Last night, while Aaron and I were watching a movie on my laptop, the radio came on several times of its own accord. Each time Aaron turned the radio off, only to have it turn on again.
"Maybe it's Grandma," I said to him, then to the empty air, "Is that you, Mom? What would you like to tell us?"
No response. Hmmmmm....
Saturday, February 27, 2010
One More Hoop to Jump Through
Yesterday I underwent the echocardiogram that is to decide my fate. The technician would not tell me anything, saying I had to wait to see the cardiologist on Monday. Whether I get on the kidney transplant wait list depends on the results of this test. I know that I did well because I've been doing so well at cardiac rehab. Thirty-five minutes on the treadmill at a 3.5 percent elevation and 3.8 mph. Then I lift weights and ride the stationary bike.
My appointment with my Kaiser cardiologist, Dr. Phan, is 1 p.m. Monday. He has to write a letter approving me for the list. Then on Tuesday at 9:20 a.m., I see the UCLA cardiologist, Dr. Le, who must also approve me.
The next step is one I had not realized was necessary until I spoke with Angie, the assistant transplant coordinator, late last week. She said my initial round of appointments with UCLA had been consultations only. In order to get on the list, I first must be approved by the Kaiser transplant board, which meets this coming Friday. Ugh! One more step in this protracted, Kafkaesque process!
Once I get the go-ahead from the Kaiser board, then Angie can make an appointment for me to see the UCLA transplant surgeon. If he's OK with me, then my case goes before the UCLA transplant team, which has the final say.
So, there are still a minimum of six steps left:
* Dr. Phan's OK
* Dr. Le's OK
* Kaiser board's OK
* Angie securing an appt. with the surgeon
* surgeon's OK
* UCLA transplant team's OK
In my worst moments, this entire business reminds me of Kafka's "The Trial," in which a poor soul tries to find his way through a system that is mysterious, frustrating, and forever putting more obstacles in his path.
But for the most part, I realize that this, too, will pass. Once I get through this, it will be over, and I will no longer think about it. Of course, the end is really the beginning. Once I am on the list, the search for the right donor begins.
So, once again, I ask anyone who is of O blood type to please consider giving me the gift of life.
And even if you are of another blood type or if you are not interested in becoming a living donor, please register to donate your organs upon your death. According to a spokesperson I interviewed at Donate Life California, only 6 million California drivers are designated organ donors out of a total of 27 million drivers. That's shameful! It's so easy: Just go to the web site and register today. You can even designate a recipient if you wish. (If you don't, your organs, if usable, go to the patients at the top of the wait list.) If you live outside of California, your state has a similar web site. If you just have the pink donor sticker on your driver's license, you are NOT registered, so please take a minute and do so.
Aren't a few clicks on your keyboard worth saving eight lives?
My appointment with my Kaiser cardiologist, Dr. Phan, is 1 p.m. Monday. He has to write a letter approving me for the list. Then on Tuesday at 9:20 a.m., I see the UCLA cardiologist, Dr. Le, who must also approve me.
The next step is one I had not realized was necessary until I spoke with Angie, the assistant transplant coordinator, late last week. She said my initial round of appointments with UCLA had been consultations only. In order to get on the list, I first must be approved by the Kaiser transplant board, which meets this coming Friday. Ugh! One more step in this protracted, Kafkaesque process!
Once I get the go-ahead from the Kaiser board, then Angie can make an appointment for me to see the UCLA transplant surgeon. If he's OK with me, then my case goes before the UCLA transplant team, which has the final say.
So, there are still a minimum of six steps left:
* Dr. Phan's OK
* Dr. Le's OK
* Kaiser board's OK
* Angie securing an appt. with the surgeon
* surgeon's OK
* UCLA transplant team's OK
In my worst moments, this entire business reminds me of Kafka's "The Trial," in which a poor soul tries to find his way through a system that is mysterious, frustrating, and forever putting more obstacles in his path.
But for the most part, I realize that this, too, will pass. Once I get through this, it will be over, and I will no longer think about it. Of course, the end is really the beginning. Once I am on the list, the search for the right donor begins.
So, once again, I ask anyone who is of O blood type to please consider giving me the gift of life.
And even if you are of another blood type or if you are not interested in becoming a living donor, please register to donate your organs upon your death. According to a spokesperson I interviewed at Donate Life California, only 6 million California drivers are designated organ donors out of a total of 27 million drivers. That's shameful! It's so easy: Just go to the web site and register today. You can even designate a recipient if you wish. (If you don't, your organs, if usable, go to the patients at the top of the wait list.) If you live outside of California, your state has a similar web site. If you just have the pink donor sticker on your driver's license, you are NOT registered, so please take a minute and do so.
Aren't a few clicks on your keyboard worth saving eight lives?
Thursday, February 25, 2010
A Week of Friends
This week has been richly blessed with friends. Usually I do not see a one friend all week, sometimes not for weeks on end. But this past week, I had more events and more invitations than I could accept.
It all began last Friday with Othman. He and I attended a rally at Wilson High School. More than 2,000 people, mostly students, served as a counter-protest to a half dozen "Christians" from Kansas. The notable signs on the "Christian" side were "God Hates Fags" and "You Eat Your Babies." The funniest signs of the students were "Jesus Had 2 Dads," "Dog Hates Flags," and "If God Hates Us, Why Are We So Cute?" Ozzie and I both felt that it was a good exercise in free speech and the right to assemble for the kids, but that we didn't want them to think that just because they outnumbered the Christians that their point of view was necessarily right because there will be a lot of times in their lives when the majority is not in the right. Ozzie and I manuevered so that we could ask one of the Christians a few questions. She was extremely angry at first, but we remained calm and told her we did not wish to anger her, only hear her point of view. I said later that I was not very happy with how most people had treated these Christians, like wild dogs that they were poking, tormenting, with sticks. Other people would just rush up to them and begin shouting at them, not listening to what they had to say. Ozzie and I really wanted to hear her, though she called me a slut from the get-go and said other very un-Christian-like things. I calmly told her that I really wanted to understand the connection that she saw between Jews and homosexuality. She referred to some passage in the Bible that I had never heard of in which Jesus is surrounded by wild dogs and that the dogs are obviously Jews and homosexuals. I didn't argue with her, just listened. Ozzie asked if she was there to save souls. She said no, that the people here were already damned, she was just there to let them know God had already judged them.
