MUCH LOVE TO ALL
Thursday, February 23, 2012
yuck!
Cory went into surgery on the 14th and had a fistula put into his wrist. It attaches a vein and an artery so the blood flow is like a rushing river...honestly. If you put your ear up to the wound it sounds like a conch shell and feels so weird! While that is healing he still has his chest catheter. They are also trying to take more blood out of him at dialysis to see if that lowers his blood pressure which is still high and also cleans more of the toxins. We spent a great weekend in Portland with my best friend Melinda, he needed and most importantly deserved it, being in dialysis for half the day every other day and surgery last week, not to mention a doctors appointment practically every day, just really puts it in perspective how precious time is. I just have had quite a bit on my plate, whether it is trying to keep up with my own friends and family and trying to have them realize I do think of them and love them every day, even if I am consumed with Cory or my new job, I'm there in sprit and I appreciate all of the support that I have. I really really do. It's hard, every day. So here are some pictures of Corys surgery and our trip.
MUCH LOVE TO ALL
MUCH LOVE TO ALL
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
wake up and smell the sodium.
I have recently become the bitch of the household. We basically live together at this time and I am primarily in charge of the grocery shopping, which includes snacks, dinner, breakfasts, lunches, anything. Eating to me is more of a job now than anything else. I do it because I love him and care what happens to him. He does it because he wants to be a roll model to his mother and father, brothers and sisters and most importantly his niece and nephew. I need you to realize the importance of eating healthy. I know that everyone had a wake up call when Cory went into the hospital and promised that they would change their ways and create a better future for themselves and their family. My family for instance, has only known Cory for a couple months, when he comes to visit they make sure to adapt to his food lifestyle and create meals and surroundings that are normal and give him options to eat and voice his renal diet needs to the chef even when we go out like my mom did. This is what I would like everyone to strive for. It is so hard for Cory to accept that he can't just go to the store and grab whatever he wants. Try going to the store and having to look at every label. I Google renal diet 800 times and double check what type of meat cuts he can have and how much phosphorus is in a serving of clams. Every single day I learn a handful of new things. I'll admit we are far from perfect but we are also far from where he started.
A week ago we went to Winco. He wanted a salad dressing, he put it in the cart because it said it was a "ALL NATURAL honey, walnut raspberry vinaigrette" to him, he sees "all natural" and fruits and nuts and thinks its ok. This is why it is always essential that you never ever ever ever trust a label. 1% may be natural and that is why they are able to false advertise and the other 99% could be high fructose corn syrup - which is like death in a bottle, causing everything from heart problems to cancer. Then you look at
The sodium - 7% of the daily value of salt @ 400mg - this is an average percentage of what the government thinks is a sustainably healthy daily sodium intake level. For Cory 400mg is almost half of his daily intake and the way the guy loves to smoother on sauces, well it could lead to excessive servings. Where I am going with this is - everyone has a breaking point and Cory had the only frustrating moment I've seen him have in this entire thing that day at Winco. He was so tired of hearing no and unfortunately I am the one that continues to have to tell him. Basically it is a choice and most definitely an on going battle. I told him I said I know you are angry and upset that you can't live normally but it is just a fact of life and you have to accept it and move on, create food that is similar but create it so that it is nourishing in some way. So, instead of fried sloppy, fattening chicken wings that he wanted and couldn't have on super bowl Sunday I spent hours finding the perfect recipe for baked spicy chicken wings with ZERO sodium. He has to ask himself if it is worth the struggle and frustration and of course it is and I have to ask myself if he is worth the hours at the grocery store and hours of just personal food and health education and you bet your bottom dollar he is.
