Flying Rainbow People Blog

Stop the insanity!!

noreply@blogger.com (Peter) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 22:50:00 +0000

So anytime someone suggests that you read your own medical records... back away slowly, and notify the nearest confectionery shop that your acquaintance has not had nearly enough sugar in their system.

Reading your own medical records can have side effects such as confusion, itchiness, long periods of "hmmmmm", chin stroking, and so forth.

I asked the Liaison Nurse here at the hospital cor copies of everything that was sent to the new dialysis unit in Barrie. The main reason for this is because things can get lost in transit, but after yesterday, trust easily comes into play as well. Of course I then proceeded to read each and every document submitted. Yeah.... it was eye-opening. Nothing "wrong" or "bad" in the documents, just eye-opening. Now if only it came with a side of french fries and a nice, cold, delicious milkshake.

Yeah, it was interesting to read, and now I'm done. I think I'll leave it that way now... with another almost 3 hours still on dialysis.

Joy.

It's a matter of trust

noreply@blogger.com (Peter) — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 14:17:00 +0000

So as I've mentioned to everyone and their dog in person, I'm preparing to move to Barrie on the weekend. It'll be a nice change of pace. Barrie is a small quaint town, where everything is no more than a 20 minute drive. This is a nice comparison to Ottawa where everything can be a lengthy drive, depending where you have to go.

So as part of my move, I of course, have to make new hemodialysis arrangements. There is a little dialysis unit of 12 chairs in Barrie. Quite nice. Currently in Ottawa, I have dialysis on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday evenings. In Barrie I will have dialysis on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings. Tidies up nicely in a neat little package, doesn't it? The issue is, that the Barrie dialysis unit, for some strange reason, wasn't going to start me until next Wednesday... yes, a week from today, despite the fact I'm moving on Sunday. That would have meant a huge leap without dialysis, which could be fatal.

I got a phone call half an hour ago, that told me the Resource Nurse in Barrie is on holidays until Friday, and we won't know what the dialysis arrangements are until then, because apparently she didn't have the foresight to tell anyone else in the unit. Yes, this is the immediate Friday before I move. It's happened before where I have gotten to Barrie, and I've had to call them once in Barrie, to find out what my visiting dialysis arrangements were.

They've had 2 months notice that I'd be moving there. This does not build confidence or trust in their dialysis unit with me. Let's hope my trust in them, seeing as I have no choice, isn't fatal.

Things I recommend

noreply@blogger.com (Peter) — Tue, 27 May 2008 02:06:00 +0000

So people sometimes as me for recommendations for things, so I figure I would list some of those here...

So it's no secret, that for webhosting, I use draknet. I've used them for years, they are super-reliable, and one of the bests hosts I've ever used.

For books and movies I generally use either amazon.ca or Futureshop. Both are generally high-quality retailers.

It may surprise a few people, but for telephone service I recommend Primus, but I don't recommend them for their DSL service. For that I recommend the National Capital Freenet. For cell phone service, I use Virgin Mobile. I like that they don't have any hidden fees.

Oh, and if you need a good Massage Therapist, go and see Matt at the Merivale Chiropractic Clinic.

In other news, dialysis is going ok I suppose. My Saturday's seem to be booked now through the end of June. I'm hoping the tiredness will go away. It comes and goes, but it means naps sometimes because I just get too tired. I really hope things change for the better son. I don't like being tired.

the newness of the day

noreply@blogger.com (Peter) — Thu, 22 May 2008 22:28:00 +0000

So I've decided to do an entirely new design for my website. I'm slowly working on it, I hope for it to be up to coincide with my move to Barrie. Oh yeah, I'm moving to Barrie. It'll be better to be closer to family for those times when I really don't feel well, and so forth. I'm starting to really look forward to it.

As a consequence of moving, I'm starting to put some time aside to see people. I may only get to talk via e-mail or phone after I move, so I hope that by seeing them in person, it'll help create some lasting memories. :-)

Dialysis is as dialysis does. No real news on this or the transplant front. But it looks like the dialysis unit in Barrie will have room for me. I've signed all the relevant consents.