Just before Ozzie picked me up for the rally, Heather called. She was in town, visiting her mom, and said she would be in my area in the next few minutes, could I meet her. I had not known she was around. Otherwise, I would have set some time aside for her.
On Saturday Bev and I were to attend a meeting about 2012, government spooky business, and everything in between. I had to cancel as I needed to take care of my plane tickets for LA to Halifax, where I am to fly to Paris in June with Helene.
Saturday night I was at Othman's birthday party. A good mix of people. Ozzie gets along with everyone, from an ex-Marine and an LAPD cop who works Skid Row to an aspiring CIA intelligence agent, activists, and school teachers.
On Sunday, Daphne was passing through the area so we met for tea. Daphne is such a wonderful gal. I met her about 10 years ago when I was working at UCI Medical Center. She's a web master.
Monday evening I met Kevin Malinowski, a former student, for dinner at Kamal Palace. Kevin is working for a PR firm whose clients are lawyers. He has aspirations to become a political advisor.
Tuesday was the knitting group, which I enjoy so much. I am learning so much from those ladies. Tuesday night I attended a writers networking meeting in LA with Tom.
Yesterday I saw Katherine for an hour-and-a-half facial. Last night I saw the Bolshoi Ballet perform "Don Quixote" at the OC Performing Arts Center. My friend Diana is cellist, and her siblings and their spouses play in orchestras, including the one that played at the ballet last night, so Diana got tickets. She and I have attended many gratis performances. It's been a long time since I've seen ballet, though I've seen a few modern dance productions in recent years. Last night was a real treat. Breathtaking.
This morning I met Jose for breakfast. He gave me a beautiful amber and silver bracelet as a belated Christmas gift. Tonight I'm meeting Terri, a man who I had completely forgotten. He says we met in November of 2007. He had wanted to call, but just recently came across my mislaid number. I am always open to strange meetings like this. We'll see.
It's been fantastic having a social life. I so enjoy this. Can't remember ever having a week like the one that's just passed. Maybe it's not an anomaly but the sign of things to come.
It all began last Friday with Othman. He and I attended a rally at Wilson High School. More than 2,000 people, mostly students, served as a counter-protest to a half dozen "Christians" from Kansas. The notable signs on the "Christian" side were "God Hates Fags" and "You Eat Your Babies." The funniest signs of the students were "Jesus Had 2 Dads," "Dog Hates Flags," and "If God Hates Us, Why Are We So Cute?" Ozzie and I both felt that it was a good exercise in free speech and the right to assemble for the kids, but that we didn't want them to think that just because they outnumbered the Christians that their point of view was necessarily right because there will be a lot of times in their lives when the majority is not in the right. Ozzie and I manuevered so that we could ask one of the Christians a few questions. She was extremely angry at first, but we remained calm and told her we did not wish to anger her, only hear her point of view. I said later that I was not very happy with how most people had treated these Christians, like wild dogs that they were poking, tormenting, with sticks. Other people would just rush up to them and begin shouting at them, not listening to what they had to say. Ozzie and I really wanted to hear her, though she called me a slut from the get-go and said other very un-Christian-like things. I calmly told her that I really wanted to understand the connection that she saw between Jews and homosexuality. She referred to some passage in the Bible that I had never heard of in which Jesus is surrounded by wild dogs and that the dogs are obviously Jews and homosexuals. I didn't argue with her, just listened. Ozzie asked if she was there to save souls. She said no, that the people here were already damned, she was just there to let them know God had already judged them.
Just before Ozzie picked me up for the rally, Heather called. She was in town, visiting her mom, and said she would be in my area in the next few minutes, could I meet her. I had not known she was around. Otherwise, I would have set some time aside for her.
On Saturday Bev and I were to attend a meeting about 2012, government spooky business, and everything in between. I had to cancel as I needed to take care of my plane tickets for LA to Halifax, where I am to fly to Paris in June with Helene.
Saturday night I was at Othman's birthday party. A good mix of people. Ozzie gets along with everyone, from an ex-Marine and an LAPD cop who works Skid Row to an aspiring CIA intelligence agent, activists, and school teachers.
On Sunday, Daphne was passing through the area so we met for tea. Daphne is such a wonderful gal. I met her about 10 years ago when I was working at UCI Medical Center. She's a web master.
Monday evening I met Kevin Malinowski, a former student, for dinner at Kamal Palace. Kevin is working for a PR firm whose clients are lawyers. He has aspirations to become a political advisor.
Tuesday was the knitting group, which I enjoy so much. I am learning so much from those ladies. Tuesday night I attended a writers networking meeting in LA with Tom.
Yesterday I saw Katherine for an hour-and-a-half facial. Last night I saw the Bolshoi Ballet perform "Don Quixote" at the OC Performing Arts Center. My friend Diana is cellist, and her siblings and their spouses play in orchestras, including the one that played at the ballet last night, so Diana got tickets. She and I have attended many gratis performances. It's been a long time since I've seen ballet, though I've seen a few modern dance productions in recent years. Last night was a real treat. Breathtaking.
This morning I met Jose for breakfast. He gave me a beautiful amber and silver bracelet as a belated Christmas gift. Tonight I'm meeting Terri, a man who I had completely forgotten. He says we met in November of 2007. He had wanted to call, but just recently came across my mislaid number. I am always open to strange meetings like this. We'll see.
It's been fantastic having a social life. I so enjoy this. Can't remember ever having a week like the one that's just passed. Maybe it's not an anomaly but the sign of things to come.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
The Ups and Downs of Kidney Transplantation
Yesterday, when Janet said she would be a donor despite the fact that her blood does not match mine, I was so happy. Janet's willingness to be a paired donor (she gives her kidney to a stranger who also has a mismatched donor, and I receive a kidney from the stranger's donor) gave me so much hope.
