Chinese New Year Good Time to Clean up your Chi

►gōng xǐ fā cái

恭喜发财

Congratulations and Prosperity

Things are moving along very well in this new year of the Rabbit. I had enough energy yesterday to run with the dogs in the knee deep snow in the field, use the snow blower and walk in the park with the doggies in the afternoon. I can hardly believe it....I did screw up, though I learned a lot.....Here's the answer to what I ate when I finally got really hungry....those of you who know me will pass out....Chicken Shack...OMG I never eat that stuff but Holy God I wanted it.......baaaaaaaaaaaaaad. Too much sodium...didn't drain well felt like one of those balloons that float in the air at the Thanksgiving Day Parade in Detroit.....probably Chilli Willi the penguin. Renal Patients pay attention...on PD these things can be fixed very quickly, the main thing is to learn from your mistakes.....However I really hadn't eaten much in a year so just this once I said what the Hell.....now its over I won't want it again...trust me....If you only cheat once a season and it doesn't involve alcohol or drugs and it isn't something you would see those people on the TLC Large programs doing or the ones where they have to cut people out of the house you will be fine. With Peritoneal Dialysis you have three different solutions 1.5%. 2.5% and 4.25%. The % indicates the amount of dextrose. This solution is called dialysate. The higher the dextrose the more fluid pulled out of your body. Each equally pulls the same toxins out. I don't retain fluid therefore I use 1.5% for all exchanges....except this a.m...I used 2.5% because that crazy Chicken was way toooo high in salt for me. I will only use it once and then be fine...Hey that is why Barb trained me so well. However I am ...as usual....trying to be the perfect patient to get the most stars on the board at the Dialysis Center in Beaumont Troy so no more of this crap....Another thing PD patients deal with after a while is slow drainage.....Things get gummed up especially by your catheter. You are given Heparin vials and needles and dogs....oh my...I mean Betadine hehehehe. and you can put a shot of Heparin in your dialysate before you gas and go. Some people do it once a month others longer. I did it today because I was draining slow but that was probably due to the evil Chicken...however I wanted to make sure I remembered how I was supposed to do it......

I know this must sound like alot of stuff but it isn't really. I love being able to be in control of my toxicity. I know I am making myself better every day....if I feel a little off I can look at my log and figure out what I need or call Barb or Jill and they fix me right up. Except for my new crazy little umbilical cord I am feeling more and more normal everyday......Now I am thinking these guys should design designer Peritoneal Catheters....I am thinking colors, maybe some sparkles, cause ones etc..then I would wear my two piece bathing suits again. Ewwww NOT.

So lets talk about social life and friends after you start on whatever dialysis you choose....face it some people are going to avoid you like the plague. People who may have been lifelong friends closer than a sibling....There are several reasons for this and you MUST take it in stride because other amazing things will happen to you so long as you...what?????  reach out...don't turn in....remember my sickies this is vital for a positive lifestyle for everyone but especially for us. The pity train tends to pass by us frequently...it is evil and can hurt your health both physical and mental...As people who have had life threatening problems for years we tend to blame ourselves for many things that go wrong....in fact most things...why that is I am sure is different for everyone but you all know it is true. It is so wrong...even if your organ failure is due to alcohol abuse, drug use or obesity whatever......you are not responsible for all the failures in the world....including relationships and friendships that tank. If you have cleaned up your act...that in itself is a major accomplishment....now is your chance to start anew..i.e. Chinese New Year....today. I was raised by a depressive alcoholic with a heart of gold...So I know how many of you think...... yes all of us will have friends back off no matter how we got where we are but it is not you who are lacking....and as my mom used to say about the guys I dated (Whoa a whole lot of rotten ass frogs to get the prince let me tell you) "there are a million fish in the sea better than someone who would treat you like that". Let me just say she was so very very right and they just start falling out of the sky when you reach out with your illness. I mean amazing life lifting people who offer you organs, middle of the night support and that kind of friendship where you don't even have to say anything. Geez I even have a whole cheer leading team at my beloved Vet's..Auburn Animal Hospital...they are family for sure.

Okay the big question you will ask yourself is why did this person or persons choose now to cut you??? I have given this alot of thought since it happened to me and I have to admit you must really examine the friendship before the BIG ANNOUNCEMENT...and no I don't mean Obama running for president...for me it was being put on the organ transplant list and.....hubby losing his job. I am going to be nice and think it had nothing to do with not being able to hang with us and hubby's prestigious job....I believe for most people it has two reasons.....first look at the dynamics of your friendship...were you always the one who was the supporter...doing things above and beyond???? I was, my hubby always told me ..but you gals know how we love to hear that...Scott sit down...he was so very right and insightful....damn he got me. We chronically ill are like that. We have MAJOR empathy for people because we know all the troubled roads  there are in life and want to try and prevent others from traveling them.....so long as we what???.....keeping reaching out not turning in. The second and probably most common problem is you are bringing to light their mortality.....if you can die so can they YIKKKKKES!!!!!! they look like the Road Runner cruising off into the sunset and we are like Huh???? We are so used to that idea after a while it is a non issue..everyone is dieing from the minute they are born get over it and live on. I haven't been asked how I am in over a year and a half and seldom have even heard anything except when she needed something....because talking to me is.....scary and as these friends age they do become different....they turn into themselves. Not everyone is cut out to maintain a friendship when reality sets in. Especially if everything is all about them. So what do you do????? Move on. You don't need to have any deep discussions...it is what it is and no loss. BECAUSE if you look around all these amazing people start raining down on you like cats and dogs and then take a look at yourself and realize you do not and cannot live around negative people with unhealthy lifestyles.....There are a gazillion people out there who want to help you whether it is make you laugh everyday, keep conversations going on political and current affairs...because they see you as a vibrant live person, go and do fun things like walk therapy and don;t mind if you have good and bad days......Do not let waning old friendships get in your way as you create a positive lifestyle...snakes shed their skin to look more beautiful you have to move on to a world of positivity...can't drag the old stuff with you........also keep a bunch of younger people in your positivity  crew. They really keep you up to date and are amazingly positive people....just don't be an old fart and be judgemental.....I love sharing stories with them and I know many of them will be docs in the future and maybe they will look at their patients differently from knowing me.
Okay gotta get back to real life...more technical stuff to come and ideas for making life a ton of fun!!!Plus eventually my take on raising children when you have a chronic illness.....

Till I Blog Again......that sounds like something Roy Rogers would say....and to those of you who just said...Who??? GOOGLE it kid

Bonnie♥