Dave’s Updates

Wikipedia defines BONK as “hitting the wall.” “In endurance sports such as cycling and running, hitting the wall or the bonk describes a condition caused by the depletion of glycogen stores in the liver andmuscles, which manifests itself by sudden fatigue and loss of energy. Milder instances can be remedied by brief rest and the ingestion of food or drinks containing carbohydrates. The condition can usually be avoided by ensuring that glycogen levels are high when the exercise begins, maintaining glucose levels during exercise by eating or drinking carbohydrate-rich substances, or by reducing exercise intensity.”

How would you like to HIT THE WALL 3 days a week for more than 6 years?  What would it feel like for YOU to HIT the wall and, in addition …. to KNOW with certainty that you’re going to hit the wall?  The anticipation is emotionally as brutal as the BONK itself.  As Irene regrettably drives to dialysis on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, she anticipates not only the experience which she must endure; she also anticipates the “AFTER-ward” affect which usually lasts through the entire night …. fighting CRAMPS, unrelenting ARM PAIN in her fistula region where the needles puncture through her skin and, of course, the 24/7 nausea.  I continue to describe the nausea as that of the SURF of the sea …. sometimes the surf is UP and sometimes the surf is DOWN …. but the surf is ever-present.

Irene’s in recovery mode this evening …. and it’s horrific.  However, if her pattern remains true, she’ll battle throughout the entire night and shake herself off tomorrow morning, tending tasks throughout the day with badgering, chronic fatigue and relentless nausea.  Her arm pain has also become chronic; she is soooooooooooo looking forward to her vascular surgeon visit with Dr. Eichler at UCSF in a couple of weeks.  Her “invisible disability” is masked so well by her victorious attitude that people who see her on non-dialysis days scarcely believe that anything plagues her at all.

I, too, can scarcely believe her poise & buoyancy after 6+ years on this surreal journey.  Although very difficult to face physically

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Thanks for checking in.  It’s been almost a month since I’ve done an update because there’s no substantial change relative Irene’s journey of faith. I’ve been using a term for quite some time to describe the pendulum of human emotion at this juncture … which is that she is “living in the tension of ambiguity.”

Tension is defined as:

the act of stretching or straining.
the state of being stretched or strained.

Ambiguity is defined as:

doubtfulness or uncertainty of meaning or intention: to speak with ambiguity; an ambiguity of manner.
an unclear, indefinite, or equivocal word, expression, meaning, etc.

Synonyms
1. vagueness, deceptiveness. 2. equivocation.

“Living in the tension of ambiguity” for more than 6 years affects all areas of one’s life.  We’re both grateful for prioritization of those issues that matter most….Faith, Family & Friends.

Irene’s right calf severely cramped during dialysis treatment today and she pulled the emergency cord for the first time in 6 years. She is grateful for a capable medical team surrounding the experience.  She’s nauseated, exhausted and endeavoring to recover as she looks forward to the refreshment of a new day “living in the tension of ambiguity”.

Thanks for caring,

Dave

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It’s been about a month since reporting that Irene continues to battle the 3 day a week GRIND on dialysis, challenged by continuous forearm pain.  We’ve endeavored to brainstorm about whether it’s a NERVE or tendonitis issue and have concluded that it’s a chronic nerve issue without much opportunity to reverse the condition.  She mitigates the pain by alternating between COLD & HOT compresses.  She endures significant TORTURE then rebounds on non-dialysis days to the point that people hardly believe she has any challenges at all.  On the long nights of insomnia following dialysis, she tosses and turns, battling unrelenting NAUSEA and chronic fatigue the following day.  However, her attitude is amazingly POSITIVE….she looks TERRIFIC and is truly a JOY.

The sobering reality is that she suffers in silence and with a smile.  She has, to a large extent, an “invisible disability”.  Her buoyancy is inspiring; her smile never ending.  She’s determined to overcome, persuaded that through it all that God has a plan and she endeavors to live for him and glorify His Name.

Thanks for caring,
Dave

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