Cutting for a Cause

Don't forget to come out on April 28th to Inspirations Hair Salon for Cutting for a Cause!

Some of my fabulous friends & family have put together this fundraiser to help with the medical bills slowly adding up.

From 10a-4p you can come to the salon for a haircut and all proceeds will be donated!! Even if you don't need a cut you can come by the salon for food, raffles, and fun! Check out the picture below for more details :)

Fourth time's a charm...

Fourth time in the chair today and it wasn't all that bad. I had lost weight today (usually since your kidneys don't work you retain fluid and in turn gain weight) the techs and nurses told me I was a tricky patient. The nurse even told me she was thinking about me last night because in all her years of nursing she has never had a patient have such a hard time with dialysis after multiple runs. I like to think I just keep people on their toes and keep it interesting :)

Throughout the whole three hours I didn't once feel 'sick'. My blood pressure stayed stable and I ended up getting 200ml of fluid an hour. At the end of the session they ended up only taking off .3kg. Which was tolerable. Finally!

I met with the dietician today as well. My protein is a little on the low side and she told me to push meat. She told me that when the toxins in your blood build up they will mix with the nitrogen in meat ad cause a "disgusting" taste in your mouth when you eat meat so a lot of renal patients don't like meat. I, being an abnormal renal patient once again, can't wait to cut into the biggest juiciest piece of cow I can find!

Ron came to pick me up today from dialysis. It was the first time he's seen anything like that, but I wanted him to see what it's like and he wanted to as well. He was pretty pumped about his yellow PPE gown he got to wear, he even took it home. I'm so lucky to have him in my life <3

When I got home I had the same typical side effects- weakness, fatigue, headache, and tingling. I slept for about 3 hours and once I was awake I stayed awake! So pretty good day overall, nice not to feel defeated for once.

Thanks for all your thoughts & prayers, they're working!

Xoxo, britt

To catch you up...

I had my dialysis catheter placed last week. Letting people know you are a nurse is not always a good idea. During the pre-op the doctor started to explain the procedure and all the risks and benefits of having a CVC. I may be a nurse but I had know idea what he was talking about- intrathroacic pressures and aortic valves. I had to explain to them that I take care of vaginas and boobs- far from the heart. He asked me if I wanted just a little bit of lidocaine to numb the area or some fent and versed. I'm not stupid I chose the fent and versed. I was really anxious and nervous and this little cocktail helped ease my worries. The next day the site was very sore, nothing Tylenol could help which is what they told me to take. Needless to say I had to go back to the clinic and be checked out in case they had cut my muscle. Luckily it was just a hematoma- which by the way is very very painful.

Hemodialysis started two days after my CVC placement. The first run went well . It was 2 hours long and I got a little bit nauseous during it but overall wasn't bad. The next day I was able to get out of bed and hang out all day with my boyfriend which is a far cry from what I had been experiencing.

My second run of hemo was Wednesday and it was 2.5 hours long and a little bit more challenging. The whole concept of hemo is to act like your kidneys and remove all the wastes and extra water from your blood. I, unlike many other renal patients, still pee which makes it hard to determine what my "dry weight" is or what I would be if my kidneys still functioned and I wasn't holding water. They tried taking 2 kg off because they said I gained 1.4 kg over the weekend. I got sick and couldn't handle it so in the process I ended up getting 1.5L of fluid. Confusing I know. After my second run I felt very very weak. Like my legs weighed about 300lbs each. When I got home I had tingling all over my body, from my face to my toes. The kind of feeling you get when your foot falls asleep. After I slept for the night and woke up that feeling went away but I still felt dehydrated. The day after dialysis is usually your best day, this one...not so much. I slept most of the day.

My third run of dialysis was Wednesday and was AWFUL. I wouldn't wish this on anyone. I felt bad for the nurses and techs because I kept yelling for help. Every 30 minutes I got high, sweaty, short of breath, nauseated, and felt like I was on the brink of passing out. I had to have oxygen and again received a bolus of fluid. I told the nurse my dry weight is too low and I can't have that much water taken off. So they figured to give me a 100cc bolus every 30 minutes and to only take off about .5kg. I bet they're thinking what a pain in the ass patient I am lol all nurses are :)

I go for my fourth run tomorrow. A total of 3 hours in the chair. Hopefully we have figured out my issues and it goes more smoothly and I can just sleep thru it.

I appreciate all of everyone's support, it means everything to me.

Below is a picture of my port site and Layla because she's so ugly she makes everyone smile!.. Ill be trying to post day by day because I know some of you reading this live far away and are wondering what has been going on!

Xoxo, britt

Bowling for Brit!

Please come out to bowl and support Brittany!!

Brittany’s family and friends are organizing a fundraising benefit to help support Britt!
 
Please join us at Lodge Lanes in Belleville on Saturday, May 4 starting at 8:30.

This includes 2 games of bowling, food and prizes!

Tickets are $25 and can be purchased by clicking on the donate button below and paying through PayPal. 

Save the Date!

If you have found this little blog, I have a feeling you love our Brittany like we do.

You may have heard her story.

If you haven’t, the following is my understanding of what is happening with Brittany.

When Brittany was 16 years old she began to experience kidney failure. This was completely unexpected as she lived the life of your typical high school teenager. Britt was placed on dialysis, while the search for the perfect match began.

Thankfully, the first search didn’t take Brittany too far from home – her mother, Brenda Ivan, was a perfect match. A date to end dialysis was finally in sight!

On the surface, the surgery went well. Brittany’s new kidney had been accepted and Brenda’s recovery was going better than expected.

However, further exams showed the anti-rejection medications (for Brittany’s body to accept the new kidney) had left the organ severely scarred.

At 16 years old Brittany was the recipient of a kidney transplant, endured dialysis and was no longer your typical teenager.

Ten years later, the day her family and friends have feared for years has come.

Brittany’s “Brenda” kidney is no longer functioning.

Through the miracle of love many people have offered their kidneys to Brittany. After a very long road and many dead ends – Brittany has finally found her match!

Brittany’s Uncle Phil Luke is a perfectly matched donor!

Phil Luke is a father of three and the youngest and only boy among a long line of Luke sisters – to say Phil has a special kind of heart is simplifying the man he is.

Today, Britt is at home with the people (and dogs) that love her. She has good dialysis days and some not-so-good dialysis days. I think it’s safe to say we’re ready to get this kidney in her!

She is in our thoughts and prayers and we decided it was time to do something a little extra for Britt!

We will continue to pray for her, but we want to help her financially.  Britt has had to take a medical leave to take care of herself.

Please save the date to bowl with Britt and say a final farewell to her “Brenda” kidney! All proceeds from this event will benefit Brittany and her procedure. 

Bowl with us Saturday, May 4, 2013!