Well, tonight's blog title is a reference to the child's book, The Little Engine that Could. I sort of want to add "maybe"...just maybe I am going to be able to do the sticks for Woody's dialysis treatments. I managed to do both sticks by myself this morning. During the treatment there did have to be some repositoning, but that could have been my placement...or...Woody moved a little bit too much...or...who knows! The tech couldn't figure out why we got several of the caution warnings that we did (these are not red alarms that stop the pump...but just cautions that something might be happening and to check) We fiddled with the placement and they went away. There is a point during the treatment when Woody's hand on his dialysis arm gets quite painful...we think that it is due to what is called "steal syndrome." The blood is being stolen away from the hand and directed up higher in his upper arm, where the graft is. The tech wants him to try hand warmers tomorrow to see if that will help. She's bringing us one of hers to try out before we buy some. But it gets very painful for him towards the end of treatment...that last hour really drags! Once the treatment ends, the pain goes away. We also think that perhaps the warnings went off when he was rubbing his hand and flexing his hand which in turn flexed muscles in his upper arm where the needles are placed. Maybe we will figure it out...maybe we won't! But at the end of the day, we can say that we have another treatment under our belts! Today we had lab blood draws, too. That adds to the tasks of the dialysis day. I get to use my "new toy," a centrifuge! I have to get the labs prepared and packed up with an ice pack to be picked up by FedEx Express. That automated call went fairly well. You get to tell when you will be ready for pick up. I chose 2pm or after because I knew that it would be close to 1pm before we were finished and I have to wait till after because one of the last things we do is to draw one tube after the treatment is over, but the pump is still running. Today's labs will show how well his blood is being cleansed...as they checked pre treatment and then post treatment. I'm fairly sure that the lab report will be good. I did do a cooking task during treatment. I made chicken stock...just dumped chicken bones, celery, carrots, onion, and garlic into a pot along with some water and let it cook during the whole treatment time and even beyond. It was a good day to do that as I could put all the "stuff" I cooked the goodness out of straight into the trash (bagged up) as it is garbage day tomorrow. I took a nap, them talked to Melany on the phone and then realized that I had better get going on getting the garbage and recycle stuff out to the road quickly before it got dark. I still haven't gotten used to the time change that has us dark around 5pm. I hustled and even got the boxes broken down and out to the road. And, now I can say that there are no boxes in the living room...not even empty ones! Of course, that doesn't tell where the boxes are now! The ones that contain things that we use rarely, are now stacked in Melany's old room aka office aka school room. Oh, well, they are out of sight to most! Now for me to find the energy to begin making a mess...as in...starting to decorate for Christmas! One of these days...hopefully sooner than later! It's just that by the time that dialysis is over...so am I!!! I hope that will change...soon...as I get used to the new normal! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!
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