My worry for all of you and I have seen it first hand is slipping back into bad habits. Sure the food may be more expensive but I guarantee your hospital bill will be less expensive in the long run. If you have children especially, create these habits from the beginning. Show them the pictures of Cory's catheter purging out of his neck and ask them if they want to end up like him in the future. It's tough love, it's the fact of life and everyone needs to ask themselves do you know what the hell you are putting in your mouth? Be an advocate for your local growers - go to farmers markets, read up on the incredible option of organic and free range products. I always tell my friends if it has a skin or if you are pealing the skin off there is really no need for organic buying such as avocado, orange, onion, etc., because primarily the pesticides stay on the surface but apples, pears, carrots, tomatoes and EspECIALLy lettuce and of course meat...try to shell out the extra for organic. I always buy free range eggs mainly because the eggs that do not come from free range animals ingest their own feces along with all of the other chickens in the same cage creating a potential disaster for your immune system, not to mention the amount of corn feed and hormones that these chickens eat. Also you may think your salad choices are lower calories and less sodium then they actually are. A southwest chicken salad at apple bees for instance has over 1,000 calories and a disgusting 3900 mgs of sodium - that is three days worth of sodium servings for Cory. Ask questions!!!!!!!! Ask for the nutritional facts - eat at home!!!!!! There is nothing safer than cooking your own meals - you know exactly what you are putting in your body! It is all about simple choices that make the most difference. I would LOVE to hear how Cory's illness has changed your life and what you and yours are doing to prevent the same thing from happening in your own life.
I am not trying to slander anyone or make anyone feel bad about the decisions they are making. I would just like to see everyone start making changes. Cory is affected by EACH and EVERY one of you. He sees what you are eating when you are around him and it's almost as if what happened to him didn't shake some of you into reality. I know I'll get some bad looks for that last comment but I will say I have seen improvements as well but everyday is another challenge and I just hope everyone would rise to the occasion not just for Cory but for your own health as well.
**Exercise regularly
**Educate yourself on your body
**Educate yourself on your foods
**Make the changes to better yourself
**Create a brighter future for you and yours
I will tell you a secret that we live by. Allow yourself one cheat meal a week. This not only helps to curve your cravings it also strengthens your metabolism. Try to plan it on a day where you will be active and that way you are never depriving yourself, that's not what it is about. It is all about sustaining your living standards so that you can continue your habits and live healthier.
This has been the hardest part. Is food. And I stress about it everyday about how I will feed him and how will I make sure he is nourished and also happy and full. It is an on going process that I hope you will all join me in trying. The benefits are endless...weight loss, longevity of life, clearer skin, more energy, self esteem, clearer mind body and soul, you will sleep better and your relationships will become stronger. Just try it. I promise once you get over all that you miss it will be completely over shadowed by what you have gained!
Good luck and remember I do love you :)
A week ago we went to Winco. He wanted a salad dressing, he put it in the cart because it said it was a "ALL NATURAL honey, walnut raspberry vinaigrette" to him, he sees "all natural" and fruits and nuts and thinks its ok. This is why it is always essential that you never ever ever ever trust a label. 1% may be natural and that is why they are able to false advertise and the other 99% could be high fructose corn syrup - which is like death in a bottle, causing everything from heart problems to cancer. Then you look at
The sodium - 7% of the daily value of salt @ 400mg - this is an average percentage of what the government thinks is a sustainably healthy daily sodium intake level. For Cory 400mg is almost half of his daily intake and the way the guy loves to smoother on sauces, well it could lead to excessive servings. Where I am going with this is - everyone has a breaking point and Cory had the only frustrating moment I've seen him have in this entire thing that day at Winco. He was so tired of hearing no and unfortunately I am the one that continues to have to tell him. Basically it is a choice and most definitely an on going battle. I told him I said I know you are angry and upset that you can't live normally but it is just a fact of life and you have to accept it and move on, create food that is similar but create it so that it is nourishing in some way. So, instead of fried sloppy, fattening chicken wings that he wanted and couldn't have on super bowl Sunday I spent hours finding the perfect recipe for baked spicy chicken wings with ZERO sodium. He has to ask himself if it is worth the struggle and frustration and of course it is and I have to ask myself if he is worth the hours at the grocery store and hours of just personal food and health education and you bet your bottom dollar he is.