Next week is International Tai Chi Awareness Day. There's a banquet at the Museum of Civilization, a parade, demo's on Parliament Hill, and so forth. This is the first time it's being held in Ottawa. Normally it's held in Toronto. The Ottawa branch of the Taoist Tai Chi Society is celebrating its 30th Anniversary.

Coming in June is the Annual General Meeting of the Green Party of Ontario. It'll be an interesting weekend to say the least.

High School Never Ends

noreply@blogger.com (Peter) — Fri, 09 May 2008 16:23:00 +0000

4 Years you think for sure
That's all you've got to endure
All the Total Dicks
All the Stuck-up Chicks
So superficial, so immature

Then When you graduate,
Ya take a look around and you say "Hey Wait!"
This is the same as where I just came from,
I thought it was over, Aw that's just great.

The Whole Damned World is just as obsessed
With who‘s the best dressed and who's having sex
Who‘s got the money. Who gets the Honeys,
Who‘s kinda cute and who‘s just a mess

And you still don't have the right look
And you don't have the right friends
Nothing changes but the faces, the names, and the trends

-High School Never Ends, Bowling For Soup

So lately I have been catching up. Either by e-mail with various people, or via Facebook I've been hearing about people I knew around 10 years ago when I was in High School. I had to laugh, because this morning, this song popped into my head, reminding me perhaps High School had never ended, LOL!!

Being involved in politics this song rings pretty true. It's amazing how things don't change. People still gossip. Still care about their cars. We have all these boring entertainment TV shows that I never watch. It's really all just very silly.

Ah well, back to listening to MP3's.

Employee fired over free Timbit getting job back

noreply@blogger.com (Peter) — Thu, 08 May 2008 15:47:00 +0000

This story about a Timmie's employee who was fired for giving a free timbit to a toddler upset me so much, that it's now here on my blog.

COME ON Tim Hortons!!! Get a life! Perhaps I'll have to start buying my donuts at the Gorcery Store, or Country Style. Yeesh.

The Day in May went striaght to Fay

noreply@blogger.com (Peter) — Mon, 05 May 2008 03:01:00 +0000

Helllllllllllo everybody!!

I come to you live from my living room. It's small, quaint, and cozy. So what is happening in the life of the Peter?

I've been suffering migraines since the end of December, which I'm almost certain that I've mentioned. Then I got a bad cold for 3 - 4 weeks, followed by a severe outbreak of extremely bad acne, that to many looked like a rash, some sort of reaction. The acne is slowly starting to get better. The dermatologist has me on Doxycycline. I see him again in a few weeks.

I'm still off work on short term disability, which I suppose is my saving grace. For those who don't read or watch the national news, the company I work for (they will remain nameless) is laying off the entire site here in Ottawa. It's likely I'll be laid off after I'm off of my short term disability.

But I'm still dealing with high blood pressure, and other assorted health issues. So I've decided to move to Barrie. At least for the immediate future. My parents are there, and my sister is in Toronto, with other family close by. It was the hardest decision I've ever had to make, but I think the move will help me recuperate, and having family around when the need is there, is something that I require right now.

I signed some of the paperwork required to transfer my dialysis to their centre on Thursday. I must say, the nurses there seem really nice. I hope I can stay on evenings.

I really hope my blood pressure comes down. With how extremely high it has been, it's not good for me.

Otherwise things are pretty quiet. I need to find some low impact activity that I can do, to get out and not feel so bored.

Picking at my zits

noreply@blogger.com (Peter) — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 12:54:00 +0000

My acne seems to have really flared up lately. The nurses think I might be having an allergic reaction to a new medication. I'm going to have to talk with the Doctor about it on Tuesday. Some of them are pretty big, almost the size of a nickel. I've started washing my face 3 times a day in hopes that might help reduce some of them.

Dialysis I suppose is going ok. I'm not too sure what expectations I should have for it besides wanting to actually be on by my designated time. Last night wasn't the greatest though. They spent 20 minutes trying to get air out of the circuit.

