On second thought…
An excerpt from my book on kidney disease…
When I told my friend I had few symptoms, I began to realize I was not entirely correct. I had the following symptoms that might be related and some that might not:
Occasional extreme fatigueWeaknessPain in sidesDizzinessDehydrationLess energy throughout the daySlight variations in digestive functionI then concluded my health was in some respects like that of an octogenarian. I could work at my home office, read, write, do most household tasks, help out at church, go on most outings, but physically, my endurance was not very strong overall.
I began to think more seriously about plans for how I wanted to do dialysis if unable to do a transplant. I am staying with peritoneal overnight dialysis for now, so I can keep working, but that would probably be a bit of work, as I’d need to sleep on one side only, and then there were other implications.
I wondered about disconnecting from the dialysis machine for restroom visits, thinking that by then I wouldn’t be drinking more than a few glasses of fluid per day17, so I wouldn’t likely have to go as much. I drink a lot of fluids, but so far, I have not had to curtail how much I drink, just what I drink.
I thought about traveling with dialysis, and recall even in the nineteen eighties, that dialysis machines could be moved. But what would become of the annual camping trip? And would my wife and I still be able to stay overnight in a motel, or go away for our anniversary for a few days? Those were questions I might need to get answers to.
So I became somewhat sober-minded about things, despite my optimism and jokester mentality. I can be profoundly negative, but my daily demeanor tends to be otherwise lighthearted…
ꭥ
“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”
— 1 Peter 5:8
17 Most dialysis patients need to limit their fluid intake to 32 ounces per day. (Google, National Kidney Foundation)