My worry for all of you and I have seen it first hand is slipping back into bad habits. Sure the food may be more expensive but I guarantee your hospital bill will be less expensive in the long run. If you have children especially, create these habits from the beginning. Show them the pictures of Cory's catheter purging out of his neck and ask them if they want to end up like him in the future. It's tough love, it's the fact of life and everyone needs to ask themselves do you know what the hell you are putting in your mouth? Be an advocate for your local growers - go to farmers markets, read up on the incredible option of organic and free range products. I always tell my friends if it has a skin or if you are pealing the skin off there is really no need for organic buying such as avocado, orange, onion, etc., because primarily the pesticides stay on the surface but apples, pears, carrots, tomatoes and EspECIALLy lettuce and of course meat...try to shell out the extra for organic. I always buy free range eggs mainly because the eggs that do not come from free range animals ingest their own feces along with all of the other chickens in the same cage creating a potential disaster for your immune system, not to mention the amount of corn feed and hormones that these chickens eat. Also you may think your salad choices are lower calories and less sodium then they actually are. A southwest chicken salad at apple bees for instance has over 1,000 calories and a disgusting 3900 mgs of sodium - that is three days worth of sodium servings for Cory. Ask questions!!!!!!!! Ask for the nutritional facts - eat at home!!!!!! There is nothing safer than cooking your own meals - you know exactly what you are putting in your body! It is all about simple choices that make the most difference. I would LOVE to hear how Cory's illness has changed your life and what you and yours are doing to prevent the same thing from happening in your own life.
I am not trying to slander anyone or make anyone feel bad about the decisions they are making. I would just like to see everyone start making changes. Cory is affected by EACH and EVERY one of you. He sees what you are eating when you are around him and it's almost as if what happened to him didn't shake some of you into reality. I know I'll get some bad looks for that last comment but I will say I have seen improvements as well but everyday is another challenge and I just hope everyone would rise to the occasion not just for Cory but for your own health as well.
**Exercise regularly
**Educate yourself on your body
**Educate yourself on your foods
**Make the changes to better yourself
**Create a brighter future for you and yours
I will tell you a secret that we live by. Allow yourself one cheat meal a week. This not only helps to curve your cravings it also strengthens your metabolism. Try to plan it on a day where you will be active and that way you are never depriving yourself, that's not what it is about. It is all about sustaining your living standards so that you can continue your habits and live healthier.
This has been the hardest part. Is food. And I stress about it everyday about how I will feed him and how will I make sure he is nourished and also happy and full. It is an on going process that I hope you will all join me in trying. The benefits are endless...weight loss, longevity of life, clearer skin, more energy, self esteem, clearer mind body and soul, you will sleep better and your relationships will become stronger. Just try it. I promise once you get over all that you miss it will be completely over shadowed by what you have gained!
Good luck and remember I do love you :)
listen up. this is not a game.
It is 9:30 and Cory is being prepped for his fistula surgery. It's Valentines Day and what better way to share our love than in an operating room. His nurse, is no joke. She recalls Cory's first visit and all she kept saying is "I am so sorry, you are too young for this." Here are a few things I would like for you to understand about Cory's illness. He has hypertension - the definition of hypertension by the American Heart Association states as follows: "Hypertension is the term used to describe high blood pressure.
Blood pressure is a measurement of the force against the walls of your arteries as your heart pumps blood through your body.
Blood pressure readings are usually given as two numbers -- for example, 120 over 80 (written as 120/80 mmHg). One or both of these numbers can be too high.
The top number is called the systolic blood pressure, and the bottom number is called the diastolic blood pressure.
Normal blood pressure is when your blood pressure is lower than 120/80 mmHg most of the time.
High blood pressure (hypertension) is when your blood pressure is 140/90 mmHg or above most of the time.
If your blood pressure numbers are 120/80 or higher, but below 140/90, it is called pre-hypertension.
If you have pre-hypertension, you are more likely to develop high blood pressure.
If you have heart or kidney problems, or if you had a stroke, your doctor may want your blood pressure to be even lower than that of people who do not have these conditions."