I still continue to be frustrated by The Ottawa Hospital's lack of emergency preparedness. About 3 weeks ago we had that big snow storm, and despite the advice to stay off the roads, I still had to go in for dialysis. They don't have a back up plan.

This week promises to be better, and more positive. :-)

time for a post

noreply@blogger.com (Peter) — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 06:29:00 +0000

Once again, due to public demand, I present an updated blog post.

In Tai Chi today we did the entire set. It was cool, actually despite the fact I have yet to learn the 2 snakes, but I faked it pretty well I think. It was fun. Very... wonderful. Hard to put into words.

Dialysis is. I'm tired all the time, with headaches. No results yet. Evening dialysis is going better, I like the doctor's so far, but yeah. Still tired. Still headachy.

Working hard to improve my health

noreply@blogger.com (Peter) — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 15:52:00 +0000

So besides Tai Chi, I am trying to actively improve my health.

I have booked a MedsCheck review. On Monday I'm going to go over every last medication with my pharmacist. I've also decided to give massage therapy a try. I hope it may improve these darned headaches.

We'll see how this goes. I'm hoping that these two things that I can actively do myself may help my overall health.

the month that was

noreply@blogger.com (Peter) — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 23:42:00 +0000

So we're a month into 2008 now. What's been going on with me?

Well I started Tai Chi this past January, and have been at it for 3 - 4 weeks now. It's been going really well. Our instructor, Francine, describes it as meditation in movement. I was just reflecting on how it's one of the few places where you don't think about the outside world while there.

I'm going back on short term disability at work. I've been having migraine-like headaches since the end of December, and the doctor hasn't started investigating it yet. They're interfering not only with work, but every day life.

On the dialysis front I have moved to the evenings. I didn't like one of the doctor's covering the afternoon. My only options were to switch times or dialysis centres. I hope these headaches go away soon.

The way of Tai Chi

noreply@blogger.com (Peter) — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 17:36:00 +0000

Today I had my first Tai Chi class. It was a lot of fun. Low impact exercise. I felt good after it, and not sore. A little warm in my back, it was nice. We learned some of the first movements.

Most of the folks there were older than I, but it was quite enjoyable.

Happy New Year!

noreply@blogger.com (Peter) — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 22:33:00 +0000

Happy New Year!

A few weeks ago, The Voice Magazine (a student newspaper at Athabasca University) ran a really good profile on me. I was excited to see it in print.

Dialysis is going. I crashed at the end of my treatment on Saturday. I felt it for 2 days after. It's not fun. Crashing means your blood pressure drops and a few other things I don't quite understand. I remained conscious. I'm also dealing with almost daily mild migraines, probably related to a medication I'm taking.

My holiday was good otherwise. Relaxing, nice to get away from the general stress.

Have a great day.

the Christmas update

noreply@blogger.com (Peter) — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 06:08:00 +0000

The Christmas Update, brought to you by me, motivated by my friend Ann who wanted an update.

So it's December 24th already. I write this wonderful blog post from the beautiful city of Barrie, Ontario where I am visiting my parents for the holidays.

So what is new with me? I read my friend Diane's wonderful holiday e-newsletter. It gives you that warm, connected feeling inside... ok, not really. But it's good to know what she is up to.

Work has been, as my sister would put it, workalicious. I'm still working 3 days a week, although for about 2 - 3 weeks at the end of Nov - Dec I wasn't feeling so great. I was suffering from fevers and chills. No idea what the source of them was.

The job hunt also continues. I'm working with the March of Dimes and the Ontario Disability Support Program to try to find a new job, but that process is still very slow. I'm considering finding a new agency or Employment Specialist, as the speed of this isn't to my liking.

I'm going to try to start taking Tai Chi in the new year. I'm hoping it will bring me some energy, instead of always being tired, and perhaps some improved health.

The dialysis people here in Barrie are really nice, but no news on that front. I was considering a move to be closer to my family, but we'll have to see where that goes in the new year.

