A couple of days ago I reported that by moving the tubing layout on my stomach catheter I had resolved the constant (seemingly) problem of cycler alarms while draining. Alas, such is not the case; I went a record four nights without any alarms, then for the last four, without significant alteration of the tubing configuration, I have had alarms. Looks like we’re back to the drawing board.
Last night was a bad night anyway because the constant intake of the “keep your bowels cleaned out to improve draining adage” caught up with me and I was up several times during the night confined to the bathroom. Luckily for us, I can reach both a potty and a shower while tethered.
There is an interesting article in the Wall Street Journal’s 2/21/23 issue page A11 entitled “Friends Found a Radical Cure For Loneliness: the Phone Call” by Julie Jargon. In it, she references the eight decades of research from Harvard that suggests close relationships are the most critical component of health, happiness, and longevity more so than exercise and a good diet. I blogged about this research not too long ago.
Being lonely leads to chronic stress and has been found to be more detrimental to health than being obese. Read that again and take these words of wisdom to heart!
One of the women she studied, a Ms. Doulton Wiltshire, made it a goal to have one phone call, one video call, and one in-person meetup with friends each week. I think people on Dialysis should embrace this concept. We actually receive most of our interpersonal relationships mainly with our Dialysis Team and other attending physicians. Enlarging our social circles to include reaching out to past friends and associates seems to be a way to increase engagement on our part and in so doing perhaps increase our access to the finite pool of happiness we’re all given at birth. I’m going to give it a shot.
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