6) Phosphorus News

Tuesday

El Milagro: Today Kim hooked me up smoothly. She was the tech who hooked me up on my first day, and she is always conscientious about telling me to keep my arm still, and she asks how I feel a lot.

I had a medium long conversation with Jennifer the dietician today. She arrives asking if I am taking my binders with every meal. The binder (Renagel 800 mg) attaches to phosphorous in my intestinal tract and escorts it out of my body ( Patients on dialysis should keep their phosphorus levels in the 3.5 to 5.5 mg/dL range). Without such an escort, phosphorous builds up because neither kidney nor dialysis machine can process it.

According to Jennifer, my last blood work showed high phosphorous again so we were trying to figure out when I started taking the Renagel and she was curious about whether I am taking it with every meal…. I assured her I am. Other than that, she reported that my blood work looked good. We were also talking about my adjustment to dialysis and I ended up hesitantly telling her about my blog, which she was immediately curious about. She asked for the web address and I reluctantly gave it to her, cursing myself for my being so acquiescent in the presence of engaging young women. So, the cat is out of the bag in this system and I hope that it takes awhile to become common knowledge, and thus pull me into the box.

The place is not crowded today… I can see the whole room and there are only 8 or 9 chairs occupied. There are 11 staff here, so I think that is a good client/staff ratio. Marilyn social worker stopped by and we discussed her efforts to get me a visit to the Kerrville Dialysis Center for Saturdays during the Kerrville Folk Festival. She said she will talk to the right person down there tomorrow. I shared that I had also put in an online request for space through Davita.

Got out of there by 7:45 tonight.

Later:
Some High Phosphorus Foods

Milk, Cheese, Yogurt, Ice Cream, Beer, Cola, Milk-based Coffee and Chocolate Drinks, Chocolate, Brown Rice, Wild Rice, Whole Grain Breads, Cereals & Crackers, Corn Tortillas, Pancakes, Waffles, Biscuits, Pizza, Avocado, Nuts, Seeds, Nut butters, Dried Beans & Peas, Corn & Peas, Processed Meats (Hot Dogs, Sausage, Turkey Sausage, Bologna), Sardines