Medical – @DanaMNelson

November 1, 2013

Finding my Voice

So what happened?

I live online, but, lately, not so much. Not unless you count streaming video. Well I’ve had my kidneys cleaned out again. This involves an outpatient procedure and a week or two of recovery. I had planned to have this done at the end of October. My kidneys had other plans. So with less than 24 hours notice, my life was on hold. Classes cancelled. Client meetings forced to reschedule. (I’m not writing this to complain. I don’t want 100 comments about you thinking of me and asking if you can help. If you want to help, Donate Life.) And then repeat two weeks later. (Only this time give it a bit more time to heal, as I’m not quite healed from the first one.)

Not the First Time

Yeah, I have done this before. Lots. I have a Kidney disease called Medullary Sponge Kidney Disease See my older posts explaining what this is here and here. In fact last year I went under 5 different times. Before the 4th one last year, the nurse called to do the pre surgery questions. After not even a full history, the nurse stopped. With sincerity and good intentions she said “Wow, you haven’t had a very good life.” It made me angry. But not angry enough to do anything. But that little voice telling me that I haven’t had a good life has haunted me.

I Wrote 2012 Off

When explaining to people why I was off line or out of the social circles so much, I would say “Well, I had 5 surgeries last year.” I’d pause because people need a min after you say that. I would continue with “Yeah, I kind of wrote 2012 off. Hoping 2013 is better.” And it has been. But I started thinking about that nurse, and about how I was blowing off a whole year.

I Found a Voice

I started following @ValensVoice on twitter. Valen, like me has a kidney disease. Hers is way more serious than mine. She required a new kidney. But the way she uses her social platforms and her life to inspire, encourage and just show how to LIVE, really live the life you are given, has given me a reason to rethink my words.

And I Changed My Tune

So in 2012 Business was good. Really good. I turned 40 and it was Wonderful. Celebrated my 10 year wedding anniversary. I climbed a mountain. I had classes, gave speeches, volunteered with several NFPs, lead a book discussion with leaders in our community, helped organize the first Startup Weekend Evansville, and took many nature hikes, and bike rides with my family.

My point. It didn’t suck. It was a really a good year.

And you know what? There are still 2 full months of 2013 left. I am going to make the most of every single day.

If you want to know more about Valen Cover Keefer you can visit her web site www.pkdwillnotbeatme.com I encourage you to follow her on twitter and on instagram. It was on instagram I learned about the Got Kidney’s shirt!

Have you ever considered donating your organs? My disease does’t usually end in needing a donation, so I’m not soliciting for myself, but for others like Valen who do need them to live.

January 12, 2011

A Day of Rest

I wasn’t as if I had been making the world or anything. I attended two meetings and ran a few quick errands. There was even at least one whole hour of lying down, full-blown rest time in there. But, yesterday completely wiped me out.

As luck would have it, today was a snow day and, even if I hadn’t been so tired, I would have stayed indoors anyway. Even if this had not been a snow day, I would have been stuck here. But I was most definitely not alone.
The Boys

I have two very entertaining boys who were not in school today. We enjoyed some time together, making and eating cookies, and watching Narnia, Prince Caspian.
The Friends

I had texts from concerned friends when they did not see me online. Ok, I’m either an addict or this is my career. I’m standing firm on the career, but there seems to be a slim line.
Twitter Love

I didn’t totally stay off line. I tweeted here and there and made a few Facebook posts. But again, I received both public and private requests asking how I was feeling. I was really hesitant about this Blog-a-thon and my choice to talk about this procedure openly. But it has brought me closer to some friends, brought me new ones, and even brought to light a need.
Finding support

I mentioned in the history of all of this that I have Medullary Sponge Kidney (MSK.) Through my efforts to reach out to others with Kidney Stones, I have found at least one other with this problem. I’m sure there are more, but I found a friend who truly understands the type and extent of my pain. How many people are out there suffering by timing mind-numbing drugs? How many doctors out there treat MSK like other stones and don’t look at other possible treatment options? Is research being done to find better ways to treat this condition? I don’t know any of these answers, but I know @LeeAase , Director, Mayo Clinic Center for Social Media. I’m asking him, and anyone in the medical field, specifically in urology or nephrology to comment on this post and connect with me, with us. We want to find out more. We want to do more. We want to be more than drugged up zombies.

January 9, 2011

Rushing Back to You

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hN9jYQjzsg&hl=en&fs=1]

Now you know why I am itching to be back with you all, enjoying your company, teaching, speaking, laughing and loving the life that is mine.

January 6, 2011

Reading with my eyes closed

I underwent the procedure to remove my stents today. The CT scan

was inconclusive so the hope was to remove the stents and see if that was the problem. As I mentioned before this is too soon for them to cone out. There are still lots of stone fragments that need to come out. Without

the stents this will be a painful process. I came home with aspirations of reading. I have three must reads in my possession.

