06 November 2013

A difficult week since last Wednesday.

Here are my dialysis numbers...

29 Oct 13
Starting Weight:  106.8 Kg
Ending Weight:  104.0 Kg
Water Removed:  2.80 kg

31 Oct 13
Starting Weight:  106.4 Kg
Ending Weight:  103.9 Kg
Water Removed:  2.50 Kg

02 Nov 13
Starting Weight:  106.3 Kg
Ending Weight:  103.9 Kg
Water Removed:  2.40 Kg

05 Nov 13
Starting Weight:  106.0 Kg
Ending Weight:  104.1 Kg
Water Removed:  1.90 Kg

Weight-wise I am continuing to do great! I have no concerns here, at this time; although, once my kidneys are out, I'm sure this will change. I'll have lots of learning and adjusting to do once more. I'll write it all down for you, though. :o)

What's made the past week rough is two-fold.

First, on Saturday--at dialysis--my proximal button hole (closest to my heart) was extremely resistant to venipuncture. Three techs and one nurse couldn't get the stick. After consulting with me, it was decided to try a Sharps needle and bypass the button hole. Well, they got the stick...but then it infiltrated into the surrounding tissue, causing a good amount of fluid to leak into the tissue, creating a really nice, prominent hematoma directly underneath the button hole.
Well, the Sharps needle was removed and the button hole was attempted once more. And then...Voilà! The venipuncture went right in! Unbelievable!
In total, it took thirty minutes to get that top button hole stick. The techs were gob smacked as to why the original stick wouldn't go in, but the later one did. There really isn't any explaining it; it's just what happened. I certainly wasn't upset because it was my vein that was causing the problem. I just made sure to have lidocane injections at the site as they concurrently wore off, and my arm was becoming more and more painful from all the fishing around.

So, I had an ice pack on that hematoma for the duration of the Tx; which, by the way, progressed uneventfully. Later that evening, as I was taking off the bandages, the top site--where the hematoma was--bled profusely. I immediately applied pressure, got a clean 4x4 and medical tape and applied the bandage as rapidly as I could get it on.
I ended up leaving the bandage on until Sunday afternoon; just to be sure.

So, all weekend, I had the pain of an evolving hematoma getting worse and worse on top of feeling completely drained of energy, and my kidneys causing extensive and increased bilateral flank pain. About the only thing that wasn't adding to all of this was the headache. It was staying fairly consistent and decreased...thank goodness!

As far as the lack of energy, it was the worst stretch of days that I can remember. It is so difficult to accurately describe what being completely drained of energy feels like. You have no oomph to get anything done, you don't want to shower (which, I did do), you don't want to eat (I didn't, all day), you're just sort of there. Not much conversation, you don't enjoy anything on tv--you just watch to pass the time. Does that help? It's how I felt all day Sunday. It wasn't a fun day.
Monday was better. I got some housework done, did the cooking and a few other small things. At least I wasn't having a miserable day again.

Like I said, the bilateral flank pain was terrible over the weekend, too. Even sitting in my big, comfy recliner did absolutely nothing in helping to alleviate the pain. The T3's I took didn't touch the pain. I was constantly shifting positions all day; constantly fidgeting in an attempt to distract my brain from the terrible pain. The same pain level continued Monday, and is still present as I write this entry. It is unequivocally time to get those cyst-filled/covered kidneys out. Who knows what all that cystic fluid is doing to my body? Whatever effects that gunk is having throughout my body, it certainly can't be good!

The good news in all of this is that I ate again on Monday, once my energy had risen a bit.  Keeping food down is not a problem.

I don't know if the sudden increase in symptomology is the result of my knowing the surgery is coming up and I can therefore let down a bit, or if the increase of pain and other symptoms is actual and merely coincidental to the news of the impending surgery. In either case, the symptomology is happening. I am just concentrating on the fact that in [now] eight days, my kidneys will be out and I'll be comfortable once again, and my energy will likely rise. That thought is what is helping me most, right now.

At yesterday's dialysis I went without the lidocane cream, opting instead to do lidocane injections due to the hematoma surrounding the fistula. Even with the injection, the sticks were both painful. During Tx the proximal needle was having pressure issues and the needle had to be manipulated. Every movement of that needle cause increasing pain because of that injured tissue. It was NOT a fun experience! I also kept an ice pack on the hematoma once again.
With what has been progressively happening with the proximal button hole, we'll likely try to establish a new site. However, with my surgery right around the corner, I'm going to hold off on that until sometime after I'm home from the hospital.

So, there you are...now you understand why this past week has been so trying.

Everything else is going OK. The headache is down a bit, not too intense. My appetite (aside from Sunday) is decent. My R jaw continues to improve since the dental work, causing less and less pain. I haven't had any diarrhea in weeks. My dreams are good and in my complete control. And I am excited about my future! So really, overall, things are going pretty well, I suppose. Things are finally getting towards Transplant, and my future is opening up before me once more.

Anyhow, I think I've gone over everything. This entry was definitely both for everyone else, and for me, as well. Thanks for listening...

I will make at least one more entry before the Nephrectomy. Once I go into the hospital, it will likely be at least a week--possibly two, or longer--before I write another entry to talk about the surgery.

So, until next week...

Good Health to All!

ScottW