Medical Issues 11/8/2020

It’s 2:35 am and I can’t sleep, mainly because my peripheral neuropathy is acting up again. I’m getting intermittent pain on the inside of my right foot. It started about an hour ago; I just took some Tylenol PM to see if that will help. Since I’m up, I thought it would be a good time to update my medical issues list:

• ESRD: the end may be near; my sister was accepted as a donor at UCLA and all I have left is a colonoscopy; there is some concern about some recent heart tests (Lexiscan stress test and echocardiogram) but my cardiologist thinks I should be fine for a kidney transplant
• Dialysis access: it’s been mostly okay after the fistulagram procedure; the techs still have some difficulty inserting the needles on some days
• Cardiac rehab: if UCLA is okay with my heart test results, then I don’t think I will go back to complete the program
• Peripheral neuropathy: since I haven’t been walking due to excess fluid in the lungs and getting that huge cut in my toe, I think the neuropathy attacks are increasing in frequency; I’m sitting here typing at ~3:00 am because an attack is keeping me awake now
• Back pain and pressure in chest: there is still some fluid in my lungs but much better since dialysis is lowering my dry weight and removing excess fluid
• Minimal urine production: no change
• Insomnia: the breathing issue is much better but most nights the numbness and pain in my foot is keeping me awake
• Dental issues: mostly done; probably have some cavities to take care of but those can wait until next year
• Endocrinologist: next appointment in December; A1C test results still in the “n0rmal” range
• Lump in left leg: no change
• Constipation: no problem now; having pretty regular bowel movement
• Ophthalmologist: still shows some retina damage from before but no real change from year-to-year

The huge cut in my foot/toe was a complete surprise. I guess I’m just unlucky. Dialysis was taking care of my excess fluid problem and I was getting ready to start walking again but that was delayed so my foot can heal. I have an appointment with the podiatrist in about a week to see if the cut is healing after he took out the sutures.