Pattie and I spent the day in Orlando, Florida at the Champs Sports Bowl watching the University of Wisconsin Play Florida State. Pattie's sister, Mary, and her family attended the game with us. Mary operates several dialysis units near Tampa. She invited one of her patients, John, to join us at the game. John has been on dialysis for almost 18 years! He has scars on his chest, neck, and up and down his arms from years of treatment. I had lots of questions for him. Multiple myeloma patients like myself often experience kidney failure. As calcium is leached from your bones by the myeloma it begins to clog up the kidneys. Dialysis is a common result. John is surprisingly resilient and upbeat. He is hoping for a kidney transplant soon. That could be me someday. I try and do everything that I can to keep my kidneys healthy and functioning efficiently. I drink lots of water, eat my vegies and make sure that I get enough protein to help my kidneys repair themselves. But for today, my only pain comes from the beating my beloved University of Wisconsin Badgers experienced at the hands of Florida State's football team. You would think that with all of the challenges I have faced recently, something as insignificant as my Alma matter losing a football game wouldn't matter much anymore. Wrong! My emotional pain tonight is every bit as real as the physical discomfort I feel from the damage to my bones caused by my myeloma. I'm sure I will feel better in a few days. Heck, I'm starting to feel better already!
Feel good and keep smiling! Pat
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