Kevin's Blog

Lisa has become a phenomena in New York. Will you vote for her too?

Everything went well for me this week in dialysis.   There were a couple of scary episodes with other patients.   One took a week’s worth of cumadin accidentally, so she couldn’t clot after dialysis was over and she got rushed to the emergency room.   The second was probably a heart attach by another older patient where the paramedics came and took her to the emergency room.   My heart stress test I think went well – it seemed to, but I don’t have the results of it yet.   It was pretty cool to see my heart valves opening and closing on the ultrasound.

This weekend, on Saturday we went and played disc golf with my family in Ft Morgan.   My Dad invited a ton of people, so we ended up having a group of 7 men and 3 women.   It was fun.   We then met Lisa’s parents for lunch.   Sunday was a pretty normal Sunday – Sunday school and church.   We just relaxed this afternoon.

Kevin

I had to take some training at work on maintaining a work life balance.   This training was just so empty.   It was almost offensive how simplistic the concepts presented were.   It was put on by a pop-psychologist (I think) that seemed an awful lot like I think Dr Phil would present a similar topic.  I figured that this may be a hot topic at other employer’s now – and since this training seemed very poor, that I would try to write something up to analyze this more from a Christian worldview in case that might be useful to someone.  I don’t think this is quite a finished work yet and I will put some more time in on it most likely, but also thought it was far enough along to be worth sharing now.  I was kind of surprised in a google search that I didn’t find much on this topic.

Work Life Balance

Kevin

This was a good week. No complications, and smooth dialysis every time. Monday night I got my temporary catheter removed after dialysis. So, for about the first time since March, I didn’t have stitches to worry about getting wet in the shower. So, Monday night, Tuesday, and Wednesday, I took quite a few showers. I love the shower – so I have really missed it for the past few months. Sponge baths and washing my hair in the sink is just no where near the same. I also noticed on Tuesday that frisbee golf distance was coming a little bit easier without having to throw with the catheter. Wednesday I got the new permacatheter put in. This was no where near as bad as the original one. I am not sure if I am just getting used to it, or if this Dr was much more gentle and skilled than the first one, or a combination of both. Where the tube was tunneled underneath my skin has been pretty sore, but I have been able to do pretty much all I have wanted without the soreness hindering me – except disc golf which I think needs to wait for the catheter to be set for probably at least a week. Thursday, Lisa and I worked with my group from work on a habitat for humanity project. I really enjoyed that, even though I was a little limited by the permacatheter what I could help on. We basically had to landscape a yard, which involved clearing a ton of rocks. I got to see the site from last year where basically we planted grass on probably a 45 degree slope. I was amazed that it was actually growing. After clearing a ton of rocks from this site, we again planted grass. This one the hill wasn’t as extreme, and we laid down some topsoil too, so based on last years seeming successful, this yard should grow well. Here is a group picture:

Saturday, we (Lisa, Sally, and I) took a great hike at Windy Saddle park. I had ridden by this trail many times when climbing on the chimney gulch trail. We hiked on the beaver brook trail. There were all kinds of small boulder fields and rock stairs to climb, where it was a little more technical hiking than normal. That was a blast for Lisa and I. Sally did amazingly well with her three legs over the technical terrain. Here is a picture near the trailhead:

We went by Buffalo Bill’s grave on the way home.

Sunday, we had a good Sunday school class and worship service, and then went on a bike ride in Bear Creek Lake park. It was hot, but it was good to get out on the bike.

I thank God for another great week.

Kevin

Lisa and I took Sally on a hike at Aldefer – Three Sisters yesterday morning. It was a good hike. Sally got so excited on the car ride up that she was pretty tired and we cut the hike shorter than normal. We then tried fishing for a little while in Evergreen Lake, until I cast all the line off of Lisa’s reel.

We went to the Rockies game last night. It was a great game – good pitching, but still plenty of offense and excitement. It ended up going extra innings. The Padres scored to take the lead in the top of the top of the 11th. The Rockies loaded the bases in the bottom of the 11th. After looking like they were almost going to blow it and not drive in the tying run, Ryan Spillbourghs hit a deep single that drove in 2 for the walk off victory.

We then waited 45 minutes for the left field and rockpile fans to file onto the field, and were presented with a great fireworks show.

One other thing I have been wanting to write about.  One of my favorite foods is macaroni and cheese.  So, with the low phosphorus renal diet I have really been missing my macaroni and cheese.   I found a company called Dairy Delicious that is able to remove a lot of the phosphorus from milk.   So, they sell renal safe milk and macaroni and cheese.   I ordered a couple of cases of the macaroni and cheese.   It is quite good – not quite as strong tasting as some shells and cheese dinners out there, but still quite excellent.   I am very appreciative that they make this and would strongly recommend the product to anyone on a renal diet missing their mac and cheese.

