August 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 2023
14
Since July 26, 2023, I have written in my diary at Dear Diary. I have been dealing with some changes in my life that have been hard to accept. I have been home since November 14, 2022, after my second stay in a nursing home. My experience at St. Elizabeth’s Nursing Home in Janesville was horrible. The care there was low and not inviting, even though the nurses and staff were good people.
15
When I come to the need to get to where I am today, I want to give credit to my caregivers, Julie M and Jackie P. This is the only time I will use their names. They are known as JM and JP, DH. DH is Deb H. Since I have been home, I have had a CP specialist and an orthopedist through the UW Hospital and Clinics. I had to get a new brace because my CP (cerebral palsy) has changed in the past year. As the months move on, I will get a new walker. The walker I have now is good, but I need a walker that is a little higher and has bigger wheels. My walker is low, and it is hard for me to get up and out of the walker. In the meantime, I must wait, which is hard to do now. My next Botox appointment is on September 5, 2023.
16
I will be brutally honest with you. Until a few days ago, I was not accepting my disability aging. I have lost my ability to walk because of Covid, a hematoma, and a blood infection in my dialysis catheter. The Covid and hematoma weakened my body to the point that I have been having physical therapy to strengthen my muscles and train my brain to walk again. I am still doing physical therapy three times a week on dialysis days. It works for me very well—on good days and not-so-good days. Yes, I do have some bad days. And recently, I have had some bad days.
There is a lot going on in my life these days. I have been going to therapy three times a week, dialysis on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays by 11:45 AM. My ride, You Buy We Fly (YBWF) has me going in every direction these days. Today they were at my place by 9:50 AM! They seem to be coming early and earlier as the weeks grow into months as if they are making up rules along the way. I am glad that I was in my power chair and finished my breakfast eaten. I was ready to go downstairs.
It is 9:38 AM and I am waiting for my therapist of the day DD (F) to take me to the therapy room. Why not write while I wait for DD.
It is now 10:52 AM. I am waiting in the lobby of the dialysis clinic for my turn on the dialysis machine. I am being moved from the first pod to the fifth pod. There are twenty-two chairs in one large room and two rooms for patients that are unable to be around other patients because they are sick with something contagious.
Dialysis Went Well Today
I am impressed on how dialysis went today. I am no longer sitting in Chair 2, Pod 1 anymore. One of the nurses decided to move me to another chair and pod today for good. At first, I was not impressed with the idea, but as the time moved forward with my BP not being 179/100 range it has been in the past three weeks, the nurses and technicians will keep on checking my BP to improve to give Dr. A anupdate on my BP in case he needs to modify any of my BP meds in the near future.
I will no longer be in chair 2, Pod 1 at dialysis. I will be in Chair 18, Pod 5. With the new clinic there are 22 chairs. 20 chairs on the floor and two rooms that patients can use if they have illnesses that are contagious but can still come to the clinic. I believe the rooms will be rarely used. Many patients end up in the hospital when sick. I should know because I was in the hospital twice last year for Covid, a hematoma, and blood infection. We will see what the future holds one day at a time.
17
From now on, I will be taking it one day at a time do I do not get stressed out about things. With my BP running normal while at dialysis yesterday, I am hoping it runs well tomorrow. I really like—love my Chair 18, Pod 5 spot. I am away from the nurses and technicians who are at the purses’ station in the front of the clinic floor. Chair 18, Pod 1 is the third to the lasr chair in Pod 5 of 20 chairs on the clinic floor. The area was quieter, and I had less stimulation around me that gets my body anxious these days. With the new clinic, machines, space, one extra pod, the clinic is bigger than the ‘now older’ clinic, Chair 18, Pod 5 is the best place for me. When the nurses and technicians are chatty, my anxiety goes up. We shall see what happens tomorrow at treatment. I can only pray and hope.
Today, for a non-dialysis day, I sat in my lift chair, recliner from DH came from 8:10 AM to 10:15 AM. JP arrived at 12:20 PM. I got from recliner to my power chair, and we went to get a bite to eat at the Looking Glass bar down the street, went to look at something on the river, then went to my 2 PM appointment so I could get my nails done after waiting for the past year and a half.
18
Today is my last PT appointment and dialysis treatment of the week. It is after 7 AM and I will have JP coming at 8 AM. Mykolaiv had to talk to them about being so early to where I need to be rushed. I will give them a second chance before calling Veyo to find me a different ride. I cannot be rushed. We are not sure if my blood pressure is high for a reason or it is because I am anxious and upset. The dialysis team needs to monitor it in order to pass the information to Dr. A, and have to do to something about it. In the meantime, I will do my best to go with the flow of life today. The weekend will be here when I leave the clinic at 3 PM. This coming weekend, although doing nothing, I am looking forward to the weekend coming forth. Woo hoo!
