Thursday, April 19, 2012

Hi all, today was my monthly visit with my neph. The time for the session was 11:20 AM, but when we arrived, which was fifteen minutes early, i guess they were running behind. I was used to my visit being at 1:00 PM, prior to my return to hemo for six months, last year, and of course, i was a little pissed, when the PD nurse, gives me the schedule, and i see that it is an earlier time. Well, i wasn't too pissed, because now that my favorite soaps have been cancelled, I have no problem getting ready for my monthly visit with my neph at 11:20 AM. Well, finally at 11:40 AM, i was called in. I did the usual, you know weigh myself and of course the result 46.7kg, which about 103 lbs., and I am aware that i need to try my best to gain more weight, to get back on track to my targeted - 50kg, and i know it is going to take some time, to build all these calories with my renal diet. Now on to my b/p readings, it was very normal readings. I was then given my monthly laboratory report, everything was in normal range, itself for the albumin (protein) and PTH levels. My neph promptly began to discuss my albumin levels - and i responded with, i have tried so many protein products, but the one thing that i have discovered is, protein doesn't have a pleasant taste - i have tried snicker protein bars - which gives me 16 grams of protein and also those milky boost drinks. I then ask my neph, all these years have passed, and why don't they have protein in a pill form, and the way i said it, i guess it was funny to him, because he just laughed and said i really don't know why, maybe that should be something that should be addressed by the varies companies that produce protein products of such, and i just looked at him, but i was thinking to myself, that maybe i would go on the internet, and google some companies, to find out their opinion on this protein issue. Usually, i would get more of my protein intake from these fruit protein drinks called resource, but you can only purchase them from an outside distributor and the one that i deal with, they have went up on the protein drinks, so i had to result to purchasing a protein drink from places like walmart and walgreens, but of course, it is an acquired taste, i really don't like these drinks, those resource drinks are more pleasant tasting, especially when they are ice cold. Enough about that, oh well i will continue to have my challenges with my low protein levels, but i will just chuck it up, and just drink or eat this protein as much as my stomach will allow, and i hope i don't throw it up, because of the taste (lol). Now, my PTH is very low at 88 - the normal range is 150 to 300. It was discovered that i was taking way too much vitamin D, and the twisted thing is that i was only taking it MWF, go figure! my neph is very baffled, how the vitamin D works in my body, so he changed my prescription to only taking it twice a week - Monday and Friday, to see how my PTH levels are doing. My neph did request that a PTH be drawn today, and of course, i wasn't prepared for a blood draw, however, i thought i was going to have an EPO (epogen) shot, but i was told by the PD nurse, that my iron and iron stores are very good and high, and that my EPO has been put on hold, and that is a good thing, because i truly depised these needle sticks. My lungs were then checked, and there is still some diminish on the left side, but the right side is more severely diminished, and i told him, i am scheduled to have a chest x-ray next week, and that will indicate, if i need to have that procedure done again to remove fluid from my right side, because they can only do one lung at a time, i had the left lung done in October of last year, during my six month hemo saga - (i shared this in a previous blog, somewhere around October) It was a very warm day, one of the warmest days in awhile, so I couldn't wait to get out of the unit, and on to enjoy my productive day. I feel so much better when the weather is warm, and i don't need a coat or a jacket. I even wore my sandals and a nice cool shirt with capris. I don't know about other dialysis pts, but it feel so much better healthwise, when the weather is warm and your cooling in your sunglasses and just simply enjoying all the sunshine. Well that is it for now, i hope you guys have a wonderful, enjoyable and relaxing weekend. Until next blog, stay compliant with your renal diet and medication regimen. take care and all the best to you
Glo