Acceptance of doing nothing. An Update

[Ladybug_05]

Hello all! I'm excited to announce that I'm finally healthy enough to go back to school! I was accepted to an online program starting this summer as well! It is a very exciting time despite how rough this transition through dialysis has been.

I started having some serious abdominal pain that has been very disruptive to my life, but I'm hoping that keeping a steady dialysis treatment and some tests can figure out what's going on. Thankfully my dialysis hasn't been affected, so I'm keeping positive thoughts on that.

My blood pressure has also been chronically high, so I started back on my Losartan, which has helped tremendously to lower my blood pressure. However, my potassium has been on the lower side of normal (3.5-3.6) and I've found that if I have an active day, I'm washed out and stuck in bed for 2-3 days following. My dialysis nurse, the nutritionist and I are working on ways to boost my potassium as well.

On the transpant front, I've had 2 donors already denied due to medical issues present that make it too high risk for them to donate. I have another donor being screened at the moment I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it works out.

I will admit that with some of the good things in my life, there are plenty of challenges and I'm sometimes left wondering why I bother continuing treatment or looking for another living donor. It's a very emotional ride and no amount of counseling could have prepared me for the sheer amount of mental and emotional baggage that this transition back into what can be considered my new normal has given me. I'm a lot slower than I was mentally, which is the most frustrating part. I just keep the slogan "just keep swimming" running through my head. My mom also reminds me that when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade.

I am still making lemonade with the bazillion lemons that life dumped on me. I'm slowly pushing through finishing my incompletes so I can be free to either get a transplant in the summer, or go back to school. I'm also juggling the medical stuff that goes along with dialysis, but overall I'm in a very positive point in my life and everything is very manageable.

I would love to see other people's experiences with kidney disease/failure and how you all are doing! Hope everyone is well and thank you for reading my post

[Bet117 NKF Ambassador]

Hi Ladybug,

Great news that you are able to go back to school and enjoy the process of learning and interacting with new people!

I feel that your courage, attitude and fortitude are not only an inspiration to the members of this community but also all people who are dealing with varied chronic illnesses or worse.

The important thing is to say strong, deal with each bump in the road as it comes and to FIGHT! You are alive and have so much to offer!

Just your words here will help so many.

Your medical team will deal with the BP and nutritional annoyances. As long as they ate on top of it as are you, it will be resolved.

As far as the donor, keep trying as you never know what is around the corner!

Sending you hugs and healing thoughts!

Please let me know how you are doing! I care!

Positive Mental Attitude

( PMA)

Bet

👍

[Zazzel]

Thank you for sharing your good news about going back to school. You certainly are an inspiration! I will keep you in my prayers that you will find a donor soon. Keep making that lemonade! xo

[Hidden]

Have you considered setting up a lemonade stand? Seriously, that is very good news. Stick to it. What are you majoring in? I'm assuming you went back to college, but that may be a false assumption.

[Ladybug_05 in reply to Hidden]

I am going back to school! I had to take a few months off to start my dialysis but if my transplant donor doesn't work out I start back up in the summer. I was an education major with a biology focus, but I transferred and am now a Fish and Wildlife Science major!

[Hidden in reply to Ladybug_05]

Good luck in your new field. I asked because I'm a retired Special Ed teacher and was curious since you brought it up. I taught all subjects to my students, English, Math, Science and History.

[Ladybug_05 in reply to Hidden]

That's awesome! I wanted to go into teaching, but decided that with the eventuality of immunosuppressents that it wasn't a good idea. I'm hoping to work as a ranger or wildlife biologist.

[Sulyn]

I understand your story.

My husband of almost 50 years has known of has kidney glomerulus since 1969 thru an employment physical. He has learned it is best to take each day ,day by day ,in order to not get overwhelmed or become a negative person.

He has tried to be as healthy as possible in order to be eligible for a kidney transplant. This has been to exercise, eat healthy food, get 7-8 hours sleep and get the best medical care as possible. Family support has led to our son giving my husband a kidney in 1997 and my donating my kidney in 2011. It has been very important for him, just like everyone, to learn that life has it's ups and downs and it is best to go with the flow- take the difficult times as they happen and enjoy the good moments as it seems you are doing.

Best of luck,