Later in the evening, however, I started to think about things a bit differently. O blood type is the universal donor: O can donate to O, A, B, or AB. But O can only receive blood from another O. A can receive from A or O. B can receive from B or O. AB is the universal recipient, as it can receive from A, B, AB, or O. So, basically, if Kidney Patient X has blood type A (Janet's an A) and has an O donor (I'm an O), X would take the kidney from the O donor. In short, X doesn't need me. I need X's donor, as I'm type O, but X doesn't need me. So, I couldn't see a reason why anyone would want to be a paired donor with an O. If an A, B, AB, or O kidney patient has an O donor, why not just use him or her? A trade isn't necessary. This realization certainly sobered my mood.
It just so happened that today I had my monthly dialysis clinic visit. I asked my nephrologist if there would be any reason why an A kidney patient with an O donor would agree to a trade. He said I was right, it's unlikely, but not impossible. The matter of antigens comes into play. Kidney transplantation looks at six antigens in the blood. When donor and recipient match in all six antigens, they're a perfect match. The more matches, the better the long-term viability of the transplanted kidney. But that has changed somewhat in recent years with improved immune suppressants. Even a zero match with a living donor has good prospects. (Actually, having a living donor, rather than a deceased donor, seems to be the biggest advantage in survivability of the recipient and viability of the kidney.) So, if Janet and the type A kidney patient were a six-point match, then there may be an incentive to do a trade. Otherwise, probably not. So, I left Dr. Butman's office a bit bummed.
Later in the afternoon I spoke with Angie, the assistant transplant coordinator. I asked her if Dr. Butman and I were correct in our concerns. She said yes, then added that Kaiser Downey's first paired donor surgery had occurred today at UCLA. I asked about the pairing. She checked her files. The Kaiser patient is an O! Wow, this again gave me hope. If it can happen once, it can happen for me too.
Later in the evening, however, I started to think about things a bit differently. O blood type is the universal donor: O can donate to O, A, B, or AB. But O can only receive blood from another O. A can receive from A or O. B can receive from B or O. AB is the universal recipient, as it can receive from A, B, AB, or O. So, basically, if Kidney Patient X has blood type A (Janet's an A) and has an O donor (I'm an O), X would take the kidney from the O donor. In short, X doesn't need me. I need X's donor, as I'm type O, but X doesn't need me. So, I couldn't see a reason why anyone would want to be a paired donor with an O. If an A, B, AB, or O kidney patient has an O donor, why not just use him or her? A trade isn't necessary. This realization certainly sobered my mood.
It just so happened that today I had my monthly dialysis clinic visit. I asked my nephrologist if there would be any reason why an A kidney patient with an O donor would agree to a trade. He said I was right, it's unlikely, but not impossible. The matter of antigens comes into play. Kidney transplantation looks at six antigens in the blood. When donor and recipient match in all six antigens, they're a perfect match. The more matches, the better the long-term viability of the transplanted kidney. But that has changed somewhat in recent years with improved immune suppressants. Even a zero match with a living donor has good prospects. (Actually, having a living donor, rather than a deceased donor, seems to be the biggest advantage in survivability of the recipient and viability of the kidney.) So, if Janet and the type A kidney patient were a six-point match, then there may be an incentive to do a trade. Otherwise, probably not. So, I left Dr. Butman's office a bit bummed.
Later in the afternoon I spoke with Angie, the assistant transplant coordinator. I asked her if Dr. Butman and I were correct in our concerns. She said yes, then added that Kaiser Downey's first paired donor surgery had occurred today at UCLA. I asked about the pairing. She checked her files. The Kaiser patient is an O! Wow, this again gave me hope. If it can happen once, it can happen for me too.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
I've Got a Donor!
I've got a donor! I just can't convey how hopeful this makes me. A week ago I was so discouraged, so incredibly fed up with dialysis that I was seriously considering having the tubing removed, halting dialysis, and having a month or so of life without dialysis before I died of organ failure. I just felt I couldn't stand it any longer. I was so tired, so incredibly tired of being sick. Sick all my life, and so incredibly weary that I didn't think I could stand one more day of it, one more moment.
I railed at God or Archangel Michael or whomever may have been listening that I was tired, that I was either going to see some movement or I was exiting. Well, I got some movement today.
My nextdoor neighbor Janet had volunteered to be a donor back in July of last year, after knowing me for only a month, perhaps not even that long. I had been touched by her offer, as I had been touched by my friends Tim, Helene, and Roger, who had also offered but who were not suitable candidates--Tim and Helene because of blood type and Roger because he smokes.
At the time of Janet's offer, she didn't know her blood type, and I was a long ways from getting on the transplant list. I'm still not on it, but I am doing so well in cardiac rehab that I just can't see any reason why my echocardiogram at the end of the month won't just be perfect. Since the condition of my heart was the only thing that was holding me back, if that's in good shape, I should be a shoe-in.
Well, Janet got her blood tested last week, and she got the results today. She's A+, and I'm O+, so we're not a match. But she is willing to be a paired donor. That means that I will be paired with a donor who wants to give to someone he/she cares for but is O+, and the person he/she wanted to donate to will receive Janet's kidney. The surgeries are done simultaneously to prevent someone from receiving a kidney from a stranger and then the other donor backing out of giving his/her kidney to the designated stranger.
Since Janet is a teacher, she wants to have the surgery performed in July so that she would be recovered and ready to return to classes in the fall. One would think that would be completely doable, given that it's five months away. But the way things drag along with the transplant process, the coordinator said that's cutting it close. Here are the steps that must be taken to make this come together (not necessarily in this order):
* UCLA finds an O+ donor for me and an A+ recipient for Janet.
* I pass the echocardiogram on Feb. 26 with flying colors.
* Janet spends two days at UCLA having tests done on her--cancer screenings, HIV testing, psychological workup. She passes all the tests.
