August 5, 2010
Good morning everyone, thank you for the well wishes on my negative spine biopsy. I couldn't tell you how relieved I was when I found out, so was the oncologist. I went to the nephrologist the next day, seemed pretty nice but didn't have the greatest bedside manner. I did manage to crack a smile off him. He seemed pretty professional, which put me at ease. I am glad that my kidney function is 53% instead of 43%. My creatinine level is 1.3 so it still is relatively normal. If my level was over 2-3% then there is cause for concern. That could be years from now. Until then, live life the way I need to. he gave me 3 scripts for some 24 hour urine tests. the 1st one is the dreaded brown bottle urine test (I am on it as we speak), I have to collect all my urine for 24 hours, then go back for some additional blood work, CMP, Uric Acid, Phosphate and CBC w/diff first thing tomorrow morning. No fasting but I will be drinking a lot of water all day long. That will be my drink of choice for the rest of the day until tomorrow morning. Fun! Thank god my office is right next to the bathroom. Kinda hate it because I can hear everyone go to the bathroom and there are some sounds that no one wants to hear. Yuck....LOL!!! I have a script for lisinopril BP 10mg to start probably in a few weeks (I will wait until our PCA classes are overwith so they can test me with my higher than normal blood pressure - as a guinea pig. I bet they all get me wrong...LOL!!). 10 days after that I have another blood tests, I don't think it will be 24 hour urine that time so it might be a little better. The last test, is a 24 hour urine with fasting - so I might have to take a PTO day inorder to do this (too difficult to do during the weekend - that would ruin it and at work, god knows what they will bring in for food, not good to fast during work hours). So I am kinda stuck on that one. Thats ok. I plan on doing that around the 10th of October, which will be approximately 2 1/2 weeks before my next appt. I am about to have fun today....
My sister comes in tomorrow from Denver CO for a week. Its our 25th reunion (more about that soon!). As I stated in a previous journal many months ago - I was held back in the 1st grade so I ended up going to school with my sister. Funny, everyone thought we were twins. I don't look anything like my sister. All my school years, all I have heard was "you don't look anything like your sister". I am not kidding you, we do not look anything a like. I was always Kelly's sister. My identity was different in my school years. I was always the quiet, shy, conservative sister and she was always the goodie too shoes, student counsel president, etc. I almost feel that they associated me because of her. I didn't feel like I had an identity until after high school when she went off to college and I stayed home to go to a community college which I never graduated from. I wound up graduating from "social" and just coasted at that community college. I made friends, lots of them but they are not good friends like I wanted them to be. Its like they don't even want to even get together for a reunion or anything - just live life and not reconnect. Pretty sad. I did reconnect with a few of them over the years but it never lasted. I think I remember a posting about this a day or two ago in the depression support group. Its often hard to reach out to friends but they don't want to reciprocate. I don't want to be a pest either. Also, friends come and go so often in our lives. I hate hearing about people who have friends they stay with since HS, sure they are friends but they have remained close to them. To me they are closed off and too afraid to take chances in life to meet new people.
when I was involved with John about 20 years ago, I always wanted to go back to school to do something. He was so discouraging and told me that it wasn't worth it for me to go back. It was like he was holding me back and did so for 6 years. I will explain about him in a future journal. Probably longer because after I broke it off with him in 1997, I felt really discouraged and felt that I didn't have the courage to go back. It took an additional 7 years before I decided to go back, this time to a private 2 year school that had smaller classes. I thrived at Bryant and Stratton College, started to get my A's and B's which made me love going to classes, doing the projects, papers (that took a while to get the hang of but eventually I got my "A" term paper at my last semester). It took me 9 semesters, taking 2-3 classes at a time. I wouldn't dare go full time even though it would take me next to nothing to pick up a 4th class. I started off really easy - basic math (noncredit) and beginning typing (cake class). Then basic english (noncredit - teacher thought I didn't belong in the class - was a better writer than she thought I was) and 2nd semester typing (cake class). It went up from there. When we went to the new college where it stands today I got into my curriculum classes - all my medical classes. I graduated magna caum laude with a 3.7 gpa. If I decide to go for my bachelors degree, it might be healthcare administration or go farther for my coding certificate and go for healthcare information management. I went to school for medical coding a few years ago, took the CPC exam but failed it twice. It was a difficult exam. The 2nd time I almost passed it but I missed the mark on 2 sections. I want to decide by the end of this year so I can start in the Fall 2011. It might be online. I also thought of Occupational Therapy too. Not sure if I want to be a glorified Administrative Assistant all my life. I have been doing this sort of job for 20 years (give or take a home health aide for a year inbetween). I just got my student loans straightened out so I will continue to pay the American Student Association for at least another year (they are the government student loans, where everyone who gets a federal stafford loan will get their loans from - banks are getting out of the business). Then a possible inschool deferrment to get the bachelors degree. I will be paying this off for the next 25 or so years - hopefully I will last that long with this PKD (lets cross our fingers on that one, you never know!). We shall see what I decide in the next 6 months. The thought of getting a bachelors degree is a really good thing. I will then be the same degree level as my sister (not my cousin Debbie, she is the only masters degree holder in the family) and ahead of my other cousins who all have their associates degree (except for my brother and cousin John who do not have degrees and are book smart workers and are very successful).
My good friend Jodi who is a coder is trying to encourage me to retake the exam at the end of this year so I can start bidding on some coding jobs when the new facility goes up in our hospital sites. My issue isn't the test its gathering the $$ for the exam. I have to enroll in the AAPC (american professional coders association), thats $150.00 then the books (CPT-4, ICD 9 and HICPCS books) all cost a total of $250.00, then the exam is $300.00 (for AACP members)for 2 additional tries - without the membership the cost shoots up to $450.00. Thats a lot to put down and $$ that I don't have at this moment.
