My son's best friend is in need of a kidney transplant.
Posted By: it's a big decision on 2005-08-20
In Reply to: Anybody donated a kidney? sm - Jaxie
He is such a smart, sweet, good kid. He's only 15 years old, but he's trying to help raise some of the money for his transplant by operating an Internet store because his family has had hard times and the insurance company bailed on him. He's not yet on dialysis, so Medicare won't cover it. The high school refused to work with him on his absences because they thought he was making it all up. Never mind the fact that his mother and doctor also called the school to explain. He sleeps a lot because he's so sick and tired. He has been off the charts on all of the state's standardized tests, so you know he could just walk in and pass the GED exam. Anyway, his older brother will be the living donor because there are no compatible cadaver donated organs out there. A person ought to be able to depend on their family when nobody else can help. I have kidney problems myself. I only hope that if it came to it, someone would be there for me.
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My step-father got a kidney transplant
He was extremely happy to be off the dialysis and looked quite a bit healthier for a span of time (kidneys do things the plastic tubing just can't), but he only lived an extra 3 years and had to take lots of antirejection meds in the meantime, was in and out of the hospital a lot.
I agree with the person who posted below about talking to a physician about the downsides. Find out exactly what quality of life most transplant recipients have and how many extra years most of them receive. This is a big decision. It will change your life and probably in ways you can't fathom yet.
Wish I could give you better answers. It's so hard to watch people we love suffer.
Face transplant lady has news conference.. see link
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060206/ap_on_re_eu/face_transplant
Check out the slideshow under her picture. Amazing.
Oh i was, but I'm involved in a real life heart transplant story.
hits me twice as hard.
Anybody donated a kidney? sm
My sister has renal failure and is on dialysis. She was admitted to the hospital with myxedema coma (severe hypothyroidism) back in March, being hospitalized into the middle of June. She made a miraculous recovery considering she started out on life support in the ICU of a major medical center. She's now home and doing terrific, but she's been left with the RF. She is starting the paperwork for a transplant, and I am considering possible kidney donation. Just wondering if anyone has any experience with it? I'd appreciate any info. I've done a little investigating on the net and it goes without saying it's a big decision and a lot involved. Appreciate any input for sure and thanks!
May be "pole of the right kidney"
nm
Pole of the right kidney
Now you are in the ballpark!! Go back and listen yet again.
kidney surgery
I am facing kidney surgery in the very near future to cut out a urethral stricture from my single kidney (congenital). My doctor informed me this is a relatively common procedure but that it is not a surgery one can just bounce right back from. I'm just curious if anyone can tell me whether you've had this surgery or know someone who has, and know their recovery rate and prognosis. He also told me there is a 2% to 3% chance this could not take and the surgery might have to be repeated. My doctor told me one month after the surgery I will have to have a second surgery to remove a stent that he will temporarily place. He said I will be in the hospital overnight (for the initial surgery) and then probably won't feel like doing my regular activities for at least two weeks. Thanks for any information.
How about your husband tells the friend to tell his female friend to lose the #?
x
OT-Anyone have polycystic kidney disease?
I have just recently learned I have polycystic kidney disease (my mother died of kidney failure) and the cysts are on my right kidney, adrenal gland and on recent CT, (only two months from my first one), I have now developed cysts on my liver too. The kidney cysts are bleeding. :( I have daily right-sided aching and back pain. My right kidney is deformed and I have reflux on the right as well as kidney damage from childhood.
My whole illness started out about eight months ago as benign paroxysmal positional vertigo and it was horrible with nausea, anorexia due to that, and significant weight loss. I had two Epley maneuvers that corrected the vertigo. A CT of the abdomen and pelvis was done and that is when the first cysts on the kidney were discovered which I was told were not concerning in someone in their 50s. In the meantime, I had started eliminating a couple of my Rx meds and the nausea stopped, and so I felt they were the cause of my nausea which in a sense I feel could still be true but perhaps more due to not metabolizing the meds appropriately due to kidney and/or liver problems but I do not know that yet. I do not see a urologist until 09/07 and will find out more then.
It is my understanding that this is a hereditary/genetic disorder and there is no cure and progression to kidney failure is quite high by the time you are 60 and I am 52.
I was just wondering if anyone else has this or knows someone who does and what info they may be willing to share.