I have no resolutions for the new year. I have this wicked headache today. I hope it goes away.

Be well.

End of year health update

noreply@blogger.com (Peter) — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 20:36:00 +0000

Hi everyone,

So not a lot has happened with my health in the last 6 months. From the looks of things, a living donor transplant will not be happening anytime soon. I've been told of all the nice, loving people that called Haesung, none are a match. So for the immediate future, I will remain on dialysis. For those who have been asking, it is a 4 year wait in Ottawa for a cadaver transplant for my blood type. It's a 10 year wait in the GTA. The Ontario Gift of Life Network uses regional lists.

For a bit of good news, in the US a principal is donating a kidney to a student. Full story.

In even better news, the Green Party of Ontario pulled off their best election ever, and beat out the NDP in 18 ridings. However, that has meant a significant debt to the party. If you were thinking of getting me something for the holidays, I ask that you become a member or donate to the GPO. That would really make me smile. (This is directed at my Canadian friends.) Membership website

I returned to work at the beginning of October part time. I am working 3 times a week, alternating with Dialysis. I am working with the Ontario Disability Supports Program - Employment Supports as well to find a new job that better meets my needs. If you can think of a good employer and/or position either in Ottawa, Barrie or the GTA, please don't hesitate to let me know.

Thank you for being so supportive,

Peter

the Nightmare

noreply@blogger.com (Peter) — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 13:31:00 +0000

I had an absolutely horrible nightmare last night. I almost never get nightmares, but this one was a Nightmare, with a capital N.

In it I had finished my dialysis, but for some reason or another, I had been forgotten about. When I finally did see a nurse, they simply refused to take me off. I think on Tuesday I'm going to ask them to show me how to take myself off should the need ever arise.

A few days ago I got a call from Judy, the liaison nurse at the dialysis unit. No one is being worked up for a living donor transplant. According to Haesung, the living donor coordinator, no one was compatible.

So if I want a transplant, it's a 4 year wait. :-(

there upon the rainbow

noreply@blogger.com (Peter) — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 16:30:00 +0000

Turn around, look at what you see
In her face, the mirror of your dreams
Make believe I'm everywhere, living in your eyes
Written on the pages is the answer to our neverending story

Reach the stars, fly a fantasy
Dream a dream, and what you see will be
Lives that keep their secrets will unfold behind the clouds
And there upon the rainbow is the answer to our neverending story

Show no fear, for she may fade away
In your hand, the birth of a new day
Lives that keep their secrets will unfold behind the clouds

~~ Theme song, The Neverending Story

I'm disappointed, but...

noreply@blogger.com (Peter) — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 22:20:00 +0000

I'm disappointed that the Green Party of Ontario failed to win any seats, and that the MMP referendum failed. However, in about 1/5 of the ridings in Ontario, for once, the Green Party of Ontario came in third, beating out the NDP, and in the riding of Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound, Shane Jolley came in second.

Good showing!!

The great things about being an AU student.

noreply@blogger.com (Peter) — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 15:08:00 +0000

There are some really great things about being an Athabasca University/distance ed student, some of them I realized last night in bed. I posted this same commentary on the forums for the Athabasca University Students Union

1. I don't have to worry about the professor's accent. Nor the tutor's if my course doesn't have a telephone component.

2. I don't have to worry about the bus breaking down between home and class.

3. I can wake up 5 minutes before class and still be on time.

4. My tutor's have had unusually long office hours - when asking for help by e-mail.

5. The colour of my skin, or other prejudices really don't matter, because no one from the University will ever see you - until you graduate, if you choose to attend.

6. Text books and course materials are delivered right to my door.

7. There's no rule about food or drink in my class.

8. I can study when I want to.

9. My TV/sleep/study schedules don't have to be mutually exclusive.

10. Valuable time management skills.

Make sure to check out these silly traits.

It's the end of the month as we know it.

noreply@blogger.com (Peter) — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 17:01:00 +0000

October 10th is the Provincial Election and Referendum Day! I already went and voted at the advanced polls.