* I get a mammogram and a PAP smear. They're fine.
* I meet with my Kaiser cardiologist, and he approves me, based on the echocardiogram.
* I meet with the UCLA cardiologist on March 2, and he approves he.
* The UCLA transplant team puts me on the wait list. (I have to be on the wait list even though I have a designated donor.)
* Janet and I both go to UCLA to be evaluated by a social worker, who basically wants to make sure that Janet is doing this of her own free will and is not being paid to donate her kidney.
* Everyone agrees on a transplant date.
So, there's not all that much that needs to be done, it's just that I have to be asseertive at moving things along. Last year, for example, I was told that I would have to wait five months for an initial appointment with UCLA. I said that was unacceptable and so was granted an appointment a week later!
Please keep this entire process in your prayers. See me getting a perfectly matched donor and see the surgery date in July being agreeable to all. See everything progressing smoothly.
Oh, God, when you know there's an end in sight, almost anything is tolerable. What wasn't acceptable was dialysis until the end of my days. But now I see a path and an end to all this that has been weighing so heavily on me.
I railed at God or Archangel Michael or whomever may have been listening that I was tired, that I was either going to see some movement or I was exiting. Well, I got some movement today.
My nextdoor neighbor Janet had volunteered to be a donor back in July of last year, after knowing me for only a month, perhaps not even that long. I had been touched by her offer, as I had been touched by my friends Tim, Helene, and Roger, who had also offered but who were not suitable candidates--Tim and Helene because of blood type and Roger because he smokes.
At the time of Janet's offer, she didn't know her blood type, and I was a long ways from getting on the transplant list. I'm still not on it, but I am doing so well in cardiac rehab that I just can't see any reason why my echocardiogram at the end of the month won't just be perfect. Since the condition of my heart was the only thing that was holding me back, if that's in good shape, I should be a shoe-in.
Well, Janet got her blood tested last week, and she got the results today. She's A+, and I'm O+, so we're not a match. But she is willing to be a paired donor. That means that I will be paired with a donor who wants to give to someone he/she cares for but is O+, and the person he/she wanted to donate to will receive Janet's kidney. The surgeries are done simultaneously to prevent someone from receiving a kidney from a stranger and then the other donor backing out of giving his/her kidney to the designated stranger.
Since Janet is a teacher, she wants to have the surgery performed in July so that she would be recovered and ready to return to classes in the fall. One would think that would be completely doable, given that it's five months away. But the way things drag along with the transplant process, the coordinator said that's cutting it close. Here are the steps that must be taken to make this come together (not necessarily in this order):
* UCLA finds an O+ donor for me and an A+ recipient for Janet.
* I pass the echocardiogram on Feb. 26 with flying colors.
* Janet spends two days at UCLA having tests done on her--cancer screenings, HIV testing, psychological workup. She passes all the tests.
* I get a mammogram and a PAP smear. They're fine.
* I meet with my Kaiser cardiologist, and he approves me, based on the echocardiogram.
* I meet with the UCLA cardiologist on March 2, and he approves he.
* The UCLA transplant team puts me on the wait list. (I have to be on the wait list even though I have a designated donor.)
* Janet and I both go to UCLA to be evaluated by a social worker, who basically wants to make sure that Janet is doing this of her own free will and is not being paid to donate her kidney.
* Everyone agrees on a transplant date.
So, there's not all that much that needs to be done, it's just that I have to be asseertive at moving things along. Last year, for example, I was told that I would have to wait five months for an initial appointment with UCLA. I said that was unacceptable and so was granted an appointment a week later!
Please keep this entire process in your prayers. See me getting a perfectly matched donor and see the surgery date in July being agreeable to all. See everything progressing smoothly.
Oh, God, when you know there's an end in sight, almost anything is tolerable. What wasn't acceptable was dialysis until the end of my days. But now I see a path and an end to all this that has been weighing so heavily on me.
Dogs Truly Have No Shame: The Case of Rasputin the Poop-Eater
Rasputin ate poop! I was walking him last night when he stopped, as he often does. I thought he was sniffing around or maybe munching on some grass as dogs sometimes do. But no, he was eating a turd!
As soon as we got home and I washed my hands, I googled "Why do dogs eat poop?" An enlightening article popped up. It appears that there are a great many reasons why dogs eat poop, though, unlike Rasputin, it is generally their own poop.
First off, the condition is known as coprophagia. Some of the more endearing reasons are that the dog is trying to keep its environs tidy or that it is mimicking the behavior of its owner--she picks up poop, so the dog wishes to do the same, only it does not have a plastic poop bag or a pooper skooper to do the job, only its mouth. The latter is known as allelomimetic behavior. Another cute reason: Dogs are just naturally curious and will put pretty much anything in their mouths, including poop, just to see what it's like.
More practical reasons include hunger or getting only one meal a day rather than having it split over two meals. Also, the dog may be eating cheap dog food that does not contain the minerals it needs. Sometimes dogs eat poop because they're bored, lonely, stressed, or wanting attention (bad behavior gets their owners' attention). The following reason makes me think dogs are sometimes smarter than we think: If they are punished for pooping inside the house, they may eat their poop to destroy the evidence. Some young ones are just experimenting, like teenagers with booze and cigarettes. And just like teenagers who see their peers engaging in aberrant behavior and feel they should too, some dogs observe other dogs eating poop and so want to give it a whirl. Some dogs mistake poop for low-quality food. In short, they think they've just found more of the same of stuff they just ate from their food bowl.
And my favorite reason: Some dogs just like the taste of it.
Really not sure which of these reasons applies to my pooch. It sure can't be that he's lacking attention. And he gets high-quality food.
My theory: He's a little queen, and queens need some sort of psychological problem.
As soon as we got home and I washed my hands, I googled "Why do dogs eat poop?" An enlightening article popped up. It appears that there are a great many reasons why dogs eat poop, though, unlike Rasputin, it is generally their own poop.