I want to hit myself in the head - I forgot to call my friend Debbie to cancel out of Sunday and Tuesday. She is so mad at me for doing that. She is that kind of friend who will tell you right away if something isn't right. That could be good but it could be bad. She's got her foot in her mouth a few times (not by me, but a few other people). I was house sitting for my cousin Debbie again with the 2 cats for several days. Hope she can forgive me. I might have to send her some flowers to her house in the next day or two to appologize. Do you think that might be a good thing? I feel downright terrible about that. I try and be a good friend but I think I am allowed some slip ups from time to time. I know...I should have called her. So, I was wrong. I will let her cool off for another day or two. I think I am human.
Have a wonderful day everyone. Love you all....
My sister comes in tomorrow from Denver CO for a week. Its our 25th reunion (more about that soon!). As I stated in a previous journal many months ago - I was held back in the 1st grade so I ended up going to school with my sister. Funny, everyone thought we were twins. I don't look anything like my sister. All my school years, all I have heard was "you don't look anything like your sister". I am not kidding you, we do not look anything a like. I was always Kelly's sister. My identity was different in my school years. I was always the quiet, shy, conservative sister and she was always the goodie too shoes, student counsel president, etc. I almost feel that they associated me because of her. I didn't feel like I had an identity until after high school when she went off to college and I stayed home to go to a community college which I never graduated from. I wound up graduating from "social" and just coasted at that community college. I made friends, lots of them but they are not good friends like I wanted them to be. Its like they don't even want to even get together for a reunion or anything - just live life and not reconnect. Pretty sad. I did reconnect with a few of them over the years but it never lasted. I think I remember a posting about this a day or two ago in the depression support group. Its often hard to reach out to friends but they don't want to reciprocate. I don't want to be a pest either. Also, friends come and go so often in our lives. I hate hearing about people who have friends they stay with since HS, sure they are friends but they have remained close to them. To me they are closed off and too afraid to take chances in life to meet new people.
when I was involved with John about 20 years ago, I always wanted to go back to school to do something. He was so discouraging and told me that it wasn't worth it for me to go back. It was like he was holding me back and did so for 6 years. I will explain about him in a future journal. Probably longer because after I broke it off with him in 1997, I felt really discouraged and felt that I didn't have the courage to go back. It took an additional 7 years before I decided to go back, this time to a private 2 year school that had smaller classes. I thrived at Bryant and Stratton College, started to get my A's and B's which made me love going to classes, doing the projects, papers (that took a while to get the hang of but eventually I got my "A" term paper at my last semester). It took me 9 semesters, taking 2-3 classes at a time. I wouldn't dare go full time even though it would take me next to nothing to pick up a 4th class. I started off really easy - basic math (noncredit) and beginning typing (cake class). Then basic english (noncredit - teacher thought I didn't belong in the class - was a better writer than she thought I was) and 2nd semester typing (cake class). It went up from there. When we went to the new college where it stands today I got into my curriculum classes - all my medical classes. I graduated magna caum laude with a 3.7 gpa. If I decide to go for my bachelors degree, it might be healthcare administration or go farther for my coding certificate and go for healthcare information management. I went to school for medical coding a few years ago, took the CPC exam but failed it twice. It was a difficult exam. The 2nd time I almost passed it but I missed the mark on 2 sections. I want to decide by the end of this year so I can start in the Fall 2011. It might be online. I also thought of Occupational Therapy too. Not sure if I want to be a glorified Administrative Assistant all my life. I have been doing this sort of job for 20 years (give or take a home health aide for a year inbetween). I just got my student loans straightened out so I will continue to pay the American Student Association for at least another year (they are the government student loans, where everyone who gets a federal stafford loan will get their loans from - banks are getting out of the business). Then a possible inschool deferrment to get the bachelors degree. I will be paying this off for the next 25 or so years - hopefully I will last that long with this PKD (lets cross our fingers on that one, you never know!). We shall see what I decide in the next 6 months. The thought of getting a bachelors degree is a really good thing. I will then be the same degree level as my sister (not my cousin Debbie, she is the only masters degree holder in the family) and ahead of my other cousins who all have their associates degree (except for my brother and cousin John who do not have degrees and are book smart workers and are very successful).
My good friend Jodi who is a coder is trying to encourage me to retake the exam at the end of this year so I can start bidding on some coding jobs when the new facility goes up in our hospital sites. My issue isn't the test its gathering the $$ for the exam. I have to enroll in the AAPC (american professional coders association), thats $150.00 then the books (CPT-4, ICD 9 and HICPCS books) all cost a total of $250.00, then the exam is $300.00 (for AACP members)for 2 additional tries - without the membership the cost shoots up to $450.00. Thats a lot to put down and $$ that I don't have at this moment.
I want to hit myself in the head - I forgot to call my friend Debbie to cancel out of Sunday and Tuesday. She is so mad at me for doing that. She is that kind of friend who will tell you right away if something isn't right. That could be good but it could be bad. She's got her foot in her mouth a few times (not by me, but a few other people). I was house sitting for my cousin Debbie again with the 2 cats for several days. Hope she can forgive me. I might have to send her some flowers to her house in the next day or two to appologize. Do you think that might be a good thing? I feel downright terrible about that. I try and be a good friend but I think I am allowed some slip ups from time to time. I know...I should have called her. So, I was wrong. I will let her cool off for another day or two. I think I am human.
Have a wonderful day everyone. Love you all....
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