Having been on the “PKD Odyssey” since 1964, and communicating with others on the Odyssey, and especially now as the year comes to an end, I seem to have a desire to review my “trip” thus far.
It started off when I swung a golf club and felt a twinge on my lower right side. That was the beginning.
It led to the first of a number of Intravenous Pyelograms (IVPs) which required me to be on am X-ray table without moving for an hour. It was the first time I ever had a panic attack. There I was, flat on my back on a cold X-ray table with this huge X-ray camera hanging over me. It was scary, to say the least.
Well, diagnosed with chronic pyelonephritis got me taking a diuretic which forced me to learn where the public bathrooms were at my college, and around New York City. (Try hotels!).
When I saw blood in my urine, I was a lot more “concerned,” and I learned that, yes, I too, like my father, who died two years earlier at age 50, had PKD. I was 22.
Fortunately I was pretty stable for the next number of years. I got my degree, started my professional life, and there were no problems.
It was in my early 30′s, going through the end of my first marriage, that my blood pressure started to rise. Well, that was par for the course. No big deal, just take some pills, and life went on.
I was healthy enough to take some interesting vacations in the early 80′s: Rafting in Alaska, trekking in India, and back kayaking in Alaska, this time above the Arctic Circle.
Going through a change in religion, converting from Judaism to Roman Catholicism brought about a deep examination of values. The Catholics I got to know taught me a lot about compassion and forgiveness, especially to oneself. I would need those lessons. Because what I had gone through so far, was nothing. The “best” was yet to come!
I’m curious.
Has your PKD Odyssey affected your personal values about what life is all about? Has your disease led to a generally optimistic view of life, or a somewhat pessimistic view?
For me, as I learn about what medical technology has done, is doing, and will do, I’m moderately optimistic about life “being worth living.” But boy, you really got to stay “on top of things!”
What about you?
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Thanks!
Next time, I’ll write about how I met the woman who became my wife, and later, my donor!
Stay Warm!
Peace and Blessings!
Coach Richie Perl
Certified Professional Coach
Certified Trainer of Neuro-Linguistic Programming
My blood pressure shot up shortly before my 31st birthday, about the same time I was diagnosed. Before that, it was on the low side of normal.
I was an optimist. My glass was half-full, and I was happy to share it, ‘cuz I figured there could always be more. I turned cynical, then pessimist, after my diagnosis. That optimist still lurks, though. I’m in the midst of getting rid of stuff and packing up, preparing for a move to my sister’s spare bedroom. I’m making plans for what I can do when I get back home, how I can improve my situation, and what help is available. Apparently, I haven’t turned completely pessimistic.