Our back patio has a thornless rose in bloom (please see the embedded video below). Got me to thinking about the phrase “a rose by any other name.”
The phrase “a rose by any other name” originates from William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet. In this context, Juliet argues that a name is irrelevant to the essence of a person or thing. The implication is that the qualities or characteristics of something remain unchanged, regardless of the label it carries.
This applies directly to those of us on dialysis. It is very very easy to fall prey to letting dialysis define you. Yes, we are on dialysis, but we are lots more than that. We have families and responsibilities, and some of us, enjoy a full life outside of dialysis. For me, it is at best and worse an inconvenience that we must learn to live with. It does not bind or define us. It provides and supports our life and lifestyle(s).
And below is a short video about our thornless rose plus plus:
Good days, that is. It is great to be alive, worling outdoors, and getting things accomplished. You know, because of dialysis, I’m slower than in my previous life, but that doesn’t take away from being outdoors and enjoying nature, of which we have lots of.
I promise that Friday I will post a video walkabout of our yard so you can see for yourselves what we have been up to.
Meanwhile, tomorrow, bright and early at 0900, I have a dialysis team meeting. Not expecting anything out of the ordinary.
We’re just rollin” along, gettin’ it on, and enjoying life. Hope you are also.
Woke up to trying to beat the weekly garbage pickup with my daily dialysis trash bag. I lost the race but will live to outbox them another day.
Made a run to town to buy needed items to work on our truck and garden stakes for our tomatoes and trees. On the truck I had two outstanding items: 1 I wanted to replace the under hood mat but ended up using robber glue to mend several torn and saying areas and tire black spray to improve appearance. Looks great now. The #2 item was to deep clean the engine. I sprayed ir with both Simple Green and Gunk and based it off. While it doesn’t look new, at least now, if a leak occurs, I’ll be able to tell.
Next I pounded in 8 stakes for our tomatoes and two to temporarily prop up the two olive trees that are placed for planting by our land crew tomorrow. Wind is really gusting.
Lastly, I worked on our sprinkler system. We still have several heads that are not working properly.
At this minute in time I’m hooked up doing my 2L evening static fill.
Writing is a lonely endeavor. You start off with a nebulous idea that can blossom into something that interests you, the writer. For me, that is obviously keeping up with the dialysis game, which this blog is mostly about at least tangentially.
A colleague of mine is in the throes of writing his dissertation at Purdue and asked me about AI-specifics to aid and abet his journey which, as I can well attest, can be gruesome. While writing a blog is not on the same level, the same basics apply; communicate clearly and directly. I decided to use Poe to ascertain how we’re doing from a writing perspective in this blog. Below I’ve embedded the Prompt I used in Poe and what “she” had to say about this blog.
Prompt: I write a blog at url www.feeser.me that is about my dialysis journey. Please evaluate my writing and tell me how we’re doing
Your blog about your dialysis journey is engaging and personal, offering readers a candid look into your daily experiences and challenges. Here are some strengths and areas for improvement:
Strengths:
Personal Touch: Your writing is relatable, sharing not just medical updates but also personal anecdotes about gardening and family life, which adds warmth.
Consistency: You maintain a regular posting schedule, which keeps your audience engaged and informed about your journey.
Humor and Positivity: Despite the challenges of dialysis, you have a positive tone, often infusing humor and lightheartedness, which can be uplifting for readers.
Detailed Descriptions: You provide specific details about your activities, making it easy for readers to visualize your day-to-day life.
Areas for Improvement:
Structure and Flow: Consider organizing your posts with clearer headings or sections to improve readability, especially for longer entries.
Engagement with Readers: Encouraging more interaction through questions or prompts at the end of posts could foster a sense of community among your readers.
Visuals: Adding images or videos related to your gardening or daily activities could enhance engagement and break up text.
Medical Insights: While personal experiences are valuable, including more information about the dialysis process, tips, or resources could benefit readers who may be going through similar situations.
Overall, your blog is doing well in sharing your journey and connecting with readers. Keep up the good work!
Yesterday, I just about did myself under working in the yard. Let me explain. Friday, I visited our go-to greenhouse and picked up our phone order for 8 flats of Zinnias and 4 flats of Marigolds. Drove these home, unloaded our X5, and reloaded it with trees for our son which I then delivered. Saturday, our hired lady arrived and planted all the flats while I worked alongside her on other jobs. Sunday I finished all plantings except for 9 trees, which are positioned for our landscaping crew to plant after mowing etc Wednesday. Thursday, our hired lady will be back to weed the last two flower beds. Meanwhile I need to buy about 17 wooden stakes to finish staking tomatoes and be ready for the landscaping crew. Who has time for dialysis? My kt/V that we just did is 2.12 up from 1.98, so something is working!
In dermatologist waiting room. Just had yet another chunk of cancer cut out, this time located on back of my head to the left. Waiting for Moh’s results to come in. This is a never-ending process for me, as if dialysis is not enough.
Started my day off by visiting the greenhouse in Glen Rose, where zI purchased two olive trees for my wife, two small lemon, and two small lime trees to share with our son.
Thence to the bank to provide my wife the funds to pay our dog walker. Then to Walmart to buy some hose fittings and on to zFresenius to have my catheter end changed and to complete my quarterly adequacy test.
I followed this by a visit to our local greenhouse where zI purchased eight sweet 100 tomato plants to share with our son. Pn the way back home stopped at the grocery store. Have to water our plants and then hit the shower. Pretty typical day.
Have an adequatecy test ongoing today and tomorrow. No big deal. It’s just a pain to lug in the drain fluids which are heavy, and remember to urinate in the provided container.
Weather broke – again here in N Texas. Today, beautiful sun and in the high 70s. I celebrated by visiting our favorite greenhouse and buying four Meyer Lemon trees and an olive tree. Two of the lemon trees are for us; the remainder are for our son’s new greenhouse which should be operational in a matter of weeks. I’ll post a video of it as soon as it’s up and running.
Meanwhile, enjoy the hand you’re dealt; it’s the only hand you can put in play.