Kevin

Lisa and I went to the CU Medical Center this morning for a meeting with the transplant team. It was very encouraging. I should be healthy enough other than the obvious kidney failure to be eligible for a transplant. They drew a ton of blood for confirmation and testing, and I’ll have to undergo a heart stress test, but after getting all of that data back, it appears as if I’ll get added to the UNOS list and start the wait for a transplant. I also found out a lot more about the tests they run for compatibility. My blood type is A, so that would be the first eligibility constraint for someone to be tested to see if they would potentially be a possible live donor – that they also have type A or type O blood. There are some tissue typing and antigen testing after that, but it also sounds like they are getting good enough with the modern anti-rejection drugs that other compatibility issues could potentially be overcome. Obviously the better the match, the easier it will be. Anyway, it was great to get this step taken, and it was great to just get a little more education about the process.

Kevin

Dialysis was so-so this week. Friday night was just awful. The company who owns the dialysis center made a change in policy, so they weren’t able to “pre-heprinize” my machine before I got there. This seems to be the key for me for a smooth treatment. So, I clotted off the machine three times on Friday, and barely made 3 hours of treatment. I also left the center over my dry weight, because they gave me so much saline to try to help with the clotting, and when my blood was returned each time the machine clotted. So, that wasn’t fun, but I made it through without any real complications which was a huge blessing.

Saturday, Lisa and I left bright and early for our annual Chambers camping trip. David and Toni flew in, and we all met Mom and Dad in Ft Collins at Edora Park for a round of disc golf on the way up to the campground. That was a great, fun course. We then proceeded up to Chambers. The fishing report for last week for Chambers was “No reports of fish being caught have come in”. We were still optimistic though – we always catch fish at Chambers. We got there, set up our tent, and helped Mom and Dad with their camp setup, and then eagerly went over to the inlet where we normally fish. I have really gotten into dry fly fishing – so I was incredibly disappointed when I got over there and I didn’t see a single sign of fish feeding on the surface. There also just didn’t seem to be any bugs. I think we were just too soon after ice off on the lake, and I also don’t believe the lake was stocked as of yet this year. So, that night – 0 fish. Luckily, we had some back up food in just in case for supper. We then went on a “moose run”, a drive up towards Tunnel campground (since Long Draw Road was still closed for snow removal). We saw 5 moose on this run. The first group was a female and 2 yearlings – all very scrawny. The next group was a mom and a calf that couldn’t have been more than a couple of weeks old. That was very cool.

Sunday morning, we got up bright and early for fishing again. I was still stubborn and trying different dry flies, even though there was no sign of fish feeding on the surface, and no sign of anything being caught other than lake trout. I don’t have many wet flies, and don’t have sinking line, but I did try a scud and some nymphs to no avail. Lisa caught the first fish of the trip – about a 16″ lake trout on a spoon. Dad managed to catch a couple of lake trout that morning too – one probably 20″ and the other about 16″. Jon and his son Chad met us at about noon, and we took a hike up to Lake Agnes. There was a lot of snow on the lake, and a lot of snow on the trail to get there. I thought it was a great hike, and beautiful. I’m not sure my Mom would agree – as she doesn’t like hiking on snow as much as I do. We ate lunch at Lake Agnes, and then went back and tried to fish some more. Below is Lisa at Lake Agnes.

We were getting no action at Chambers, so we went over to Lost Lake. David and Mom both caught a small rainbow at Lost Lake. There still didn’t seem to be any surface action at Lost Lake, and I couldn’t make it through the lilly pads effectively to really do much there. I really wished I would have had my belly boat, but with the shorter trip I didn’t get it put in this year. We went back and ate the fish and had a great meal, and then a great camp fire. My Dad’s cousin GB and family met us that night. They have been meeting us there for the last 6 years. My Dad cooked everyone “preacher pies”, a delicacy GB’s son Scott taught us to make. They are essentially a mix between cinnamon toast and fruit pies – the the bread on the outside and pie filling in the middle.

Monday morning – we gave it one more try fishing.   I went over to the dark side and tried bait from the bank, but no luck for anyone this morning.   We hiked out to the peninsula in the campground, and then left for Denver to get back for dialysis.  I really hated having to leave so soon.   God has really put a longing in my soul for wild places – not sure if that is part of our design for the garden of Eden or exactly what, but I was ready for another week in the wilderness.  But, it was still an incredible blessing being able to go just for the long weekend.

Monday night, they were able to “pre-heprinize” my machine.   I didn’t have a single alarm the whole night.   That was so nice – and such a blessing.   I really thank God for either type of treatment.   My hope is that they will always be 0 alarms, but when that isn’t part of the plan for the night, I just rest in knowing that Jesus has conquered sickness on the Cross – and I will be healed and this is only temporary.

Today, Lisa and I went and played a few holes of disc golf at Beaver Ranch, and then went and saw Wall-E this afternoon.   I thought Wall-E was great and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Tonight, I rest in God’s mercy and grace, and wish you the best in that you grow in your knowledge of God’s grace.

Kevin