First off, the condition is known as coprophagia. Some of the more endearing reasons are that the dog is trying to keep its environs tidy or that it is mimicking the behavior of its owner--she picks up poop, so the dog wishes to do the same, only it does not have a plastic poop bag or a pooper skooper to do the job, only its mouth. The latter is known as allelomimetic behavior. Another cute reason: Dogs are just naturally curious and will put pretty much anything in their mouths, including poop, just to see what it's like.
More practical reasons include hunger or getting only one meal a day rather than having it split over two meals. Also, the dog may be eating cheap dog food that does not contain the minerals it needs. Sometimes dogs eat poop because they're bored, lonely, stressed, or wanting attention (bad behavior gets their owners' attention). The following reason makes me think dogs are sometimes smarter than we think: If they are punished for pooping inside the house, they may eat their poop to destroy the evidence. Some young ones are just experimenting, like teenagers with booze and cigarettes. And just like teenagers who see their peers engaging in aberrant behavior and feel they should too, some dogs observe other dogs eating poop and so want to give it a whirl. Some dogs mistake poop for low-quality food. In short, they think they've just found more of the same of stuff they just ate from their food bowl.
And my favorite reason: Some dogs just like the taste of it.
Really not sure which of these reasons applies to my pooch. It sure can't be that he's lacking attention. And he gets high-quality food.
My theory: He's a little queen, and queens need some sort of psychological problem.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
After 30 Years Without a Valentine, I've Finally Got One!
Today marks 30 years since a man with whom I was romantically involved remembered me on Valentaine's Day. In short, it's been three full decades since I had a valentine.
Well, this year breaks that long dry spell for love. I am head over heels in love with a male, and he's head over back paws in love with me. He happens to be only 10 1/2 inches tall and weighs a mere 13 pounds, but he brings me more joy than any man I've ever dated. He doesn't judge me or criticize me or try to control me, unlike the men with whom I have had relationships. I feel completely relaxed with him, again unlike the tension I always felt in these relationships, my body and my mind bracing for the next emotional blow, the next put-down. And when I have cried in front of Rasputin, he looks at me with such deep compassion, a look that I am not sure I have ever seen in a human being. He doesn't look away or at his watch, he doesn't fidget or give me some "shut up" message. He listens with all his heart and soul, and then gives my hand a sweet, little lick of love. What a sensitive guy!
Here's a photo taken today of Rasputin eating a pupcake, a teeny non-sweet, made-especially-for-dogs cupcake. How silly is that!
This past Thursday was a rather typical date for me. Joe and I met for our first--and only--date at a crowded bar with live music. Not the best venue for engaging conversation. Joe was angry, as almost every Republican I've ever met tends to be. He yelled in my ear about how he's perfectly fine with our government imprisoning without charge, torturing, and killing innocent people as long as it keeps him safe. (He didn't explain how doing this keeps him safe.) And he went on and on about how the Bible says women are to be subservient to their men. He also spent a good deal of time telling me I should have worn high heels and a much shorter skirt, trying to control me from the get-go. And for an hour and a half, I remained calm and poised, sipping on my club soda. (Yes, one club soda. Interesting that when he got out his money to pay the $6 bill--he had club soda too--I could have sworn he laid down a ten. But I remember thinking, "He's going to say it was a twenty." Sure enough, when the change came, he was even angrier than he had been. Strangely, he said that he had been gipped out of $5. Hmmmm...He bullied the waitress into giving him another ten. As Aaron said later, "Boy, he made money on that date!") He then wanted to sit in my truck and "talk." In other words, Joe wanted to make out in the parking lot and figured I would be thrilled at this prospect because he had been such a delight all evening and had wowed me with his big spending! I just smiled and said, "No, thanks, I better get going." He repeated his suggestion, grabbing my ass, and I repeated my refusal and drove off.
My policy for many years has been to say yes to any first date because 1) I am so infrequently asked out on a date, and 2) I want to stay in the land of the living. But Joe has done me a great service. He has made it clear that I need to say no to a great many first dates, perhaps all of them. It's one thing when a date isn't fun, but when it's downright painful, it's time to reassess. Actually, the way Joe was talking, if it were up to him, people like me would be imprisoned without charge, tortured, and killed.
And from Joe's perspective, I was no doubt a tremendous waste of his time. So from my point of view and from the guy's, I've got to change my policy. From now on, if someone from a dating site asks me out, I will ask him during our initial phone conversation, "When was the last time you had a good belly laugh? Tell me about the last playful or silly thing you did." Because I want a man who is in love with life, not angry with everything under the sun. I told a massage client this, and she quipped, "Why don't you just ask him if he's a Republican?"
Well, this year breaks that long dry spell for love. I am head over heels in love with a male, and he's head over back paws in love with me. He happens to be only 10 1/2 inches tall and weighs a mere 13 pounds, but he brings me more joy than any man I've ever dated. He doesn't judge me or criticize me or try to control me, unlike the men with whom I have had relationships. I feel completely relaxed with him, again unlike the tension I always felt in these relationships, my body and my mind bracing for the next emotional blow, the next put-down. And when I have cried in front of Rasputin, he looks at me with such deep compassion, a look that I am not sure I have ever seen in a human being. He doesn't look away or at his watch, he doesn't fidget or give me some "shut up" message. He listens with all his heart and soul, and then gives my hand a sweet, little lick of love. What a sensitive guy!
Here's a photo taken today of Rasputin eating a pupcake, a teeny non-sweet, made-especially-for-dogs cupcake. How silly is that!