Not only does Cory have hypertension he also suffers from renal failure. Here is the definition of that:
"Renal failure or kidney failure (formerly called renal insufficiency) describes a medical condition in which the kidneys fail to adequately filter toxins and waste products from the blood. The two forms are acute (acute kidney injury) and chronic (chronic kidney disease); a number of other diseases or health problems may cause either form of renal failure to occur.
Renal failure is described as a decrease in glomerular filtration rate. Biochemically, renal failure is typically detected by an elevated serum creatinine level. Problems frequently encountered in kidney malfunction include abnormal fluid levels in the body, deranged acid levels, abnormal levels of potassium, calcium, phosphate, and (in the longer term) anemia as well as delayed healing in broken bones. Depending on the cause, hematuria (blood loss in the urine) and proteinuria (protein loss in the urine) may occur. Long-term kidney problems have significant repercussions on other diseases, such as cardiovascular disease."
So let's sum up the importance of both of these issues.
Simple as this....Cory is at high risk for heart attack and stroke. Everyday that he wakes up - there is a chance he could suffer from a heart attack or a stroke - due to his high blood pressure. This is why he will as of today check his BP three times a day and voice to his nephrologist his urgency to bring it down. By now it should be lower - the nurse scared the shit out of both of us to be quite honest with you - here was her example.
* a 28 year old African American man walks into the ER, he explains to the nurse that he doesn't know what is wrong he can just feel that something isn't right. He then tells the nurse he hasn't urinated in three days, which is the first signs of hypertension and renal failure. She quickly takes his BP and finds that the bottom number (diastolic pressure which is also the lower of the two numbers, measures the pressure in the arteries between heartbeats (when the heart muscle is resting between beats and refilling with blood) is 127, a normal diastolic pressure should be no higher than 80. After being admitted he quickly was "coded" which means rushed upstairs because his heart was failing - he died an hour later.
I tell you this just as she did to us this morning because even if Cory is on dialysis and we continue to feed him correctly and exercise regularly his heart rate is still high. To give you an example Cory's diastolic number is only 10-15mm lower than that of the 28 year old man that died. He is so incredibly lucky to be here it is 100% a miracle. He now has the power to be in charge of his destiny, taking his BP three times a day, calling his pharmacist to check when his meds should be peaking so that he knows what he should be feeling and experiencing and in turn relaying that to his nephrologist. The best way the nurse put it was that he is a recipe - sometimes you have to add or subtract to get it just right and that is what we are experiencing at this point.
I would also ask a favor from each one of you reading this and following along with Cory's journey. Go get your god damn blood pressure checked. You keep asking what you can do for Cory? Do that. Walgreens is having a healthy heart month of awareness where you can go in to the pharmacy and not only get your blood pressure checked for free but learn about your blood pressure and what it means to your life and well being. Many of you reading this have kids and wives and husbands. You owe it to them to be healthy and stay on top of your health. Not to mention African Americans are so susceptible to this disease and many others just because of your genes and sadly also a lack of health care.
I cannot stress to you enough the importance of health education. We all want to be healthy and happy and live long prosperous lives and that starts with educating yourself on your body and where you stand. If you have insurance, what the hell are you waiting for? If you don't, I would strongly take the first steps to look into getting some or continue to survey your health personally and if you feel something is off, trust your body and have it checked out.
I am going to look into working with schools or colleges and hopefully being able to speak about it and be an advocate for everyone. It is so necessary.
Please stay turned for another update.
Please take all of this information and tough love from me in stride. I am only doing it because I love all of you. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask and you can also sign up on the American Heart Association website for updates on hypertension at heart.org
Stay educated.
Tessa
Blood pressure is a measurement of the force against the walls of your arteries as your heart pumps blood through your body.
Blood pressure readings are usually given as two numbers -- for example, 120 over 80 (written as 120/80 mmHg). One or both of these numbers can be too high.
The top number is called the systolic blood pressure, and the bottom number is called the diastolic blood pressure.
Normal blood pressure is when your blood pressure is lower than 120/80 mmHg most of the time.
High blood pressure (hypertension) is when your blood pressure is 140/90 mmHg or above most of the time.
