Archive for the ‘dialysis’ Category

Bill Peckman tweeted this link earlier, and it’s a fantastic (quick read) post.
Not surprisingly the Denver Post’s take on this (I’m curious if DaVita was their only source, I haven’t looked into this personally yet) is flat out wrong.
Their explanation for higher mortality rates in in-center dialysis patients in the US is based on the higher incidence of kidney disease.
In fact, just the opposite is true:

As a group individuals who self identify as African American have better survival while using dialysis then non-African Americans. A 2007 paper in Seminars in Nephrology reported that “the risk of death is nearly 45% lower in African-Americans than Caucasians undergoing chronic hemodialysis.” Thus, the US does not have a comparatively higher death rate because of the higher proportion of blacks with kidney disease.

Thanks for bringing this to the ESRD community’s attention Bill.
I know I’ve been absent a long time from ESRD advocacy and involvement. Perhaps with your keen intellect and help, I can turn that around and begin contributing to your great effort once again, if in no other way, through awareness and exposure.

Does anyone remember this character from the Fox Kid’s Club here in Denver?
Many of us started off our afternoons to his memorable voice – does anyone else remember?

Keep the memory alive.

After all this time – you’re still still sitting there reading what I have to say?!
Amazing…. I love the Inter-webs.

So… After much deliberation and heartache, my life has taken about 42 amazing and thrilling turns since we last saw each other.

I am no longer working at BrightStores – which some of you are probably saying “bright huh?”.

Ok… lemme backup.
About a year ago I left Chris Finger Pianos to try my hand at professional web development. I took a job with a small company called “BrightStores” under the pretense that I would be working from home. This was a great move at first, what with my busy dialysis schedule and all. After several months though the owner of the company began looking for office space, yearning for the cohesion that comes from everyone sitting around checking sports scores and instant messaging their friends in the same building. He decided ultimately to get office space in Evergreen after telling me several times “Don’t worry – I’m never going to require you to be in an office 5 days a week.” Of course after about a week in the new office he decided that he did in fact want me there full time. Furthermore, if I was unable to be there full time, I should consider going either contract, or part time (this of course made sense given the number of hours I would miss due to treatment). I actually moved my schedule all around to try and make it work for a couple of weeks, but in the end decided I should go contract. Keep in mind, I made this decision thinking that my job would stay much the same it was, but that I would now have the freedom to work from home again not being a full time employee.
Nope…
I think I racked up between 5 and 7 billable hours of work after going contract.
Anyway – needless to say, I had to think quick and find some other way to make ends meet.
We’re still in that phase I guess, but a few exciting things have happened. I will try to enumerate upon these things in the coming days.

1) Anna and I began (and completed) training to do home-hemodialysis, allowing us to now schedule dialysis around our lives, rather than the other way around. We absolutely love it, and I am much healthier for it – not to mention I get to spend more time at home with the wife, cat, and puppy.

2) My friends over at the iO Group were kind enough to take me on as a contract employee there, helping me to fill in some empty hours with web development work. This was truly a God send, and I’m hoping it will continue to blossom and grow as a source of work for me.

3) I have started my own business venture. I have been a piano technician for more than 12 years now, and very much enjoy some aspects of my work. I have for a long time been wondering how else I can, with my current skill set, find meaningful work – how can I make a difference? After much deliberation I have decided to begin teaching piano. First off, it puts me at the piano which is where I want to be, and second it allows me to become a better student myself. I’ve begun practicing again, and am starting to crank through some new music which is fun.
I’m also toying with the idea of doing some recording and seeing if anyone might like to listen to my “music”.

Anyway – time for me to go to bed after finishing up yet another daily dialysis treatment – but things are wonderful and I am content.

The time has come to pick up this dusty old cap, give it a good whack against my leg, and begin wearing it again.
After being ravaged by spam, this place is overdue for an overhaul, and it begins now.

Soon going to tollidee.com will simply bring you here, and this will become the meat of the operation.
I’m done trying to inspire dialysis patients with my trials and tribulations – rather, I will begin writing whatever I feel like writing. Some of it (much of it I’m sure) will be dialysis related, but much of it will also be related to whatever flotsam is wedged into the conduits of my brain.
I hope to jettison much onto you willing participants.

… Until then …

Well all,
It’s been awhile since I’ve posted — BUT — I have good reason (so don’t get angry).

I recently started a new job as a web designer, and find that I don’t spend a lot of time with the upkeep of this site now. My intentions are pure I assure you, but I’ve just not had time with the new job to come “over here” and take care of things.

My apologies, as I know this has been apparent in the forums, and on the blog – with the complete lack of any fresh content.

As always, after a long hiatus, I will return with several fast posts in a blitzkrieg of literary mediocrity.

Yes, I’m enjoying the new job immensely, and even get to work from home – which turns out to be a huge plus for the dialysis patient.