I had a meeting on Wednesday morning with the HR person from work, and my boss to answer a few questions, so we can try to get me back to work. I'm a little frustrated, because just to get the meeting I had to ask my boss for the Director of HR's name and e-mail address. (I never did get it incidentally.) They had stopped communicating for a week. This past Monday I had called the Ontario Human Rights Commission, and they were the ones suggesting getting another name. It looks like it will be 2 - 3 weeks before I return.

On Wednesday night, things went from zero to hero, as the Ontario Disability Support Program and the United Way had a good session on changes to legislation affecting clients who do or may wish to work. The changes are for the positive.

Making the Switch

noreply@blogger.com (Peter) — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 02:58:00 +0000

After hearing Frank de Jong talk about it during the web cast for the Leader's Debate Response Party, I gave some thought to it, and looked at the website for Bullfrog Power. They use 100% renewable energy. Well today I made the switch.

I am questioning it a bit though because they want pre-authorized payment, and I don't let anyone do that. The best I'll do is pre-authorized to my credit card, because then I am protected. So I e-mailed customer service. This is a deal breaker for me. If they say no, I'll cancel the contract.

Dialysis is going well. The regular Social Worker Carol Bell is leaving for a new career. Instead we're getting a nice new lady, Cindy Gill. She seem fairly nice and competent. I'll really miss Carol. She's been helping me to return to work.

Happy September 17 blog update

noreply@blogger.com (Peter) — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 14:48:00 +0000

So dialysis is going really well. I'm able to use the time while on dialysis to do my course work. I finished my Occupational Health & Safety course at the end of August, and now I'm working to finish my English course. I'm still trying to work out with work to go back part time, but that's still under discussion.

I also went to visit my parents in their new home a few weeks back, and it's really nice. It's a 3 year old bungalow beside a lot that's destined to become a large park. The neighbourhood has residences of many ages, and there are lots of kids, which my parents are happy about. But they're in the poor section of town. Homes literally just around the corner go for over $1 million.

Que Sera, Sera

noreply@blogger.com (Peter) — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 04:44:00 +0000

So I went over my options today with Human Resources, since Great West Life rejected my application last week for long term disability. (I got the letter in the mail today.) As they presented it to me, I can take an unpaid leave of absence, explore employment insurance options, or return to work.

I'll have to discuss these options with my doctor, and my lawyer.

Que sera, sera
Whatever will be, will be.
The future's not ours to see,
Que sera, sera.

- Que sera, sera

Turn this world around

noreply@blogger.com (Peter) — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 15:59:00 +0000

Yesterday morning I had an ultrasound of my legs at the Civic. It was pretty uneventful. The appointment was painfully early in the morning. (The first appointment to be exact.) But it took half an hour, and I was done. It's another test for a transplant.

Dialysis was the usual boring. I got some reading done, but other than that, it was pretty uneventful. The other day I had a nurse tell me about a patient who was black and blue from the waist to the neck. The serious lack of confidentiality there, and the open-ness of the unit concerns me on a daily basis.

Today I got a call from Great-West Life. They turned down my long term disability claim. Not for the reasons you might expect. It is because of a pre-existing condition, but if I had been insured for a year after being there, I would have been approved. They never asked for a medical. This is seriously annoying. I have a call in to a lawyer for those GWL people reading my blog.

Maybe another letter to the Premier....

Heaven and Earth have moved!!

noreply@blogger.com (Peter) — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 18:33:00 +0000

Wow, I got the most amazing news today.

Heaven and Earth have moved!!

My parents got a call from the nice folks at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Barrie. I'm visiting my parents for a week at the end of August, and they didn't have any room for me at that hospital, or at the one in Orillia. I was going to have my dialysis at York Central Hospital in Richmond Hill, almost an hour away. However, there's room for me during my visit, at hospital in Barrie! Yay!

I had written a letter to my MPP, Premier Dalton McGuinty about the problem.

I didn't realize I could move such large mountains before.

Wow.