Summertime

Hello my friends,
Summertime is alot different for dialysis patients than wintertime. Winter makes us feel very cold and uncomfortable. We comfort ourselves with rich,warm dishes, soups and steamy hot drinks. We don't get a fair amount of exercise, and have the tendency to become like couch potatos. We can easily gain more weight and more fluid, making our treatments a little harder. Cold and flu season also plays havic with our health. Our immune systems are compromised and we are germ targets.

Summertime on the other hand is a time where we can enjoy the warmth of the sun, which is very good for us. We gain vitamin D, and it is a mood lifter. We can drink a little more, because we are sweating more and we are much more active. It's easier to exercise and go for walks or go for a swim. Summertime is a fun time to do a little traveling or visiting. It's a good time to stop, relax and smell the flowers. Outdoor activities are everywhere. Enjoy.
A thousand kisses, Jodi

Happy Birthday To Me

Hello my friends,
Today I am 49 years young. This birthday is very special to me because I am still alive and functional. After the year I had sitting on deaths' door, it is a miracle I pulled through.

I am lucky to have a great family that truly loves me. I have the best friends. My doctors and nurses were good to me. All that support got me through.

My girlfriends Marci and Patti threw me a surprise b-day party at a local eatery. They really fooled me, and it was great. What a night. I got presents. I saw lots of cool people I haven't seen in a long while. I was away for seven months.

Today at Curves one of my clients is a professional cake maker. She made me a beautiful b-day cake. I am sharing it with all my ladies.

It's the little things that make life so fun. To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.

Remember Others,
Jodi XOXO!

LIFE

People say life is so short.
That isn't true at all.
Life is so long that we don't have a moment to waste without forgiveness and loving kindness.
Life is so long that many people have died years before they have actually reached their deathbed.
-Deepak Chopra,M.D.

As long as you are breathing,you are still alive. Capture every moment you can. Don't give up. I know you can do it. Hang in there, Louie

Your friend, Jodi

I'm back from the dead

Hello my friends especially Hillary who always checks this blog. Hi Hill! This past August I went to the hospital with pain in my side. Doctors could not figure out what was wrong. Finally they settled on my gallbladder. They took it out, and it really was a bad bladder, but I was still sick. So, they took out my appendix and punctured my bowel. They sent me to Shadyside in Pittsburgh. I was septic. I had poison in my body. They put me on tons of antibiotics which kept me alive. They put an ostomy bag on which saved my life. I was in the hospital seven months and hardly remember alot of it, thank goodness. I had to be on a respirator for a long while. Things were really bad and I almost gave up, but my family and friends were so good to me, they truly kept me alive. The nurses were wonderful. Many times I pulled out my lines and jumped out of bed. I was a bad girl. Today I am getting better everyday. I'm surprised at the progress I've made. Day at a time. A life changing experience I wouldn't wish on anyone. I'm back from the dead. At least that is what my boyfriend Gary says.

a thousand kisses, Jodi
Glad to be back.

I've Missed You!

Sorry I haven't blogged since August. My health took a turn for the worst after a minor surgical procedure. I ended up on a ventilator at Shadyside in Pittsburgh! Right now I'm in a nursing home doing rehab. As soon as I get back on my feet, I will start blogging again! Please keep me in your prayers, and thoughts.

All my love,

Jodi xoxo

My Favorite Snacks

1. I love to make up a plate of sliced apples with some mild cheddar or monterey jack cut into small chunks. I add wheat thins, and there you have it....sweet,protein and crunch.

2. Between meals if I get hungry, I'll carry a string cheese, an apple and a small baggie with a handful of walnuts. It kills the hungries.

3. A spoonful of peanut butter.

4. Frozen grapes.

5. Popcorn

6. Handful of almonds.

7. Multigrain pretzels.

8. Jello

9. Trail mix of banana chips, pretzel sticks, walnuts, cranberry-raisins and granola.

10. Hot tea with a nice piece of dark chocolate or dark chocolate covered almonds.

Dialysis

D is for don't. Don't ever skip a treatment. Don't ever give up.

I is for the internal working of your body and soul.

A is for the ability of that machine to keep you alive.

L is for the living.

Y is for you. It's all about you.

S is for sorry. Don't ever feel that way. Be glad to have a miracle machine.

I is for all the if's, what if this? what if that? Forget about it!

S is for all the somedays that you are now gonna have. Enjoy them.

Take care my special friends,
all my love, Jodi