Content rules by CC Chapman and Ann Handley.

Almost isn’t good enough by Wayne Elsey.

Branding Yourself by Erik Deckers and Kyle Lacy.

What I have managed to do is bend the binding, mark myself up with my highlighter, and place a sleep scar on my face in the impression of a book corner. I have tried to read, but the medication has other plans for today.

So now I bid you all good night. (This post was written quickly before I fell asleep again and on my iPhone. )

*
DISCLOSURE:I borrowed the book Content Rules from our local Library, I purchased Almost Isn’t Good Enough from Amazon, and I was sent a free copy of Branding Yourself, because I bugged Erik to death, and because I will be reviewing it for our local Business journal. The Links to each book are in fact affiliate links to my Amazon account, where if you click that link and purchase the book I am suppose to receive a small percent. (Big deal. Google it, order it from your local book seller, who cares as long as you invest in one or all of these books to enrich yourself.)

January 5, 2011

Medical update:

Like I said I am finding this easier to blog about other stuff than to blog about what I am going through. At the start I thought I had it under control, (an illusion I know.) I knew what to expect as I have undergone this very procedure before. I even told several people that I knew what to expect, and that I was not going to kid myself about the am

ount of pain and the amount of time I would be out of commission. I also followed those statements with “but this one won’t be as bad, because they (my kidneys) are cleaner than they were the first time, and it is only one side.”

I was so wrongIn the days preceding the procedure, I had some significant kidney pain on the left side. So on the day of my scheduled cleanout, I told the doctor about it and asked that he look into it. I remember him saying “good call on the left kidney” when I woke up. Turns out they did clean out both sides. Over the next few days I had discomfort. I expected discomfort. What I did not expect was that my pain and discomfort would get worse over the passing days. I wrote it off with the rationalization that you always hurt worse 24-48 hours after a crash.

Gaining more than expected

So I started retaining water, or so I thought. My torso started swelling and over the past few days I have grown to look a solid 8-9 months pregnant! So on top of the pain of the kidneys being beaten from the inside out, and the discomfort of having hard plastic crazy straws stuck inside me, I now had the pressure and discomfort of being pregnant!

I have had x-rays and a CT scan. I have no answers yet. But the doctor did wish to remove the stents tomorrow. It is a bit early and I still have lots of stone fragments that will need to pass. Maybe it is my body rejecting or revolting about the stents. Maybe it is my bottom of the barrel revelation that I do not want to be fat (or pregnant) ever again. Maybe there is another medical reason for me to be so swollen. But that is the hardest part: The Uncertainty. I just don’t know what is going on.

Thank you to all my friends for your continued help, support love and prayers.

January 1, 2011

Reaching Out to Others vs. Allowing Others to Reach Out to me

As I mentioned yesterday I tried to reach out to others who were suffering in order to offer hope and encouragement. I didn’t really let me guard down, express the anxiety I was feeling, and talk about what I was going though.

Wednesday night I let my guard down. I privately DMed my pastor @DaleBeaver

“Please pray for peace/calm, starting to freak out.”

He replied within minutes with a Bible verse that was spot on what I needed to hear. I thought maybe others need to hear it too. So I thanked him and tweeted it publicly. As a side note for those who don’t know me: I am a Christ Follower, but I DO NOT post much “churchy” stuff. I hold more to the – practice kindness talk to people and show your love than the preach it method- that is just WHO I am.)

Much to my surprise this sparked several side conversations, and more DMs from other people. So I posted it on Facebook.

“THANK YOU!! To Dale Beaver who sent this to me via Twitter, at a moment of top stress about tomorrow. (I really NEEDED to hear it) Philippians 4:6-7 “

Again, this is WAY out of norm for me. What I found was more and more outpouring of love compassion and caring. Many more started telling me stories of things they have endured and things they have suffered. And more than one THANKED me. Thanked me for saying I was scared? This seemed off to me, for them to thank me for posting, I was the one who was getting what I needed to hear not them.

There is a difference

When we drop our guard, and let people see we are hurting, or in need of friendship, we find something more special than we could have imagined.

-we find true and new friends alike.

-we find a deeper understanding of people’s beliefs.

-we find out how highly we are valued as people, not for our work, but for who we are.

-we find that through our suffering we can encourage others to be brave.

If I can stop one Heart from breaking
I shall not live in vain
If I can ease one Life the Aching

Or cool one Pain
Or help one fainting Robin
Unto his Nest again
I shall not live in Vain.