If your blood pressure numbers are 120/80 or higher, but below 140/90, it is called pre-hypertension.
If you have pre-hypertension, you are more likely to develop high blood pressure.
If you have heart or kidney problems, or if you had a stroke, your doctor may want your blood pressure to be even lower than that of people who do not have these conditions."
Not only does Cory have hypertension he also suffers from renal failure. Here is the definition of that:
"Renal failure or kidney failure (formerly called renal insufficiency) describes a medical condition in which the kidneys fail to adequately filter toxins and waste products from the blood. The two forms are acute (acute kidney injury) and chronic (chronic kidney disease); a number of other diseases or health problems may cause either form of renal failure to occur.
Renal failure is described as a decrease in glomerular filtration rate. Biochemically, renal failure is typically detected by an elevated serum creatinine level. Problems frequently encountered in kidney malfunction include abnormal fluid levels in the body, deranged acid levels, abnormal levels of potassium, calcium, phosphate, and (in the longer term) anemia as well as delayed healing in broken bones. Depending on the cause, hematuria (blood loss in the urine) and proteinuria (protein loss in the urine) may occur. Long-term kidney problems have significant repercussions on other diseases, such as cardiovascular disease."
So let's sum up the importance of both of these issues.
Simple as this....Cory is at high risk for heart attack and stroke. Everyday that he wakes up - there is a chance he could suffer from a heart attack or a stroke - due to his high blood pressure. This is why he will as of today check his BP three times a day and voice to his nephrologist his urgency to bring it down. By now it should be lower - the nurse scared the shit out of both of us to be quite honest with you - here was her example.
* a 28 year old African American man walks into the ER, he explains to the nurse that he doesn't know what is wrong he can just feel that something isn't right. He then tells the nurse he hasn't urinated in three days, which is the first signs of hypertension and renal failure. She quickly takes his BP and finds that the bottom number (diastolic pressure which is also the lower of the two numbers, measures the pressure in the arteries between heartbeats (when the heart muscle is resting between beats and refilling with blood) is 127, a normal diastolic pressure should be no higher than 80. After being admitted he quickly was "coded" which means rushed upstairs because his heart was failing - he died an hour later.
I tell you this just as she did to us this morning because even if Cory is on dialysis and we continue to feed him correctly and exercise regularly his heart rate is still high. To give you an example Cory's diastolic number is only 10-15mm lower than that of the 28 year old man that died. He is so incredibly lucky to be here it is 100% a miracle. He now has the power to be in charge of his destiny, taking his BP three times a day, calling his pharmacist to check when his meds should be peaking so that he knows what he should be feeling and experiencing and in turn relaying that to his nephrologist. The best way the nurse put it was that he is a recipe - sometimes you have to add or subtract to get it just right and that is what we are experiencing at this point.
I would also ask a favor from each one of you reading this and following along with Cory's journey. Go get your god damn blood pressure checked. You keep asking what you can do for Cory? Do that. Walgreens is having a healthy heart month of awareness where you can go in to the pharmacy and not only get your blood pressure checked for free but learn about your blood pressure and what it means to your life and well being. Many of you reading this have kids and wives and husbands. You owe it to them to be healthy and stay on top of your health. Not to mention African Americans are so susceptible to this disease and many others just because of your genes and sadly also a lack of health care.
I cannot stress to you enough the importance of health education. We all want to be healthy and happy and live long prosperous lives and that starts with educating yourself on your body and where you stand. If you have insurance, what the hell are you waiting for? If you don't, I would strongly take the first steps to look into getting some or continue to survey your health personally and if you feel something is off, trust your body and have it checked out.
I am going to look into working with schools or colleges and hopefully being able to speak about it and be an advocate for everyone. It is so necessary.
Please stay turned for another update.
Please take all of this information and tough love from me in stride. I am only doing it because I love all of you. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask and you can also sign up on the American Heart Association website for updates on hypertension at heart.org
Stay educated.
