A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Banter Hall I Haven't Really....

... fallen off the face of the earth!

I just haven't been able to get on here, is all.

First, I am far too tired all the time. The dialysis is wearing me out; simply wearing me out. Just when I start to perk up and feel better, it is time to go back again! It is the same old complaint I hear from everyone, though, so I'm not alone in it. I do better on weekends because I dialyze on Friday evening, recover all day Saturday and by Sunday I actually feel like a person again. The best thing with that is I don't have to go back until Monday afternoon! So, sleepyheaded me just hasn't been on-line too much.

Second, when I was here, I was having great difficulty with the site. My very old PC apparently just didn't like the "Myles of Styles" ad. Everytime that ad would load, my poor PC would freeze up. Today I watched her TV show and told her (right to her TV face) "You know, you are keeping me off the GH?! Your show better be very very good indeed!!" So, it was a big relief to come back tonight and find the ad gone and find myself sailing all over the forum like my old self again. YAY!

Maxi is home with me this weekend and we have fun planned in spite of the rainy cold weather....


Merme

Well I was Wondering Where Ya been?? I know two people that have the dialysis done and it wears them out too.
Sure am glad Maxi's with ya this weekend Do you have anything special planned for Sunday when your up to the task??

welcome back merme. i suspected it was something like that, but i'm glad you were able to come in and confirm it for me!

Hi Dianne ~

We are waiting to see what Sunday's weather is going to be... we've heard opposite predictions! Some say the snow/rain mix will last all weekend; others say it will be nice and maybe even sunny on Sunday!

So, if it IS nice, the kid and I are going out exploring the neighborhood, looking high and low for signs of spring. We'll take a picnic lunch along, too.

If it is yuccky, we will do crafts, play games and cook up a storm (which is something we like to do too) and Maxi has a Veggie Tales he brought home from church last week that we haven't seen yet. It is a version of Lord of the Rings but enacted with Beans of all things.

Merme

Hi Jiffy! It is nice to see you and Diane on tonight!

Merme

Either way it's great quality time!!

I haven't seen that Version of Veggie Tales,, I bet my Grandson's will like that one!!

We love the original Lord of the Rings books and have also enjoyed the movies -- both the high quality animated and the live action ones, so we are looking forward to seeing the Veggie Tales version. I hope it isn't too too silly, but silly in a good way. You know?

Merme

Let me know How you like it,,

The Christian book store always has a large stock of those movies,, when the new ones come out there is always a waiting list of customers for them!
I've got to hit the hay,, It's been a long week,, And this Ol Girl is tired!

Good night Merme!!

Hello Merme. Missed you. I was thinking of sending out the bloodhounds.

G'nite Diane; sleep sweet!

Tina ~ I KNEW you were pondering doing a Track Down!

Gosh, it is good to be back on!

Goodnight everybody. Safe away home O my palies and sweet dreams to you all.


Merme

merme it was nice to hear from you.--I was beginning to wonder--tahnks for letting us know. I am glad you and maxi get to spend the weekend together. sounds like you will have a great time, no matter what the weather is.

hope to see you back soon. :wink:

Hi there Merme...I'm sorry you've been having such a tough time lately..... I wish I could make things easier on you. Of course you have been missed a lot and it's great to see you back on here even if it's for short spurts at a time.

I'm sure glad you made it back and the ad is gone so you can get back easier- miss you my friend...
sounds like you and Maxi will have a good weekend - no matter what the weather- exploring for spring sounds good to me- but so does staying in and making stuff... maybe a little of both...
Well Mom is almost thru with breakfast- got to get her in the shower and get a start to the day...... back later.
Nana

Sorry I missed you Merme. Dialysis is a hard way to go in the U.S. In other parts of the world they don't run you through (we call it "spinning") as fast and therefore the person isn't so tired the next day. But in the US it's about that dollar.

Sounds like you're in good spirits though. Hope you're having fun.

Thanks, everyone.

Diane ~ Just wanted to let you know Maxi thought the Veggie Tales "Lord of the Bean" was very funny. I've never seen Veggie Tales before, so I have nothing to compare this one to in terms of if it is better or worse than others. But as a stand alone parody of The Rings series, I didn't like it. Actually, there are many elements that bothered me, but that is just me!

Merme

OHhhhhhhh I'm glad you said that Merme,, my oldest Grandson Loves Lord of the rings,, so he would probably be disappointed in the veggie tales version on the other hand Breyton would more than likely love it,, So I guess I'll go get it for Breyton,, Tre' will watch it on a just because bases,, and since it's funny,, Maybe he'll might get a little kick out of it!,, after all.

Merme, nice to hear from you.........hoping your weekend with Maxi is a great one.

It was a little too nasty out for me to be outside, but Maxi was able to connect with his friends and spend most of Saturday and Sunday fooling around in the snow and mud. He had a GREAT time!

Last night we cooked dinner together and made Shepherd's Pie -- one of his favorite dishes. So although we ate quite late, it was nice. Saturday night, though, he was zonked asleep by 7 PM... the day outdoors did him in, it seems.

So now he will be back next Friday and this time he will get to stay until Wednesday afternoon because of spring Break. On the Monday evening he will visit me at the dialysis unit so we can have a light supper together and he can see what dialysis is all about. The social worker is going to take him in the back and show him the innards of the machine and one of the nurses will be on hand to answer questions before we visit.

Merme

You know, Sheri, dialysis in the hospital or in the rehab seemed like a true healing art. There was one nurse for every two patients, the room's lights were kept low, the voices soft, the blankets hot out of that warmer. A patient could rest and feel better, feel cared about.

At this outpatient unit, it makes me a little crazy what a production line it is! There is one nurse for every TEN patients, 20 of us lined up in rows of recliners, a bunch of Techs running around. Because the machines aren't monitored the way they are in the hospital, each one has s light on top rather like a stop light so the staff can glance around the room and see which machines are running smoothly at green, slower at yellow or has stopped at red and come over to make appropriate adjustments. One Tech does all the dressing changes, a nurse gives all the shots, the docs breeze in and out hastily, etc.

It just seems as though they are trying to do as many people as possible in each shift, at the lowest expense, to make the most money. It really bothers me!

A few years ago I went to a class conducted by a physician who is a huge supporter of home dialysis -- he intensely dislikes these very profitable but highly impersonal outpatient units.

Others that I know feel that the outpatient meat market style units are a good thing because it puts dialysis into the hands of the ordinary person and doesn't just reserve it for the very rich as it used to be.

I'm glad it is keeping me alive, Sheri, no doubt about that! I just wish they could do it in a way that didn't remind me of a cattle call and contained that sense of healing.

I do not mind people earning money for honest work. I just mind when they make it so obvious!

Merme

Oh Merme, I'm glad it's keeping you alive too. Just what you said is one reason nurses leave the outpatient dialysis unit. And this may not be the case everywhere, but it was my experience, that because dialysis is paid for by Medicaid and not private insurance, the doctors are quick in the unit and quick out. They need to get to the private payers to make their money. But on the up note, at least it's available in the US. I've heard that in other countries it's not made available to the older population (which does not include you).