Tag: FMS (Page 1 of 54)

This is the second time I’m writing this blog. The first time it ended up in the byte bin, it was no fault of mine.

First off, I met with my dialysis nurse, who performed a procedure called a “Power Flush.” She took three large syringes, filled them with fluid from a 2K manual bag, and flushed my catheter line by filling the syringes and then sucking out the fluid. Last night, my time on dropped to 10 hrs, 43 minutes, which is still a little high, but lots better than what it was running.

While setting up the cycler last night, I encountered the fourth System Alarm, which instructs you to contact tech support, which I did. After being on elevator music for 20 minutes, I started the procedure, which I had used the last three times I encountered this, and was well past the step where it bails, just before opening the bag cones, when I received a return call. Bottom line, I’m to receive a replacement Cycler the day after Christmas. I spoke with my dialysis nurse again today, and she told me none of her other patients have reported this problem, so perhaps it is the Cycler and not the cassettes, as tech support led me to believe.

My blood pressure has been running in the low 150s off and on, so she put me on a couple of days of 2.5 6 L to pull out more fluid and also reduce BP. While my microfiltration was over 1000 last night, my BP this morning was 151/64, so we’re not there yet.

One of the NANY side effects of Immuniotherapy is itching. I received the first of many infusions on Monday, 8 December. On or about Monday, 12/15, I started itching on my arms, especially above my elbows in the crook. Over time, it has gotten progressively worse. Not to the point, it is driving me crazy, or more so than I usually am, but certainly I’m more than aware of it. I have been applying the cream prescribed for diabetic itch, and it seems to help. At first, after cream application, the relief lasted a long time, even overnight, but not so much now.

I have an appointment with our dermatologist later today, and we’ll see what he has to say – probably bounce the ball onto our oncologist, who is administering the immunotherapy.

Yet another cross to bear!

As I’ve alluded to previously, I spent too many holidays away from my friends and family. I’m here to relate that it’s not a good feeling. Yes, the Armed Forces do their level best to provide a festive meal, but try as they might, it does not remove the feeling of being in a strange place (land, sea, or air) away from those you love. I created the blues song embedded above to thank those who took my place and wish them the best. Hanj

For the last several evenings, my Cycler has stopped with an alarm on the screen just before cracking the cones. It has a red screen and displays error code 017 and instructs me to shut everything down and call support, which I have now done twice. I have had three red screens in all, one of which I cleared myself.

The “fix” is to pull the power cord and go through a complete setup again, hardly addressing the root of the problem, which, I’m sad to say, is not unusual for Fresenius support. During the last session with support, it was inferred that there is an innate problem with my batch of cassettes, which have an expiration date of 9/30/2028, and I just received them in last week’s supply delivery.

Although my cycler has been installed and running for a couple of years, it IS starting to make all kinds of moans and grones as if a hermit was living inside the box and being prodded at random times. I was informed that if this continues, they MIGHT consider replacing the cycler, but I’m not holding my breath.

It helps with the throes of dialysis to have a cause, a purpose, something outside you that brings comfort and pleasure. While it can take many forms, for me it is going the extra mile for dogs, in particular Canine Companions and a new local one, Friends for Animals.

Recently, there was a call out for dog food for Friends for Animals, a local no-kill adoption shelter run by volunteers. We took two 44-lb bags of dog food to the shelter to help cover December’s requirements. Later on, I went to the shelter and discussed with their personnel the overall requirements for dog food, and volunteered to provide all their needs for 2026. They use an average of 50 lbs per week, or 2600 lbs per year, which is 216.67 lbs per month. They like deliveries from Chewy, so we’re looking at 4.92 44 lb bags or 7.22 30 lb bags per month.

They would like a mixture that includes some puppy food, so this has to be incorporated. I’m going to call Chewy soon to set up automatic delivery of a mix of puppy and adult dog food for the entire year of 2026, so the adoption shelter can focus on other needs.

Do I feel good about this? You betcha, Red Ryder.

Next month, I will be 87, which suggests I will be a step closer to “A closer walk with thee.” (Song embeeded at end.)I like data, so I investigated, given my age and health situation, how much longer I have on God’s green earth, all else being equal.

In elderly patients on dialysis, especially with diabetes, average survival is meaningfully shorter than that of age-matched people without kidney failure. Studies of elderly dialysis patients often show mean survival from dialysis start on the order of 3–4 years, with diabetes and low albumin both associated with higher mortality.​ Since I have all three, dialysis, diabetes, and low albumin, the handwriting on the wall is for me. In most people, this can lead to fear of dying, which is the wrong approach.

