A Different Kind of Hero

Here in the US, today is Memorial Day. For most of the past 13 years, I have paid tribute to this day, its origins, and the celebrations of our fallen soldiers. This year, we’re going to do something a little different. I’m sure you remember Leesa Thompson who guest blogged last year. She is highly involved with helping others find kidney donors since she herself is a kidney recipient. This is…

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It’s Not Cancer

We have a habit of using the dining room table as our desks when we both want to work yet be together while doing so. But it is our dining room table. That means each time we have company over for dinner, we need to clear the table. Bear brings his papers into his office, and I bring mine into my office. I’ve really slowed down since the pancreatic cancer, so sometimes papers are piled upon the…

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Let’s Do This One Last Time

There’s a word banging around in my brain. Although I’ve looked it up several times, I still am not quite sure what it means or how to use it. Why not come along with me for what I’m hoping is the last time of figuring it out? Whoops, forgot to tell you what the word is. It’s amyloidosis. I vaguely thought I remembered it was something on a blood test. I vaguely thought wrong. Okay, let’s go to…

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We’re Just Not Compatible

How many times have you heard this as a young single person? Not too many, I hope. I can clearly remember feeling terrible upon hearing this, “It’s not you; it’s me.” Worse yet when I was the one saying it. It did seem necessary all that long ago. Read on and you’ll find out what this has to do with National Donor Month. As far as incompatible, in this case, I don’t mean you and me. [Although…

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And, Finally … (Part 1)

As National Donate Life Month draws to a close, we have a guest blog from Uncle Jim. That’s the same Jim Myers who is off to Washington, D.C. to speak on our behalf, has more Facebook groups than I can count right now, has his own podcast, and is just always involved with kidney matters. We are lucky to have him on our team. Jim has approached the same topic I wrote about several months ago, but…

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Yes, Living Donation Help is Available

Let’s say you’ve read the past two  or three blogs and understand that more kidney donations are needed. Let’s say deceased donation is just not hitting you right. Let’s say you want to make a living donation since you have two kidneys and only need one to stay alive. First of all, congratulations on making that big decision. Next, do you know there are organizations that will help you… and it…

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This is no Joke

Today is April Fool’s Day! [Oh, happy anniversary to cousins Gail and Bob Halpern.] But today’s topic is no joke. Last week, the lovely Leesa Thompson eased us into National Donor Month. We’ll learn more about this today. Let’s start at the beginning. This is a relatively new celebration, started in 2003, only 21 years ago. The American Society of Transplantation explains: “National Donate Life…

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A Matter of Life: National Kidney Month, Donor Month, and the Donor’s Dilemma

Our old friend, Leesa Thompson …. Wait a minute! I don’t mean you’re old, Leesa. I mean we’ve had a couple of guest blogs from you before. Please forgive me. Anyway, Leesa has brought another guest blog to me. This one is perfect for National Kidney Month and a lovely way to end this celebratory month. Take it away, Leesa… National Kidney Month is observed annually in March to raise awareness…

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World Kidney Day

Last Thursday was World Kidney Day… and I’m late celebrating it. There are loads of medical issues in the family right now, but I’m trying to make up for this lapse. This past Saturday, I offered the digital versions of these books for free on Amazon: What Is That and How Did I Get It? Early Stage Chronic Kidney SlowItDownCKD 2011 SlowItDownCKD 2012 SlowItDownCKD 2013 SlowItDownCKD…

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Women in Nephrology

You know, in addition to being National Kidney Month, March is also National Woman’s Month. Once again, I decided to combine the two and write about women in nephrology. Nefrologia [English edition] started us off with names you may or may not recognize: “ Internationally, in an attempt to highlight the work of women in the scientific field, the International Society of Nephrology (ISN) wanted…

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It’s National Kidney Month

Hello, hello, and a belated welcome to National Kidney Month. This year, for a change, I decided to go to a non-medical site for a clear explanation of what this month is. The entire blog [except my introduction, of course.] is from National Today, a site committed to which celebrations are on which day[s]: “March is dedicated to National Kidney Month. The kidneys, two bean-shaped organs located…

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I Hear Ya

I am lucky enough to personally know several nurses. At one point or another, each has mentioned the connection between the kidneys and the ears. I disregarded that until I realized how often I’d heard it. But I didn’t understand it. One is on your head and the other above your bladder. Hmmm. Time to find out how they’re connected. The National Library of Medicine helped in starting my…

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That’s Low

Just when I wonder if I’m going to run out of topics to write about, I receive a reader’s request. This week, I was saved by a request to write about low anion gap. I know, I know, it sounds like we’re pioneers trekking our way across the mountains when you see that phrase out of context. So, let’s put it into context. If you looked, you’d find the phrase included in the following blood tests…

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Black History Month

It’s Black History Month. Ah, but what is that? “As Andrea Wurtzburger wrote in People Magazine (I knew there was a reason I grabbed this first each time I waited in one medical office or another [prior to the pandemic].) in the February 13, 2020…  ‘Black History Month is an entire month devoted to putting a spotlight on African Americans who have made contributions to our country. Originally,…

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Mom Had One

Years ago, when I was a young woman in my 20s, my mother had a fibroid in her uterus. Or, at least that was the way she explained it. Come to think of it, she didn’t explain. Rather, she simply announced she’d had it removed. My brother and I, both medically ignorant at the time, had no idea why that was such a big deal. In the intervening decades, I’ve learned a lot. Most of that medical…

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Have Some Water

Water, water, everywhere. [Thank you to Samuel Taylor Coleridge for allowing us to borrow from Rime of the Ancient Mariner.] But each kind seems to be different. For example, we drink Arrowhead brand. In New York, it was Poland Springs, although we had delicious, safe tap water. That’s something we don’t have in Arizona unless you buy a filtering system. And that’s what today’s blog is about:…

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