How I Got Here

After many years of uncontrolled high blood pressure, even though I was on several different medications, I collapsed in a heap. This couldn't be happening to me, I was only 42 years old. My life had several changes that day and was never going to be the same again. Because my condition looked like a heart problem, creating a kidney problem, I had a few rough rides before it was discovered to be a kidney problem. I'm sure my problem is inherited because my father had similar symptoms. He was never diagnosed due to the fact that the technology we have today wasn't available until after his death. Kidney disease is more common than you may realize. Many people have a problem and don't even know it. But the good news is that some types can be controlled if they are discovered soon enough. A simple blood test will tell if there might be a problem.
Now it's on to the present. It has taken about 4 months to get started on the program. Tests were required, surgery done, time to heal, and time to train. With a few adjustments to the program, the system will be programed to my individual needs. The surgery was a simple procedure to install a catheter. I call this my 18" naval cord because of it's location next to my belly-button. This catheter is how I connect myself to the machine. All of the fluid exchanges are done through this catheter while being monitored and controlled by the cycler machine. After 3 weeks of going to the dialysis unit for flushes twice a week, it was time to start my training to do this at home. So on July 20, I sang Happy Birthday to me and started learning the rights and the wrongs of Peritoneal Dialysis at home.