As the Walrus said. It would seem we've put it off as long as we can and then some. With my kidney function down around 8 or 9 percent it's a bit of a wonder I haven't been readied for dialysis before now. But now it's happening, and I'm glad I made it to Georgia for it to happen.
I happened upon a doctor who seems really good. She is bright, quick, straight forward, and concerned. I think she's a bit alarmed that I've gone this far unattended for all intents and purposes by an involved nephrologist. But now she's involved, and moving forward. I think she could sell snow to Eskimos with her gentle and kindly approach to getting you to do what she thinks needs doing. But I like her and she does listen and takes action. She promptly sent me off to a Vascular surgeon to set up getting my dialysis access installed. She's doubled my Epo and has made it clear that dialysis is just around the corner in a month or two unless I back off to better labs once settled in the new house.
So the dialysis access is next on the list. On June 1 a Vascular Surgeon will make a little hole in my right arm just above the elbow and attach an artery to a vein in hopes of pumping in enough pressure to stretch the vain and make it big enough for the two dialysis nails - ur um, needles to be placed there. Now if the lack of this blood supply to my hand is too painful or too disabling, I guess they'll give up on that option. I've only got one choice for where to put it because I've got tiny little veins - yeah right, why couldn't it have been my hips. If this process, making what's called a Fistula, doesn't work, they'll put in a graft in the lower right arm. This isn't as good because it doesn't heal between stabs and eventually becomes a soaker hose and has to be replaced. So everyone think Fistula, thank you.
Am I scared? Heck yeah. If I've gotta work all this hard to stay alive, I do want it all to work well. There are endless horror stories about how bad it can be. But there are a lot of stories about how well it can work, too. So I'll just hold onto the hope of good progress and carry on glad I'm in Georgia and not in Port Angeles at this medical moment.
Kathy Seven Williams
"Georgia On My Mind"
