Punching Stupid and Evil in the Face Since 1986!


Sunday, December 26, 2010

My date with destiny-revisited and revised.

UPDATE: looks like there is more than one Michelle Moore so you may be asked for my birth date-5/9/1970.

I know it has been a couple of weeks since I have posted here. Most of you come to read my ranting about politics and I appreciate that. We have a lot of fun around here and I have always done my best to be informative and let you, the reader, know what is happening in the world. Some of you know me personally, or feel you do at least. We might interact here, on Twitter or Facebook-in the age of the interconnected web and social media our friends and families have expanded far beyond our neighborhoods or communities.

With that in mind, the majority of you already know I have experienced two major health issues in the last couple of weeks. For those that read here regularly and didn't know.....well now you are in on it too. On December 13, 2010 I was taken in to the emergency room at a local hospital in excruciating pain. After a long drawn out ordeal and exploratory surgery, the doctors determined I had an ovary that had twisted on itself and ultimately died. This was the cause of my pain. However, in the normal course of testing upon admittance it was also discovered my kidney function had severely deteriorated over the last 5 years. Dialysis and transplant were words I had always expected to hear during my lifetime, but I thought it would be at 60 or 70 not 40. Alas, the wait, as they say, is over. With numbers falling somewhere in the 9% function range, there is no more putting off the inevitable-my non-invasive health issue has now become extremely invasive and must be dealt with.

It is my plan then, to return to blogging as usual. There will be politics and Face Punching, but from time-to-time, when it's interesting, I will also share my journey-hopefully resulting in successful kidney transplant-with you. Right now, I don't know exactly what to expect and I would assume that most regular, average, everyday, folks don't either. I have questions and I know you guys will be curious too. I have never been ashamed or particularly secretive of my illness so I'm happy to take you along for the ride. Be warned, just like my opinion on politics, I will surely have opinions about this journey and when the going gets rough or I am unhappy with how it's playing out, things might get ugly around here. Honesty and forthrightness are two qualities I possess, sometimes to the embarrassment of others, but rarely to the embarrassment of myself. There are already things that are happening that are making me unhappy, but, such is the way of things like this I suppose........we'll just have to wait it out, won't we :)

For starters we'll have a few statistics about me-what are we beginning with? Well one major number the Nephrologists look at is your creatinine . My creatinine as of the Monday I was admitted was 7.9. With the aid of re-hydration and drugs that number is now down to 5.8 at the last reading. This number is frowned upon when it goes over 1.1......I get more blood work on Monday.

In addition to this poor number, I am almost completely anemic. I have almost no iron in my system and basically no ability to produce my own. Because of this, I am also making little to no new red blood cells. Doctors don't like that. For this condition, more drugs, one of which is a shot 3 times a week.

Another thing they discovered is the size of my kidney has shrunk about half its size in the last 5 years. The last time it was measured it was around 13, now it is 7. This loss of muscle mass in the kidney is very bad. The bottom line is, my one good kidney is working way to hard and atrophying at the same time.

There were some other tests that didn't bode well for me while I was in the hospital, but it doesn't really add anything to the story to bore you with those numbers too. Let's face it, the fact is, the only thing that matters is my kidneys are crap and I need a new one.

When I woke up on December 13th I was taking no medicine on a daily basis and was feeling pretty good; at the end of that same week, I left the hospital with 12 different prescriptions and feeling as though I had been hit by a truck.

3 of the medicines they prescribed for me were for high blood pressure. When I first went to the Urgent Care my blood pressure was 179/120. Later, in the hospital it was 184/somethingequallyoutrageous. At various times in the days before they took out my ovary it stayed high pretty consistently. The docs convinced themselves I have high blood pressure. I disagree, so at this time I am not taking those prescriptions. Once I have recovered from surgery fully and have no more pain I think that will be a much more accurate reading of my blood pressure. I have never had high blood pressure. In fact it has always been unbelievably low (if you know me, you know why I say that *wink*) running 110/50-60 very reliably. I experienced some very undesirable side effects from those medications and I really hope to avoid taking them. For one the dry mouth was so bad I couldn't sleep because I would wake up choking. Not pleasant.

I am taking 4 medications several times a day that are supposed to improve my kidney function. I won't know for sure until Wednesday if they are doing their job. I will tell you the side effects of these are also quite unpleasant but I just don't feel I can stop taking them in good conscience at this time. Something I am taking is causing me severe gastrointestinal distress and making me feel nauseous most of the time. They better be working, that's all I can say.

I return to the doctor on Wednesday to get results of the upcoming blood work and find out what the next step is in this journey. I know I will get instruction on diet. I will sit with a nurse who will go over the two types of dialysis with me and I will choose which one I want. I will find out how often I have to see the doctor and how long I have until I start dialysis-which at this time I believe to be basically only the amount of time it takes to prepare me for it. I will also get all the info I need about transplant. It would be great if I could avoid dialysis and go straight for the transplant, but I don't know if that will be possible. I know the first and most major criteria for going on the transplant list (besides all the testing) is function consistently under 20%......I would say I have that beat by a mile. Other than that I don't know much.........

I have only questions right now. I'm facing my mortality in a striking, god-smack kind of way. I didn't know I was this sick and I scares me to think how different this story might have been had I not had ovary troubles-I am exhibiting no other symptoms of kidney failure. Would I have gone on like this until it was too late? Has my body learned to adjust so well to its short-comings it would have let me go into total failure with no warning? What does my future hold and what will it look like? It is hard for those around me who haven't had to face an issue like this to relate to all the emotions I am going through right now. I am exhausted, yet hard pressed to waste one more minute of my life. I am happy to know about my deterioration and that the doctors are taking steps to protect me, yet so angry to be in this situation. I want to live, but I am pissed that I have to deal with this.

I am quite a bag of tricks right now I am sure.

So there you go faithful reader. This is where we are now and you can go along for the ride if you wish....wherever that may be.


  1. You are a trooper, Michelle. you have my prayers and thoughts. You inspire us all.

  2. I am here, avid reader, watching and praying.

  3. Michelle

    I am a new reader and I am impressed. Best of luck with your health problems. Please stay healthy so we all may enjoy your honesty on the FREE (unregulated) internet.

    Yours truly

  4. God heals.
    By Christ's stripes, you were healed way back then.
    Claim it and the victory He has already declared, is yours.
    There is no logical reason to not believe.

  5. P.S.
    Punch evil and stupid in the face.

  6. Michelle, there are so Many people out here who love you and appreciate you. Thank you for sharing.

  7. I'm honored to share in your journey, Michelle. A couple years ago, I too went from what I thought was healthy as a horse and medication free to Yee-Haw...you have a brain tumor! Tumor was successfully removed and benign...but I have an idea of the emotional roller-coaster you're riding...

    I also share your blunt, in-your-face way of dealing with your situation through what others might see as brutally honest...I see it as REALITY. It IS what it IS...live life with honesty and integrity.

    Sending prayers and God's blessings to you for the "journey"!

  8. Rambo if you ever need anything just let me know

  9. I’ve been watching your posts off and on with great interest. I had no idea of the issues you are facing. From what I’ve seen of you, you are a very strong and ornery woman. You definitely have my heart. Hang in there!