Jim’s doctor visit today was not what we were hoping for, but we knew it would come one day. Since his BUN and Creatinine levels were both up, (BUN was 79, 8-25 being normal and Creatinine 6.2, 0.70-1.30 is normal). Dr. Rothstein wants Jim to start preparing for dialysis. After some discussion with him and his nurse, he felt that peritoneal dialysis would be Jim’s best option. This type of dialysis gives you more flexibility with your home life and you are the one in charge. Lorraine did this type of dialysis 20 years ago. What I remember is a huge machine in her bedroom with lots of bags of solutions hanging all around and she had to keep everything very sterile. Apparently things have changed since then. The machine now is like a suitcase and is portable so it can be taken with you. The bags of solution are more confined.
The first step is to have a catheter placed in Jim’s belly which is the hook-up point. This is done as an out patient. A couple weeks after this is done, he will go for a weeks training on how to use the machine. I like that the doctor told him that this will be “his” responsibility, not mine. I can observe, but Jim will have to do everything on his own.
The first month he will have to do a manual transfer 3 times a day (not sure how this is going to work with his job, but we will figure that out). After a month, he will be able to connect to the machine and dialyze for 8 hours at night. Hopefully this will give him more energy (which he has been lacking) and he was excited to hear that he would be on a high protein diet (lots and lots of red meat). Not sure how this will affect his ongoing battle with gout, but we will wait and see.
The doctor and I both told Jim to look at this as a temporary thing, hoping that we are still able to find a living donor or his number is finally called on the UNOS transplant list.
I will keep my ongoing search on Facebook and other social media in hopes of finding that one true angel that is out there and can help him. In the meantime, we will march on with this new leg of Jim’s Journey and hope and pray it goes well.
My thoughts….I have always been an optimist and look at the good in things. This is no different. I see this as a chance for Jim to get his energy back and to rid him of the toxins in his body that his kidneys just aren’t able to get rid of. I know that my 30 lb. weight loss was not done in vain because I feel so much better about myself and will better be able to help him….besides me being a donor just wasn’t in God’s plan.
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