The Best Cure for the Fear of Dying Is to Live

Most of us who spend hours on dialysis each week have had quiet moments staring at the ceiling, thinking about life — and yes, about death. It’s not a topic we choose, but the beeping machines and slow rhythm of treatment invite reflection. Over time, I’ve realized something that may sound simple yet carries immense freedom: the best cure for the fear of dying is to live.

Living doesn’t mean pretending everything is fine or ignoring the limitations that come with dialysis. It means choosing to be present — right here, right now — in the small, authentic moments that make life real. The laughter with a nurse. The comfort of warm sunlight after a treatment. The bite of your favorite meal, even if it comes on a day when your energy is low. These are the moments that define living.

Fear thrives in the future, in the what-ifs we can’t control. Life, though, happens in the now. When I finally started to embrace life as it is — and myself as I am — I began to feel lighter. My body might carry scars and limitations, but my spirit doesn’t have to. I remind myself daily: I am more than my condition. I am still learning, loving, creating, and sharing.

So, if the fear of dying visits you — as it sometimes visits all of us — answer it not with despair, but with life. See a sunrise. Call an old friend. Write down three things you’re grateful for. Every act of living pushes fear back a bit and fills the space with purpose.

Because in the end, the fear of dying fades when we remember how to live.

I choose to live and never ring the bell!

All told, there were 627 women assigned to Vietnam who were not recognized as combatants nor associated with any fighting group. They were not with the USO. As a Lieutenant assigned as Ordnance Advisor to the Brown Water Navy, I never ran across them in my travels in I-3 and I-4, but heard of them.

I submit that those of us in dialysis could profit from associating with our own “Donut Dollies” from time to time. We, too, need care, and our morale boosted from time to time. I’ve included below more information from Perplexity about this incentive, and at the end, a YouTube video about them.

Donut Dollies in Vietnam were American Red Cross women whose primary mission was to boost the morale of U.S. troops and give them a brief emotional break from the war. They were officially part of the Red Cross Supplemental Recreational Activities Overseas (SRAO) program and not combat personnel.redcross​

Core purpose

The central purpose of the Donut Dollies was to bring “a touch of home” to service members by offering recreation, conversation, and sympathetic listening in an otherwise brutal and isolating environment. Their presence was meant to remind soldiers of normal life, family, and home, reducing feelings of loneliness and emotional strain.aarp+2​

How they carried out the mission

These women ran and staffed recreation centers where troops could play games, listen to music, and relax, and they also created and led structured morale-building activities and programs. Because many units were in remote areas, they frequently traveled by jeep, truck, or helicopter to firebases and outposts to interact directly with soldiers who could not reach the centers.armyhistory+2​

Emotional and psychological support

Beyond organized games and events, Donut Dollies provided informal counseling by listening to troops’ worries, fears, and stories without judgment. Veterans later described them as helping men feel less abandoned and “cut off” from what they held dear, giving many a temporary escape from the horrors of combat.wtvr+2​

Name and distinction from earlier wars

The nickname “Donut Dollies” came from earlier Red Cross workers in World War II and Korea who actually served coffee and doughnuts from clubmobiles. Still, in Vietnam, the role had evolved to focus on recreation and morale rather than handing out food. In Vietnam, most accounts emphasize that they rarely, if ever, served donuts due to the climate and changed mission, even though the inherited nickname stuck.moaa+2​

Risk and commitment

Although their role was noncombatant and recreational, Donut Dollies routinely operated in war zones, traveling into areas subject to rocket attacks, sniper fire, and other dangers, and a few were killed in the line of duty. Their purpose, however, remained consistent: voluntarily accept those risks to support the mental and emotional well-being of American service members in-country.wtvr+1

​

1. https://armyhistory.org/the-donut-dollies-of-vietnam/
2. https://www.donutdollies.com
3. https://www.moaa.org/micro/vietnam-unchronicled/vietnam-donut/
4. https://www.aarp.org/veterans/donut-dollies-vietnam-war/
5. https://www.wtvr.com/news/local-news/donut-dollies-vietnam-war-march-14-2025
6. https://veteransbreakfastclub.org/do-you-know-these-donut-dollies-of-vietnam/
7. https://www.redcross.org/about-us/news-and-events/news/2021/donut-dollies-supported-us-service-members-during-vietnam-war.html
8. https://charliecompany.org/2013/11/15/donut-dollies/
9. https://www.ghostsofthebattlefield.org/articles/the-donut-dollies-of-vietnam-the-saga-of-the-american-red-cross-girls-in-country
10. http://publications.militaryfamilies.com/articles/hello-dollies
11. https://www.redcross.org/local/california/southern-california/about-us/news-and-events/news/donut-dollies-remember-vietnam-war-.html
12. https://www.thestoryoftexas.com/discover/artifacts/donut-dollie-uniform
13. https://www.aarp.org/home-family/voices/veterans/info-2021/donut-dollies-vietnam-war.html