. . . and my arm is ok to be stuck ... so, Monday we make that attempt once again. I want it to work well NOW ... we’ll stick it for a few weeks and THEN get the catheter taken out. YEAAAA ... shower time here I come!! Actually, I’m headed to take a shower Sunday evening —> it will be nice not to have to plan showers.

Dialysis usually stays pretty much the same ... and I’m grateful for that ... as we all are!!!

So, any questions? ... any statements?

Good Morning
Mandala

. . . two days off dialysis ... I’m gonna help get a friend’s resume done. And, hopefully, I’ll get a bit of my art work done ... done, as in finished!!! or, actually, started AND finished!!!

I’m working on, in my head, where to put things when I move. It’s in November (the move) ... finally ... but, it’ll be a good deal, 2BR, a great porch, and, of course, wheelchair accessible.

I’m on a Patient Advisory Committee which is part of the Mid-Atlantic Renal Coalition representing VA ... there are others from MD, WV, and DC ... we meet twice a year and have two conference calls per year ... we meet in Tyson’s Corner in the Washington D.C. area. So far, I’ve been on the committee for four years and I’m beginning to think that they are spending too much money to get me there and we’re not accomplishing all that much ... I also think the committee should go to different dialysis clinics for each meeting so we can see the differences in clinics. The clinic that I have always gone to is considered one of the best so there are things that I don’t know about that other patients have to live with.

The Mid-Atlantic Renal Coalition is number 5 in the eighteen that represent the USA. In the early 1970s the nephrology doctors lobbied Congress for the dialysis expenses to be covered by Medicare which now pays 80% of the costs and in VA, Medicaid covers the remaining 20% ... Medicare covers doctors, dialysis(which now is costing from $16,000 to $20-some thousand a month which also includes some drugs given via the dialysis machine), and now part D pays for the drugs (my expenses so far have been from $34 to $56 which have covered <$1,100 of actual costs).

I’m looking for any input about meetings that might come to your mind. We are more of a marketing research group that anything else.

This is one of three blogs of which I am the author. The first one is “title? huumm?!!.” The second is this one and the third is QUESTIONS about older TV. In the process of thinking about what I’m doing, I think that because my life centers around being on dialysis, that I’m going to drop doing the “title?” and all “life” thoughts will also be part of this blog.

WELL!!! Hasn’t this been a barrel full!!!?

any questions?
any statements?

thank you
Mandala

Yep, I sure am!!!

And then, there’s dialysis!!! I had that surgery on my upper R arm and it is still swollen . . . now, it’s a knot about the size of a tea cup ... it finally went down enough that I can now wipe my own butt!!! I need to see the surgeon ... but, it doesn’t look like it is ready to be used.

Remember a while back I said something about my teeth breaking off at the gum line and how much I didn’t like it (actually, hated it!!!)? Well, Tuesday I went to our Free Clinic, had a panaramic done and, because I still have to pay for the teeth, about $1000, I’m choosing not to have the work done. I’ll just have to hate it for the rest of my years ... I have other things I want to do for a thousand bucks.

I have had four aunts and uncles that were/are deaf. Two have died through the years ... the other two (86 & 82 and married to each other) travel a lot and they came to see me while I was on dialysis on Monday. I love to see them .

The last time they were here he remarked to me “to keep moving.” The comment wasn’t made to me so much as just in general. But, I can see how they have lived that: go rake the leaves, go mow the yard, go get the dishes washed, go wash the car, go, go, go, just go get it done ... they built a new house about five - six years ago .... boy, was I impressed. He was my mother’s brother and they grew up on a farm and they (two of eight) did NOT stop

Dialysis is still the same!!!

any questions?
any statements?

thank you
Mandala

well, first, (or, maybe that’s second?) oh, yeah ... my computer died a slow and painful death ;( actually, not the computer itself, but the system in it . . . so, then,

last Thursday (8.31) I had surgery on this ever failing arm . . . I have had six graphs put in through the years and I don’t remember ANY of them being as hard to put up with as this one has been.

So, last night, this gentleman I know came and put in a new system!!!!

Dialysis is still the same!!!

Thanks for your interest ... A and L ... I’ll get to you as soon as I can....

thank you
Mandala