Emily Dickinson (1830–1886)

December 28, 2010

Making Healthier Choices – Water

I’m so glad that I can call Bonnie Schnautz my friend. I’ve only been to a few events where she spoke, but they were great! She has had a big impact on my thought processes and my recognition of CHOICES.

I’m not going to resolve to lose weight this year. (Although that would be great.) I’m going to start my new year off TODAY, by making healthier choices. Why wait?

I’m starting with WATER. WATER, WATER, WATER!!!! You should be drinking at least 8-10 glasses a day. Not juice, milk, coke, Kool-Aid, lemon-aid… just water! Do you really consume that much water daily?

If you set this as your goal to achieve every day right off the bat, do you know what is going to happen?

You will fail

Maybe not the first day, maybe not the second, but when you do here’s what will happen…

“Man, this is too hard! Nobody can do this, I’m not even going to try.”

Do you think marathon runners start off running 26 miles a day? No. They start slowly, with 1-3 miles the first week.

Why don’t you join me? Start today. Add 1 glass of water. At dinner, or lunch ask for water, not soda. Continue to add only 1-2 glasses to your normal intake for a week.

December 19, 2010

Are you ready for Christmas?

Day 5 of the Blog-a-Thon
Day 3 of #getitout

Are you ready for Christmas?

7 Days until Christmas and 12 days until my surgery. Everyone keeps asking “Are you ready for Christmas? Do you have all your shopping done?” I wonder how we got here? Where Christmas turned into a mad frenzy of go here, go there, buy, buy, buy.

Doing it a little different

This year we’re having a relaxed Christmas. We are not having the big traditional spread. Big traditional spread means we work harder and longer to prepare enough food to feed our extended family and 3 more of equal size. We then eat leftovers until we can’t stand it. Why? Seems really wasteful, not just of money and food, but of time with the family that we’ve traveled to see.

We’re taking our kitchen time and trading it in for some floor time with the kids, maybe a nap or a walk in the snow together. Seems to me like a no brainer. (If you don’t really like your family anyway, this plan won’t work for you.)

So yeah, I’m ready for Christmas. Ready for eggnog and playing with new toys that are the best ever, at least until next week. Ready to relax and enjoy my family.

Now, am I ready for day 12? NO. But with 12 days to get things together, I will be.

I have a plan

Day 1: Kitchen cabinets -seems like a silly place to start, but I’m use to my kitchen, I’m comfortable with it. But today, Day 1 is cleaning (sorting and organizing more than cleaning) the kitchen. Of all the things I don’t let go of freely, control of my kitchen is high on the list.

But when you’re physically not able to do things for yourself, you have no other choice but to let go.

I was surprised the first time I had this surgery. I was certain I’d just have a day or two in bed and be able to enjoy the rest. I had a much longer recovery time and I wasn’t ready for letting others help me as much as I needed.

Organizing my cabinets lets me surrender control easier. After a conversation with Jennifer Hollander, an organizing professional, I felt much better about tackling the days ahead. She said that people don’t know how or where to start and then get overwhelmed and quit before they begin. She told me to take it in little chunks.

Chunk one – the kitchen.

December 17, 2010

The Current Situation

Day 4 of the Blog-a-Thon

Day 2 of #getitout

The Current Situation:

So here I am again, one side filled with stones. We knew they wouldn’t stay clean, but I was really hoping for a longer time in between.

I‘ve been passing stones again, and it’s sucking the life out of me. Remember the “I can’t do that” declaration? I can’t / won’t just take pain meds and be zoned out. After evaluation, the doctor and I have decided that a repeat of the previous procedure is necessary.

I will be undergoing this procedure on Dec 30. I’m sharing this not for sympathy, but for growth. Talking about pain is not easy for me. I am one of the best at faking not being in pain, but this is the true reason I am doing the blog-a-thon.

I will be chronicling my journey to prepare for and undergo this event. I have several friends who, like me, don’t discuss their health. It’s almost taboo. I also have friends that turned to social media in times of pain and distress. I am attempting to explore the latter.

Please connect

So do you get kidney stones? Are you a doctor or nurse or somehow in the medical field? Have you used social media to find support? I want to talk to you. Tweet me, Facebook me, or just comment here. (If sending an e-mail or fb request please tell me who you are.)

Don’t forget to follow the other bloggers in the blog-a-thon, and let me know if you want to join us, I will add you to the list!

And you know what? There are still 2 full months of 2013 left. I am going to make the most of every single day.

@DanaMNelson Toasting rx med w/ u 4 Happy New Year!

“Please pray for peace/calm, starting to freak out.”

“THANK YOU!! To Dale Beaver who sent this to me via Twitter, at a moment of top stress about tomorrow. (I really NEEDED to hear it) Philippians 4:6-7 “

There is a difference

You will fail