Thanks so very much. :)
Anyone REALLY familiar with GFR/kidney tests?
 This is a personal question, not exactly related to work. I am going in circles with at least 2 doctors now (and several unrelated specialists) who are not concerned about my lab values, but from what I have looked up, it seems they should be doing something, even if it is just explaining what is going on and why.
Since August last year, my GFR has been 55-59, and from what I've read, that means kidney damage. I am still on indomethacin, which I believe can contribute to kidney damage. I don't know what else could be contributing or what might make things better, or if like they say, it's "within normal limits" and "nothing to worry about".
Any input?
Yep, my son's doc charged 111.00 for a 3 minute visit to tell him he had a kidney stone.
And to think the insurance paid it. Hmmm.
The first question I would ask myself is, "why would I NOT give my sister a kidney?"
Yes, it's an enormous decision. Good luck to you both.
exophrenic..can't document this word but I know it means outside the kidney..sm
Is it spelled right? Thanks.
ask yourself how you would feel if she died needing a kidney and you didn't save her with yours t
/
You let me know when you pass a kidney stone the size of a golfball without anesthetic and THEN
we can talk about the pain of being a man vs. a woman!
A friend of a friend is taking CareerStep - sm
she is under the misguided idea that she will be making very good $ upon completing the course (a friend of hers supposedly makes $55K a year). I told her no way, at least not starting out and not unless all the factors click together, i.e. good typing speed, good pay (not for a newbie), good dictators (unlikely) and dedication to working hard. I told her what I make after 5 years (16K) but that is PT and I have the potential to double that if I would push myself, not procrastinate so much (I web surf way too much) and work more than I already do. I am not a fast typist but am good at what I do. I will be surprised if she follows though. She told me she'd call me when she finished the course, I just hope she is ready for reality.
Looking for friend
Hundreds of people are coming into Alabama and Florida away from NO and Mississippi. Go to www.nola.com (Times-Picayune newspaper in New Orleans) and look for message boards. Local papers and other shelters are posting names. Still waiting to hear about family members from Gautier, Long Beach, and Gulfport, MS. Hope you hear from her soon!
To "a friend"
I wanted to personally thank you for your opinion and also for putting yourself out there for me. The serious physical abuse for me happened mostly while I was pregnant (both times)with his children. He had not touched me in three years until two weeks ago. I am aware that I am in a volatile situation and I am doing something about it. I just needed to reach out today for some comfort and support. I feel I got both. I'm sorry I opened the door for people on here to hurt you. That was not my intention. Thank you and big hugs for paying attention to me. J.
Same here. Have a friend who is
a biller who is the same way. We all work at home and have very little people contact. It makes you a little agoraphobic. I have to run all my errands at once, or I will not do them. All the MTs I know are the same way. Can we get disability for this?LOL
Tell your friend
She can go online and change the settings on her bandwidth from the Vonage site. We had some problems and found out it was our cable modem. The strength of the service depends on your internet provider as well.
Is this a friend of yours? nm
x
not a friend...sm
actually, it's a patient that I did a note on...the doc went into great detail about her home life, her husband, her finances...but it still burns me up  ! I'd love, love to talk to her...but guess my prayers will have to do...
think twice about a friend
Rather than worrying about training a newbie, I would think twice about a friend. I have had friends as IC's whichI have helped to train as well as just newbies. It is hard to keep that line between friendship and working relationship especially if you are the one giving her the work, checking the work and training her. Have almost lost two friends over this because they felt because they were friends I would understand their problems, family problems, time off needed, not getting work back, etc. They saw me work and bring in the big bucks and wanted to share in it but did not understand how it worked. You don't produce work, you don't get paid. I have trained a lot of people and helped out a lot but never again will it be a friend that is actually doing work for me. If they are working for someone else, I will help them out but just not for me. So I worry more about it being a friend than a newbie. Patti
Have a friend who is MT and she has
bought this, paid quite a bit for it. She had used escription before and now she does straight. She has arthritis in her hands and trying to alleviate some of the pain she has with straight but said wasted her money, tried and tried to educate the machine and still not worth the money she spent.
