So I'm on Dialysis, now what.... 7 months ago everything I knew about being a "normal" working mom went quickly out the window. Well actually that isn't true; everything I knew about my life went out the window in July when I was diagnosed with a chronic form of leukemia, by accident because I was already starting to have failing kidneys and blood work on a regular basis finds things IMMEDIATELY.  In July of 2012, I received this diagnosis as quickly as the 6 train goes in and out of the station. The blood work was done, the hematologist dropped the bomb on my husband, mother and I and just as quickly as that train came, the doctor picked up the pieces and told me how treatable it is.  Now for "normal" people this would be just fine, but am I "normal" HELL NO, I already have a garden variety of issues, so this little problem is now a somewhat large problem.  "take this pill for the rest of your life and you will go in remission and be totally fine from this," says Dr. L.  Oh ok, sure whatever you say.  "Come in every week for the next 6 weeks for blood work, the medicine will work, I have a 90 year old that has been on it for 10 years, totally fine!" Oh ok, sure whatever you say.  You know that feeling you get when you ride a roller coaster and the wind rushes in your ears and you momentarily don't hear anything, Yeah, well multiple that by about 1,000,000 and that's what I felt like.

So skip ahead about a month, and I am now at new Kidney specialist, I had been seeing the same doctor for my kidneys for about 12 years but not near my house, so in light of this new diagnosis I had to put all my eggs in one basket.  So off I go to Dr. K and he put me on the proverbial "short Leash" assuring my time with my own kidneys was short lived and that Dialysis and Transplant were iminnent.   Again, the train came, ran me over, backed over me and pulled out the station.  So my short leash was so short that by the beginning of September I was at the vascular surgeon having a semi-permanent catheter placed to start this life saving, amazing process called dialysis.  

Now people, let me say this, dialysis has been around for a long effing time, how people survived and how they came up with this magical process is quite unfathomable.  Let's just say that I have learned way more than I have ever imagined and I am perfectly happy to educate you all. At first I figured once or twice a week for a couple of hours, no problem, I can handle it, UM NO, try 3 times per week for up to 4 hours, and for some people more than that.  And no, I can't have visitors (RULE #1). So I am relegated to my dialysis chair on Monday-Wednesdays-Friday from 10:30-2:30, call me, message me, or hang with me on Facebook. So my new "job" as my husband likes to call it, is DIALYSIS. Now you might think that I go to dialysis and then come home and everything is honky dory, sorry, not the case, I am, tried, irritable, hungry and basically have no energy until about 4 hours later. Yet I am still responsible for my children, my dog, my husband, laundry, making dinner, driving carpools and playdates. 

So to say that this was an adjustment is understatement.  Please continue to follow me as I traverse this unique life I call "dialysis, now what" I know there are millions like me out there and I hope to provide some insight and sometimes humor into this situation.