This past Thursday was a rather typical date for me. Joe and I met for our first--and only--date at a crowded bar with live music. Not the best venue for engaging conversation. Joe was angry, as almost every Republican I've ever met tends to be. He yelled in my ear about how he's perfectly fine with our government imprisoning without charge, torturing, and killing innocent people as long as it keeps him safe. (He didn't explain how doing this keeps him safe.) And he went on and on about how the Bible says women are to be subservient to their men. He also spent a good deal of time telling me I should have worn high heels and a much shorter skirt, trying to control me from the get-go. And for an hour and a half, I remained calm and poised, sipping on my club soda. (Yes, one club soda. Interesting that when he got out his money to pay the $6 bill--he had club soda too--I could have sworn he laid down a ten. But I remember thinking, "He's going to say it was a twenty." Sure enough, when the change came, he was even angrier than he had been. Strangely, he said that he had been gipped out of $5. Hmmmm...He bullied the waitress into giving him another ten. As Aaron said later, "Boy, he made money on that date!") He then wanted to sit in my truck and "talk." In other words, Joe wanted to make out in the parking lot and figured I would be thrilled at this prospect because he had been such a delight all evening and had wowed me with his big spending! I just smiled and said, "No, thanks, I better get going." He repeated his suggestion, grabbing my ass, and I repeated my refusal and drove off.
My policy for many years has been to say yes to any first date because 1) I am so infrequently asked out on a date, and 2) I want to stay in the land of the living. But Joe has done me a great service. He has made it clear that I need to say no to a great many first dates, perhaps all of them. It's one thing when a date isn't fun, but when it's downright painful, it's time to reassess. Actually, the way Joe was talking, if it were up to him, people like me would be imprisoned without charge, tortured, and killed.
And from Joe's perspective, I was no doubt a tremendous waste of his time. So from my point of view and from the guy's, I've got to change my policy. From now on, if someone from a dating site asks me out, I will ask him during our initial phone conversation, "When was the last time you had a good belly laugh? Tell me about the last playful or silly thing you did." Because I want a man who is in love with life, not angry with everything under the sun. I told a massage client this, and she quipped, "Why don't you just ask him if he's a Republican?"
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
My Intuitions About Haiti
Ever since the early 1980s, when I began to look closely at our government's actions throughout the world, I have been skeptical of official stories. Implausible tales such as the USG having nothing to do with the death squads that tortured, murdered, and "disappeared" tens of thousands of Central Americans in the 1970s and 1980s, despite the School of the Americas at Fort Benning, Georgia, that trained--and continues to train--the torturers of petty dictators in Guatamala, El Salvador, and beyond; that we invaded Panama and killed thousands of its people to put the drug-dealing head of state Manuel Noriega in prison and not to keep him from talking about CIA spooky business; that we invaded Grenada to rescue some U.S. medical students and not to distract the public from Iran-Contra; that the CIA couldn't possibly be in league with drug traffickers in Laos, Columbia, Nicaragua, and Afghanistan; that the Federal Building in Oklahoma City blew up because of a few bags of fertilizer; and, of course, the ridiculous official story of 9/11. Our history is littered with false flag incidents (where killings are staged to look like the work of another country) and supposed humanitarian gestures that are really covers for takeovers by our multinational corporate buddies (read the history of Central America from the perspective of the American Fruit Company, from which derives the pejorative term "banana republic") and excuses for the military to stay well beyond its welcome.
So when I heard about the earthquake in Haiti, I was skeptical. For decades I have read and heard about USG technology that allows for the creation of earthquakes. (If you're interested in going down this rabbit hole, just start googling HAARP.) An underwater detonation could easily have set off the faults around the island. But even if the USG did not orchestrate the quake, it sure fits our government's plans like a glove.
Take a look at a map, folks. If you had plans to invade Cuba or Venezuela, what better place to launch an attack than from Haiit!
Cuba has been a thorn in our side for decades. It shouldn't be because it poses no threat, but we just can't stand it that there's an adamantly Socialist country just a few miles off the tip of Florida. But that isn't the real reason why we would invade Cuba. As usual, it would be to pave a way for unbridled capitalism. Remember the scene in "Godfather II" when the mob is thinking of moving some operations to Havana? Well, the revolution put that plan on hold. This tropical island is ripe for capitalist exploitation. Just send in the Marines, kill a few thousand, and give those left standing the "freedom" to buy McDonald's hamburgers and Tacomas and big-screen TVs.
Venezuela is also ripe for invasion. It has some of the largest oil reserves in the world. And Hugo Chavez has been very outspoken about American imperialism. The mainstream American media, of course, just calls him crazy, but if you actually read the text of his speeches before the UN General Assembly, you see he's far from crazy. He's dead on right.
And so the American people go on their merry way, feeling good that they have given money to relief efforts in Haiti, while not thinking that they are putting the Haitians under the boot of the American military with their tax dollars. We have been messing with Haiti since it gained its independence from France in 1804. It really bugged us to think that a nation of freed slaves could be in our backyard, especially since we did not liberate our slaves for another six decades. In recent decades we've supported the dictators Papa Doc and Baby Doc, and spirited out of the country against his will the democratically elected Bertrand Aristide. (The official story, of course, was that we did it for his own safety.)
There is so much blood on our hands, on the hands of every American who pays taxes to the federal government. And not just blood in Haiti. Our tax dollars are also responsible for the murder of tens of thousands upon tens of thousands of Afghans, Iraqis, Pakistanis, and Palestinians. Our hands are dripping with blood. Dripping.
So when I heard about the earthquake in Haiti, I was skeptical. For decades I have read and heard about USG technology that allows for the creation of earthquakes. (If you're interested in going down this rabbit hole, just start googling HAARP.) An underwater detonation could easily have set off the faults around the island. But even if the USG did not orchestrate the quake, it sure fits our government's plans like a glove.
Take a look at a map, folks. If you had plans to invade Cuba or Venezuela, what better place to launch an attack than from Haiit!
Cuba has been a thorn in our side for decades. It shouldn't be because it poses no threat, but we just can't stand it that there's an adamantly Socialist country just a few miles off the tip of Florida. But that isn't the real reason why we would invade Cuba. As usual, it would be to pave a way for unbridled capitalism. Remember the scene in "Godfather II" when the mob is thinking of moving some operations to Havana? Well, the revolution put that plan on hold. This tropical island is ripe for capitalist exploitation. Just send in the Marines, kill a few thousand, and give those left standing the "freedom" to buy McDonald's hamburgers and Tacomas and big-screen TVs.