My friend went not once, but twice. sm
My friend went and she loved it. I lost touch with her the last time she went back. They did live in a compound and you had to adhere to the religious, traditional ways over there. When you left the compound you had to wear a burka. She said they furnished you your own really nice apartment. I thought about going back then, but with the political climate, I am too afraid. After all, they are our "allie" (wink), and over 10 of the 911 bombers were from Sauda Arabia our "allie" (wink).
My friend said she
could never do this as she's not disciplined enough. She's honest as it does take discipline.
You get out of it what you put in. Pretty simple!
i have a friend
Who is working for Inscribe, and is very happy there. She says that the people are nice, and there is always enough work. They hire part time, as long as you can commit to 20 hours a week.
very well put my friend.
x
I have a friend...sm
I have a friend who works at home as a MT for a hospital and her internet is disabled somehow where she can't go on or check email or anything. I was like I don't know what I would do because like you I think the quickest way to find something you aren't sure of is to go on the internet. But the computer she uses to work belongs to the hospital so I guess she can't say anything.
your friend
Gosh, been there, done that, religious beliefs has nothing to do with it, went to one of these hospitals to "heal" and give them my all in terms of experience, etc., willing to take less for the comfort of being in a peaceful place. This was nothing near what I expected; in fact, the worst experience of my life. One of the "supers" was nutty as a fruitcake, slammed doors in people's faces, made people cry, etc., but no one did anything for a whole year about her after I left in tears. The suits rule, but put your complaint in the "Bishop's" hands and see if he has what it takes to walk his talk. I can relate, it was the worst 6 months of my life but somehow evil will not prevail if you have the guts to go forward with what you know she went through, even anonymously, if you have to, then let the chips fall where they may. Hopefully, in God's hands, not yours. So sorry for your friend, I know what she went through. Thanks for sharing and God bless you for caring
re your friend.
this is America. Talk about what you want to. My heart goes out to you all in the loss of your friend. but stand up and don't be a door mat. You cannot be walked on if you don't lay down and let them. I had a mean supvr and it happened to be in a Catholic hospital. I refused to do what i was told (practice forging doctor's names) and it was quite a scene. Once i stood up for what was right, it gave the others courage to do so. i didn't lose my job either. but if you do, you were looking for one when you found this one, right? be strong; set the example and don't follow in your friend's footsteps to the same end. God bless. p.s. Catholics follow the pope first and Christ second. To me, that does not a Chrisian make.
So sorry about your friend
Maybe this is just my personality constantly bucking heads with authority, but I really enjoy working from home. You have a very marketable skill, and there is a lot of work out there for you to do. They do not own you. You rent PART of your life to them when you work. They have no right to work you to death. Would looking for other opportunities, home or otherwise be an option? There is a lot of work out there for experienced MTs.
very well put my friend.
x
I had a friend who was...
a pharmacy tech. He went to school for that believing that it would pay decent, but he ended up disappointed. He said the pay stunk and it was extremely boring. Maybe others have had a different experience. 
Had a friend who did it. (SM)
She was about 40, I think, when she made the switch. I know the training took her almost two years to get the point (speed, accuracy) where she was employable.
I remember she told me they start you out doing "one voice", then "two voices", etc., until (I think) you get to where you can do either five or six voices like a conference or a deposition.
It was very hard, but she's making pretty good money now. She works for herself, not for a court, and has a number of attorneys and companies for clients.
Also, my friend who is an MT at one of
these hospitals has virtually no work now that they are in the process of converting to EMR. She is being sent to different doctor's offices to abstract (pull important info from reports to put on EMR) since she has no (or very little) MT work now.
Had a friend who was on VR
she had rheumatoid arthritis and her hands after years of straight were killing her. She did not like VR and at age 50 something got inhouse job working at hospital in town, not doing transcription but in the medical field. Not for everyone.
I think its great what you did for your friend
A few of us were planning an "intervention" where we confront her basically to tell her we think she needs help, because the pain has made her very depressed and she is just not herself anymore. I will look into finding her a rheumatologist myself, since that is probably all it takes, and also pushing her in the right direction. Although like your friend, I know she will be angry, but gotta do it. She can barely move and I can see the pain on her face. I don't think anyone should live in chronic pain.  Thank you for your kind words
I have a friend that is an excellent MT and she -
dances one or two nights a week in the fall. It's not for me, but hey, it works for her!
