis at the beginning of February, so I've been doing treatment every night for a little over 2 months. It's definitely been a lifestyle change, but I'm feeling so much better, and my lab results have been improving greatly. My blood pressure is under control again, and my phosphorus levels are back in range. My energy levels are definitely better, and while I'm not at 100%, I feel like I'm at a solid 85 or 90%.
For Spring Break, Mike and I went to Washington DC. I was very concerned when we scheduled the trip that I wouldn't be able to walk as much as necessary. After all, it was just this past August when I didn't have the leg strength to get up off the couch or step up on a curb. Weeks in the hospital had caused my muscles to atrophy, and it was a LONG and painful process to regain strength. However, in DC, we walked between 4 and 7 miles nearly every day! While, yes, we were tired at the end of the day, I was so proud of being able to actually walk that much. I still did dialysis every night in our hotel room, and although I was nervous about the whole travel scenario, it actually worked really well. I took my cycler on the airplane, and the crew was so accommodating. They allowed us to store it safely in the first class closet and gave us the opportunity to pre-board so we didn't feel rushed in the crowds. American Airlines waived the bag fee for my medical supplies, so I was able to take a suitcase for all of my tubing, drain bags, tapes, gauze, and cleansing solutions. Just those things took up a full-sized suitcase! The cycler has a nifty case that has a shoulder strap, but it is pretty heavy. Luckily, I have a sweet husband who carried the case around for me! The dialysis company sent my solution bags (6 boxes of 12 liters of fluid) directly to the time share a few days before we checked in, and when we arrived, the hotel staff had already placed the boxes in our room! It was such a huge relief! Mike and I were able to relax and plan our days' events around my treatment sessions. While traveling on dialysis - at least by airplane - definitely requires more preparation than just packing a bag and hopping on the plane, I was very relieved that the process went so smoothly. That is one of the biggest advantages to peritoneal dialysis. While I could have traveled on hemodialysis, that would have involved me finding a local clinic and spending several hours of several days of our valuable vacation time sitting in a clinic. No fun!
So after Spring Break, things have gotten very hectic at school. I have to remind myself that this is just the spring rush, and that it's a short sprint to the end. The stretch between Spring Break and exams is a mad dash of frenetic craziness. We all just hold on and try to survive! I'm hoping to teach summer school this summer, enjoying the ability to actually function and not spend months in a hospital bed!
This weekend is a long weekend because of Good Friday and Easter. I set up a big test tomorrow at the dialysis center called a PET test. It will measure how quickly my peritoneum absorbs the dialysate fluid, so I should have a very accurate count of how many calories I absorb during therapy, among other things. Once I get that number, I plan on visiting with the team at UTSW to begin the medical weight loss plan. My doctors have told me to hold off on that until this test was completed. Since my weight loss has stalled, and I've plateaued, I'm looking forward to this option. I'm at the "git 'er dun" point where I'm happy to drink tasteless shakes three times a day if it will help me get a transplant.
After the test, I'm looking forward to relaxing some this weekend after some marathon grading. I'm hoping that getting a few things checked off of my to-do list will help me feel less anxious. On Saturday, we are having a family dinner, which will be a good opportunity to reconnect with everyone. It's pretty sad that my brother and I teach in the same school, yet we hardly see each other. My niece even goes to the same school, and I rarely see her! My parents live just 15 minutes away, but we'll go weeks without seeing them! How quickly we forget the importance of family and savoring the little moments.
I'll try to be better about keeping up with everyone and checking in regularly. Thankfully, in this instance, no news has been good news! I've just been plodding along, adjusting to my new life on dialysis and trying to regain normalcy. We so appreciate all of your love and support. While I still have a long journey ahead, I'm so happy to be in a place of stability for a while!
I started dialysis at the beginning of February, so I've been doing treatment every night for a little over 2 months. It's definitely been a lifestyle change, but I'm feeling so much better, and my lab results have been improving greatly. My blood pressure is under control again, and my phosphorus levels are back in range. My energy levels are definitely better, and while I'm not at 100%, I feel like I'm at a solid 85 or 90%.
For Spring Break, Mike and I went to Washington DC. I was very concerned when we scheduled the trip that I wouldn't be able to walk as much as necessary. After all, it was just this past August when I didn't have the leg strength to get up off the couch or step up on a curb. Weeks in the hospital had caused my muscles to atrophy, and it was a LONG and painful process to regain strength. However, in DC, we walked between 4 and 7 miles nearly every day! While, yes, we were tired at the end of the day, I was so proud of being able to actually walk that much. I still did dialysis every night in our hotel room, and although I was nervous about the whole travel scenario, it actually worked really well. I took my cycler on the airplane, and the crew was so accommodating. They allowed us to store it safely in the first class closet and gave us the opportunity to pre-board so we didn't feel rushed in the crowds. American Airlines waived the bag fee for my medical supplies, so I was able to take a suitcase for all of my tubing, drain bags, tapes, gauze, and cleansing solutions. Just those things took up a full-sized suitcase! The cycler has a nifty case that has a shoulder strap, but it is pretty heavy. Luckily, I have a sweet husband who carried the case around for me! The dialysis company sent my solution bags (6 boxes of 12 liters of fluid) directly to the time share a few days before we checked in, and when we arrived, the hotel staff had already placed the boxes in our room! It was such a huge relief! Mike and I were able to relax and plan our days' events around my treatment sessions. While traveling on dialysis - at least by airplane - definitely requires more preparation than just packing a bag and hopping on the plane, I was very relieved that the process went so smoothly. That is one of the biggest advantages to peritoneal dialysis. While I could have traveled on hemodialysis, that would have involved me finding a local clinic and spending several hours of several days of our valuable vacation time sitting in a clinic. No fun!
So after Spring Break, things have gotten very hectic at school. I have to remind myself that this is just the spring rush, and that it's a short sprint to the end. The stretch between Spring Break and exams is a mad dash of frenetic craziness. We all just hold on and try to survive! I'm hoping to teach summer school this summer, enjoying the ability to actually function and not spend months in a hospital bed!
This weekend is a long weekend because of Good Friday and Easter. I set up a big test tomorrow at the dialysis center called a PET test. It will measure how quickly my peritoneum absorbs the dialysate fluid, so I should have a very accurate count of how many calories I absorb during therapy, among other things. Once I get that number, I plan on visiting with the team at UTSW to begin the medical weight loss plan. My doctors have told me to hold off on that until this test was completed. Since my weight loss has stalled, and I've plateaued, I'm looking forward to this option. I'm at the "git 'er dun" point where I'm happy to drink tasteless shakes three times a day if it will help me get a transplant.
After the test, I'm looking forward to relaxing some this weekend after some marathon grading. I'm hoping that getting a few things checked off of my to-do list will help me feel less anxious. On Saturday, we are having a family dinner, which will be a good opportunity to reconnect with everyone. It's pretty sad that my brother and I teach in the same school, yet we hardly see each other. My niece even goes to the same school, and I rarely see her! My parents live just 15 minutes away, but we'll go weeks without seeing them! How quickly we forget the importance of family and savoring the little moments.
I'll try to be better about keeping up with everyone and checking in regularly. Thankfully, in this instance, no news has been good news! I've just been plodding along, adjusting to my new life on dialysis and trying to regain normalcy. We so appreciate all of your love and support. While I still have a long journey ahead, I'm so happy to be in a place of stability for a while!
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