Venezuela is also ripe for invasion. It has some of the largest oil reserves in the world. And Hugo Chavez has been very outspoken about American imperialism. The mainstream American media, of course, just calls him crazy, but if you actually read the text of his speeches before the UN General Assembly, you see he's far from crazy. He's dead on right.
And so the American people go on their merry way, feeling good that they have given money to relief efforts in Haiti, while not thinking that they are putting the Haitians under the boot of the American military with their tax dollars. We have been messing with Haiti since it gained its independence from France in 1804. It really bugged us to think that a nation of freed slaves could be in our backyard, especially since we did not liberate our slaves for another six decades. In recent decades we've supported the dictators Papa Doc and Baby Doc, and spirited out of the country against his will the democratically elected Bertrand Aristide. (The official story, of course, was that we did it for his own safety.)
There is so much blood on our hands, on the hands of every American who pays taxes to the federal government. And not just blood in Haiti. Our tax dollars are also responsible for the murder of tens of thousands upon tens of thousands of Afghans, Iraqis, Pakistanis, and Palestinians. Our hands are dripping with blood. Dripping.
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
A Day Without the Damn Insulin Pump
Last night I was woken up about a dozen times by alarms from my insulin pump. People now think of me as a dialysis patient and often forget that, besides the foot of tubing, the tape, the gauze, the transfer set, and the peritoneal dialysis belt, I also wear an insulin pump with another foot of its own tubing under my clothes. Last night the insulin pump was keeping me awake.
The pump first alarmed that the battery was low, so I changed the battery. Subsequent alarms either noted that the battery was low or that the pump wasn't primed. I primed and I primed and I wiggled the battery. Weary with all this fussing, I finally called the 24/7 tech support line. After much more fussing, the rep said she would send out a new pump that should arrive some time tomorrow. But that means I'm without a pump and back to taking shots for almost 48 hours.
The insulin pump I have is about the size of a cell phone. A little beefier.
Every three days at the latest--and often much more frequently--I must remove the insertion needle, refill the insulin cartridge, prime the machine, select a new insertion site, and place the new needle in one of my thighs or in what space there is on my abdomen (what isn't taken up with the dialysis exit-site bandaging and tubing).
One of the most frustrating things about the insulin pump is its failure rate. The mechanism that delivers the needle into my body doesn't cock properly or it hesitates in its delivery. This happens about one in three times. Then I have to start all over because this needle will not be correctly positioned to deliver the insulin. Sometimes I think the delivery is fine, and then a few hours later, I check my blood sugar, and it's sky high because no insulin has been entering my system.
Then there's the challenge of putting on and removing clothes--something that most people give very little thought to. But I must be very careful not to brush the clothes against the insertion site and risk pulling out the needle. So when I take down my underwear, for example, I have to pull the elastic around the top of the thigh a few inches away from my body, rather than just let it slide down my thigh and risk pulling out the needle.
When the insulin pump is working, it works great. I can dial in the grams of carbohydrates I'm consuming and enter my blood sugar, and the machine calculates the recommended amount of insulin. Also, through the pump's basal function, it delivers a steady, low-level stream of insulin around the clock, in much the same way a pancreas does. Even if you're not eating, you still need a small amount of insulin in your system. Then when you eat carbs, your pancreas releases a bolus of insulin to cover the meal. The insulin pump works in a similar way, only I must dial in the insulin that is then carried from the cartridge inside the pump, down the length of the tubing to the insertion site and into my body. The pump parses out the insulin in .05-unit increments, whereas the smallest measurement on an insulin syringe is .5 units.
One of the most frustrating things about the insulin pump is its failure rate. The mechanism that delivers the needle into my body often doesn't cock properly or it hesitates in its delivery. This happens about one in three times. Then I have to start all over because this needle will not be correctly positioned to deliver the insulin. Sometimes I think the delivery is fine, and then a few hours later, I check my blood sugar, and it's sky high because no insulin has been entering my system.
Then there's the challenge of putting on and removing clothes--something that most people give very little thought to. But I must be very careful not to brush the clothes against the insertion site and risk pulling out the needle. So when I take down my underwear, for example, I have to pull the elastic at the top of the thigh a few inches away from my body, rather than just let it slide down my thigh and risk pulling out the needle.
And then, since I place my pump inside a baby sock and tuck it into my underwear, rather than clip it on the outside of my clothes, I have to remember to also hold the insulin pump under my arm as I'm pulling my clothes off. Otherwise, if the pump drops, the needle will pull out, since the tubing is not long enough for the pump to drop to the floor and remain intact.
So, at least for the next day and a half, I'm free of the pump. I can take off and put on my clothes as easily and unthinkingly as the next person. I can go to thebathroom without performing a juggling feat.
Of course, I am back to taking shots, which have their own challenges. I no longer have a long-lasting insulin, which functions like the basal rate does on the insulin pump, providing a steady flow throughout the day. The insulin pump only uses the short-acting insulin, since it parcels it out in 20 micro injections per hour. That means that my blood sugars will not be as well controlled as they usually are with the pump. But it is nice to be just a little less encumbered, a little more free, if only for a short while.
The pump first alarmed that the battery was low, so I changed the battery. Subsequent alarms either noted that the battery was low or that the pump wasn't primed. I primed and I primed and I wiggled the battery. Weary with all this fussing, I finally called the 24/7 tech support line. After much more fussing, the rep said she would send out a new pump that should arrive some time tomorrow. But that means I'm without a pump and back to taking shots for almost 48 hours.
The insulin pump I have is about the size of a cell phone. A little beefier.
Every three days at the latest--and often much more frequently--I must remove the insertion needle, refill the insulin cartridge, prime the machine, select a new insertion site, and place the new needle in one of my thighs or in what space there is on my abdomen (what isn't taken up with the dialysis exit-site bandaging and tubing).
One of the most frustrating things about the insulin pump is its failure rate. The mechanism that delivers the needle into my body doesn't cock properly or it hesitates in its delivery. This happens about one in three times. Then I have to start all over because this needle will not be correctly positioned to deliver the insulin. Sometimes I think the delivery is fine, and then a few hours later, I check my blood sugar, and it's sky high because no insulin has been entering my system.