Tessa
Monday, February 13, 2012
A quick and important update
Cory has been very quiet on his progress since the hospital. He is continues to be amazing and continues to work on his diet and exercise to keep his kidney as healthy as possible. He still is doing dialysis every other day for four hours a day and soon will be put on a transplant list. We just found out that his surgery is over one hundred thousand dollars but luckily his insurance covers 95% of that surgery. Tomorrow Cory will be going into surgery to put a permanent fistula into his left forearm so that he can continue dialysis in a safer way. The catheter that he has right now is very susceptible to diseases and bacteria which could cause heart problems in the future. This fistula will also help him to eventually be able to dialyze at home in his own time and not have to go to a kidney Center to dialyze. This will be the greatest gift of all.
Tomorrow while he is in surgery I will update the blogs and I have a couple of things to address to everybody that have been weighing on my mind. He is doing great and I become prouder and prouder of him every day. It has been the hardest thing I have had to endure and I can't imagine what it has done to him. His friends and family continue to be such a positive influence on him and he is doing all he can to continue being healthy and happy.
I wanted to update it before tomorrow because I would like everyone to pray for him. This isn't a serious and hard surgery but it still is life-changing and I would just like everyone to continue to think good thoughts about it. He will be put under and the catheter in his neck will be taken out and then he will begin to use the fistula for dialysis. His vein will be twice the size of a normal vein but it is less susceptible to bacteria getting in and causing other problems. The surgery is in the morning and we will be there most of the day. He didn't want to have it on Valentine's Day but what better gift to give someone then a gift that will ease their mind about a catheter in their neck and give them something that is less harmful and will create an easier everyday life situation.
I will continue to keep everyone updated via Facebook and the blog but if you have any questions please don't hesitate to email me or if you have my cell number don't hesitate to call. My email again is TessaQuigley@Gmail.com.
Again this surgery tomorrow is not a transplant nor is it any where near as serious I would call it a minor surgery but it still is a surgery and I just wanted to let everyone know that that is where he will be tomorrow. He doesn't want to scare anybody and he just wants to live a normal life but I know his family and friends care about him so I help to let them know what is going on because unfortunately I know he won't.
Please say a little prayer for him tomorrow and I'll keep you updated. I promise. Much love and I hope this message finds everyone happy and healthy. Happy Valentine's Day. Attached are a couple of pictures of what I fistula is and how it works during dialysis. I hope this helps visual learners understand a little bit more of what Cory is going through.
Tomorrow while he is in surgery I will update the blogs and I have a couple of things to address to everybody that have been weighing on my mind. He is doing great and I become prouder and prouder of him every day. It has been the hardest thing I have had to endure and I can't imagine what it has done to him. His friends and family continue to be such a positive influence on him and he is doing all he can to continue being healthy and happy.
I wanted to update it before tomorrow because I would like everyone to pray for him. This isn't a serious and hard surgery but it still is life-changing and I would just like everyone to continue to think good thoughts about it. He will be put under and the catheter in his neck will be taken out and then he will begin to use the fistula for dialysis. His vein will be twice the size of a normal vein but it is less susceptible to bacteria getting in and causing other problems. The surgery is in the morning and we will be there most of the day. He didn't want to have it on Valentine's Day but what better gift to give someone then a gift that will ease their mind about a catheter in their neck and give them something that is less harmful and will create an easier everyday life situation.
I will continue to keep everyone updated via Facebook and the blog but if you have any questions please don't hesitate to email me or if you have my cell number don't hesitate to call. My email again is TessaQuigley@Gmail.com.
Again this surgery tomorrow is not a transplant nor is it any where near as serious I would call it a minor surgery but it still is a surgery and I just wanted to let everyone know that that is where he will be tomorrow. He doesn't want to scare anybody and he just wants to live a normal life but I know his family and friends care about him so I help to let them know what is going on because unfortunately I know he won't.
Please say a little prayer for him tomorrow and I'll keep you updated. I promise. Much love and I hope this message finds everyone happy and healthy. Happy Valentine's Day. Attached are a couple of pictures of what I fistula is and how it works during dialysis. I hope this helps visual learners understand a little bit more of what Cory is going through.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)