A little background about my situation

Kidney failure officially came in late January, but it started decades ago.

I have congenital hydronephrosis. That means I was born with kidneys that were only half tissue and half fluid right from the start. Not a problem for years, because one needs only one kidney - a fully functioning kidney - to live normally.

The problem was, that's really all I started with - two halves making a whole.

I didn't discover this, however, until I was 28, when it showed up on X-rays.
Again, that didn't present a problem at the time, but it did seven years later.

Horrible lower back pain led to the discovery of a massive stone - the size of a child's fist - that had to be surgically removed. I recovered and all seemed fine until ten more years passed and another surgery. From then on I was regularly monitored, but kidney function remained just fine, or at least nothing to really worry about.

Until this past year. Serum creatinine, which measures how well the kidneys clear wastes from the blood, continue to climb, but still within functional levels.

Then, in January, it his 9. Normal creatinine is about .5 and most folks who go suddenly to 9 are suddenly dead. That I was still active and vertical sort of confused my personal doctor and he sent me to a nephrologist.

And that led me to this, sitting four times a day next to an IV pole, transferring dialysis fluid from and into the peritoneal cavity.

Next Monday I begin training to use a machine called a cycler, which I'll connect to at night and it works while I'll sleep, leaving my days free away from an IV pole.

Yes, it's quite expensive. But we are all paying for it. End stage kidney failure dialysis is covered under Medicare Part B and would be if I were younger and not yet on Medicare, but didn't have insurance coverage. (My Medicare supplement I pay for covers all the co-pays and deductibles.) So you can imagine I'm not open to any debates about universal health care.




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End stage

The Spring semester did not begin well.

Caught a version of the flu not covered by this year's vaccine.

Was declared end stage in kidney failure

Had surgery on Valentine's Day. Missed a week of classes.

My mother passed away in March. Missed another week of classes.

Had a week of dialysis training in April.  Missed another week of classes.

Spent the final three weeks of the semester (a) doing at-home peritoneal dialysis four times a day and (b) having classes four nights a week to make up the lost time from surgery, a funeral, and training.

On the brighter side, Anthony and I explored Washington D.C. while attending the annual national conference of the Popular Culture Association.  Had I known what my blood work the following week would indicate, I might not have taken the trip, since I was apparently clinically dead.  

I've decided to use Blogger to cover my situation in more detail.

Don't worry. I'll write about other things.  Like going to see One Direction next month in Nashville. I bought the tickets last April.  That's right, April 2012. And, no, I'm not selling them. 

Later in the Summer, it's back to Nashville for Bruno Mars. I'll document these trips too.

Stay tuned. 

The First Day of Christmas . . .

Well, it's not actually the first day, according to the calendar.
But getting together with Anthony and Justin to exchange gifts made it seem that way.
Here is one of the prized possessions I received:



Yes, it's Peter Pan, from the Disney Store. My childhood hero.



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Two weeks in a rental car

I love my Honda Fit. Always have. And all the more so because, in eight months, it will be mine, all mine.
But, since I got side-swiped two weeks ago, I've been driving a 2013 Fiat 500 Sport.
And I really don't want to give it up.
I want my Honda back.
I just don't want to give the Fiat back.
And I don't want to trade one for the other.

First world problem, right?

Time for an upgrade

I waited six months after the first generation iPad was introduced before succumbing to its charms. Since the I've found it to be a creative workhorse. I've written syllabi, recorded grades, created presentations (and presented them) and so much more.
But today I took advantage of tax free weekend to spring for the new iPad. 64 gig, Wi-Fi and 4G. Now I can shoot and edit video and more.

"Driving in Memphis"

OK, so it doesn't have quite the charm of Marc Cohen's, "Walking in Memphis," but it's been a fun day here, the first time in forever that I've gone to Memphis other than to (a) catch a plane, or (b) get service at the Apple Store. Set foot on the University of Memphis campus for the first time since June 1991. The Communication Dept. is now in the old law school building; very nice digs. Went to the ginormous Macy's at Oak Court Mall, then drove out Poplar all the way to Saddle Cree, something I also haven't done in years. Now I'm about to leave Barnes and Noble at Wolfchase and head back home. Two classes in Trenton tomorrow and one tomorrow night at Jackson State.
Just over three weeks until Spring Break.
(I'm supposedly "retired," yet I'm still counting down to Spring Break!)

You are a Christian? I Do not think so.

OK, I can handle diversity. I even celebrate it. Diversity keeps life rich and prevents boredom.
As a Christian (with a Kierkegaardian existentialist perspective), I can consider many as Christian brothers and sisters who may have different doctrinal beliefs that I. They may be Catholic, may be Baptist, may even be "Reformed," and I'll find it quite easy to fellowship with them. Our differences do not overcome our unity through the Holy Spirit.
Recently, however, I've realized there are a number of people calling themselves "Christian" with whom I just cannot consider fellowship. I can value their lives as creations of God, I can care for their welfare, as I am called to do.
But I cannot consider them to be fellow Christians.
Certain things are what they are. I'm male and can't claim to be female. I'm white and can't claim to be black. I'm a native-born American and can't claim to be Canadian or European.
I am who I am either because of biology or belief.
So when some people claim to be Christian, but believe blacks are poor because they are lazy, or claim that God "called them to be president," or that God called them to "cure gays," or that God requires them to keep women in subjugation to men, then I have to ask:
Where do you get such ideas?
From Jesus?
No, that can't be, because he never said these things.
From the Bible?
Well, yes, what Christians call the Old Testament does have some strange rules, but we have to put them in context. Of time and of purpose.
From God speaking to you?
Yes, God does still speak, but he doesn't give private lessons. No, God hasn't told Pat Robertson who will win in 2012, but to keep it secret. God never even spoke to the great prophets of scripture that way.
Look, we can agree to disagree over the proper age for baptism, over the administering of the sacraments, over which Bible translation is more "true" to the original, over whether clergy should wear robes (I don't think they should), and so on and so on.
So long as we are united in our belief in the saving grace of God through Jesus Christ, then we are brothers and sisters united by the Holy Spirit.
But if you believe a Christian should denigrate another based on race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, social class, ethnicity or income, then you are not a Christian.
I'll still regard you as a fellow human being, created in the image of God, but I will not, will not, will not, consider you a Christian.
How you regard me is your choice.
How I regard you is something you have no say in.