Brash friend
I wonder if I am just being moody or if I just get my feelings hurt too easily. Today, I ran into a friend of mine while picking up my child from kindergarden. I know she works and is rushed, but, in my opinion, she was quite rude. I said hello to her and she very rudely said, "I can't talk, I'm in a hurry." I wasn't expecting an hour long conversation but a pleasant exchange would have been nice! She does this a lot - she is sooo moody. Also, sometimes she calls me when I am in the middle of typing a job, and I very politely tell her that I will call her back. She always gets her feelings hurt. She is not from this country (Germany). I can't seem to get used to her ways.
brash friend
I wouldn't take it personally...I know it is hard. Next time you see her just give her a friendly wave and keep going on your way. If she calls again while you are typing, tell her that you have certain hours that your work....but anytime after that is fine. Let her be the rude one...and you be the tactful one. It will give you peace of mind and she will know where she stands. If her feelings are hurt, that isn't your problem!
Take the post from "a friend"
Sounds like she's been in your shoes. Everyone that posted has given the best advice and offered their support.
As much as they say people can be mean on this board, there are some very compassionate people too! I was happy to see this!
I was wondering, since you have the skill, could you get a job in a facility doing transcription? That would take care of the problem with phone lines, internet, etc. Take anything you can use that the government will offer (food stamps, TANF). Food should not be one of your problems. Not sure how old your children are, but could you place them with family members for a short period of time, even if you have to split them up this way? Is your husband getting SSDI (mental health is a disability)? Is your husband being treated?
Keep posting on your progress - we care about you.
My friend said she took her rugs up (sm)
and eventually the stains faded so they weren't so obvious!
It's an acquaintance, not a friend.
He's temporarily disabled because some drunk guy ran him over on his motorcycle. Therefore, he can't pay his bills so this particular company posted his name on their marquee telling him to pay up now.
I don't believe in not paying bills or writing bad checks, but there's no reason these businesses can't turn the checks over to CheckRite or another third party collection agency. They can also report the debts on credit reports, garnish wages, execute on assets, and file civil and criminal complaints. Am I wrong in thinking that violating people's privacy is not OK? Sure, some people are habitual offenders who have no problem stealing from others, which is what bad checks essentially are. This is not the case in every situation, though. I just don't see how two wrongs make a right. I can't believe I'm the only person who thinks it's wrong to post people's names in public regarding debt collection. It's not like the olden days with public bannes (sp?) and debtors prison.
I worked in collections before doing repos, skip tracing, and phone calls on bad debts. I also lost my job when my company went under due to illegal acts by the CEOs. I know what it's like to be the collector and the debtor.
Is this my new friend, Sandi? - sm
When that happened to me, it was my provider's problem. Maybe someone here has another suggestion. I know, it's a real pain. If it helps, I didn't e-mail you today! Good luck and hope to talk to you soon!
Yes, Susan, this is your new friend
You can E-mail me if you would like as I am able to get mail from my regular ISP E-mail address in my Yahoo web site. I use my ISP address for my work and I am working today so this is a PTIB when trying to stay in touch, asking questions, etc.! :D
Hey, one of my friend's daughter
is a duck queen!
I think you're right! Thanks, friend! ...
I am so sorry for your friend and this situation sm
They should try to get a referral to a child psychiatrist (not just a psychologist) immediately. They are the ones equipped to deal with these kinds of serious issues.
I hope they can handle this extremely difficult situation. It truly sounds like Tater is mentally ill.
My friend has tried to get me to go to work for
MDI for over a year now. I do live near them. But I have to say I opted for MQ because I had worked for them before and knew what they were like.
To be honest, although I know nothing about the company other than what she tells me, both good and bad, I have to say I am afraid to go to work for them. I am very sensitive and I do not get the feeling that they value their employees or ICs at all. I have seen so many posts where your answer is to "go find another job". If you care that little about the people you have and want to do nothing to improve things, it is no wonder you have a bad reputation. I have a feeling that if anyone called and made a complaint you would fire them.
Listen to your friend
That is just so not true. We truly value our employees and ICs. I have never said "go find another job".. Whenever I get complaints, I appreciate them and try to fix them. Even on this board, I feel that some of the MT's comments are very valid and I have to re-evaluate several things. And guess what? I will because I DO CARE about MTs. I am you.
Liz
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