Once again, another week whirled by. I completed my dialysis rotation which proved to be more frustrating than expected. Dialysis is a treatment for people with end stage renal disease. Their kidneys no longer filter their blood, so they need a machine to do it for them. Kidney failure stems from hypertension and diabetes.
Because the kidneys cannot filter their blood, they have a very specific diet they must follow - limited phosphorus, potassium, and fluid. The dialysis dietitian is constantly fighting with patients to adhere to this diet. I was appalled and angered to find the number of patients that could care less about watching their phosphorus or potassium. These are serious restrictions - if you consume too much phosphorus, it will calcify in your blood stream and form bone. It's literally like your body begins to turn to stone. And potassium is a solute that can stop your heart if too elevated. Why do these patients not care? Why do they not want to fight to live?
As a new member of the medical world, I guess this will continue to aggravate me. I will never understand why a patient this week with a $5 copay refuses to get their phosphate binder medications waiting for them at the local pharmacy while a month ago I had had a middle class father working 3 jobs, crying in the hospital, not sleeping at night for fear he can no longer afford his 2 year old daughters cystic fibrosis medication.
Needless to say, I was happy when Friday rolled around.
It was RESTAURANT WEEK in Charleston. Jo and some of the interns dined at 82 Queen, a reputable restaurant downtown. They ate their money's worth and came home stuffed. Jo's cousin, Douglas, was also visiting and he braved the dinner with 6 girls. Apparently their was no "work talk"... lucky for him!
Jo, Douglas, and I headed out in the rain to watch the UK game on Saturday. Unfortunately, my DAYTON FLYERS lost to XU... but Jo was happy because UK WON! Go Cats.
(I'm not a UK fan at all - just a supportive roommate)
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