Then there's the challenge of putting on and removing clothes--something that most people give very little thought to. But I must be very careful not to brush the clothes against the insertion site and risk pulling out the needle. So when I take down my underwear, for example, I have to pull the elastic around the top of the thigh a few inches away from my body, rather than just let it slide down my thigh and risk pulling out the needle.
When the insulin pump is working, it works great. I can dial in the grams of carbohydrates I'm consuming and enter my blood sugar, and the machine calculates the recommended amount of insulin. Also, through the pump's basal function, it delivers a steady, low-level stream of insulin around the clock, in much the same way a pancreas does. Even if you're not eating, you still need a small amount of insulin in your system. Then when you eat carbs, your pancreas releases a bolus of insulin to cover the meal. The insulin pump works in a similar way, only I must dial in the insulin that is then carried from the cartridge inside the pump, down the length of the tubing to the insertion site and into my body. The pump parses out the insulin in .05-unit increments, whereas the smallest measurement on an insulin syringe is .5 units.
One of the most frustrating things about the insulin pump is its failure rate. The mechanism that delivers the needle into my body often doesn't cock properly or it hesitates in its delivery. This happens about one in three times. Then I have to start all over because this needle will not be correctly positioned to deliver the insulin. Sometimes I think the delivery is fine, and then a few hours later, I check my blood sugar, and it's sky high because no insulin has been entering my system.
Then there's the challenge of putting on and removing clothes--something that most people give very little thought to. But I must be very careful not to brush the clothes against the insertion site and risk pulling out the needle. So when I take down my underwear, for example, I have to pull the elastic at the top of the thigh a few inches away from my body, rather than just let it slide down my thigh and risk pulling out the needle.
And then, since I place my pump inside a baby sock and tuck it into my underwear, rather than clip it on the outside of my clothes, I have to remember to also hold the insulin pump under my arm as I'm pulling my clothes off. Otherwise, if the pump drops, the needle will pull out, since the tubing is not long enough for the pump to drop to the floor and remain intact.
So, at least for the next day and a half, I'm free of the pump. I can take off and put on my clothes as easily and unthinkingly as the next person. I can go to thebathroom without performing a juggling feat.
Of course, I am back to taking shots, which have their own challenges. I no longer have a long-lasting insulin, which functions like the basal rate does on the insulin pump, providing a steady flow throughout the day. The insulin pump only uses the short-acting insulin, since it parcels it out in 20 micro injections per hour. That means that my blood sugars will not be as well controlled as they usually are with the pump. But it is nice to be just a little less encumbered, a little more free, if only for a short while.
Tuesday, February 02, 2010
A Dubious Anniversary
Today, February 2, is my first dialysis anniversary. A year ago today, while still in the hospital following surgery to place a tube into my peritoneum, I started dialysis. I had put off surgery for so long and my condition had so deteriorated, that I could not wait a month for the incision to heal.
This also marks a year of attempting to get on the transplant wait list and still not there.
Statistically, it also means one year down, four to go, as the average life span for patients on dialysis is five years. Every 90 minutes somewhere in America a patient who is on the kidney wait list dies, waiting for a kidney that never came. Of course, I am always expecting a miracle, and I have outlived the statistics before. That said, this is a serious matter, and I don't want to be six feet under and my friends are saying, "Boy, I never knew dialysis was a problem for Heidi. She seemed to be doing just fine."
And so, once again, I ask you to consider the following:
* If you are not a donor, please visit organdonor.gov to find out how you can sign a donor card in your state.
* If you are a donor, make sure you talk with your spouse, children, and loved ones about your post-mortem wishes. Make sure your doctor knows your wishes. So often families do not allow hospitals to use desperately needed organs from their deceased loved ones, even though the deceased signed donor cards when they were alive.
* Consider giving the gift of life. Transplants have a much better chance of success if they are performed with kidneys from living donors. Four friends have stepped forward to say they would donate a kidney to me, but two have been eliminated for incompatible blood types and one for health reasons. The fourth does not know her blood type. So if you feel so moved, please let me know. Knowing that four people think so much of me to offer me this precious gift sure means a lot. Their offers have given me hope during this very difficult year.
* Ask your friends and family if they are organ donors. If not, encourage them to sign donor cards.
Thank you so much. My life and the lives of more than 100,000 kidney patients around the country depend on everyone realizing that people are dying needlessly every day. You can do something to change that.
This also marks a year of attempting to get on the transplant wait list and still not there.
Statistically, it also means one year down, four to go, as the average life span for patients on dialysis is five years. Every 90 minutes somewhere in America a patient who is on the kidney wait list dies, waiting for a kidney that never came. Of course, I am always expecting a miracle, and I have outlived the statistics before. That said, this is a serious matter, and I don't want to be six feet under and my friends are saying, "Boy, I never knew dialysis was a problem for Heidi. She seemed to be doing just fine."
And so, once again, I ask you to consider the following:
* If you are not a donor, please visit organdonor.gov to find out how you can sign a donor card in your state.
* If you are a donor, make sure you talk with your spouse, children, and loved ones about your post-mortem wishes. Make sure your doctor knows your wishes. So often families do not allow hospitals to use desperately needed organs from their deceased loved ones, even though the deceased signed donor cards when they were alive.
* Consider giving the gift of life. Transplants have a much better chance of success if they are performed with kidneys from living donors. Four friends have stepped forward to say they would donate a kidney to me, but two have been eliminated for incompatible blood types and one for health reasons. The fourth does not know her blood type. So if you feel so moved, please let me know. Knowing that four people think so much of me to offer me this precious gift sure means a lot. Their offers have given me hope during this very difficult year.
* Ask your friends and family if they are organ donors. If not, encourage them to sign donor cards.
Thank you so much. My life and the lives of more than 100,000 kidney patients around the country depend on everyone realizing that people are dying needlessly every day. You can do something to change that.
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