Jewells of Thought

My Uncle’s course was set 5 years before he died. The evidence has shown that most people, but not all only make it a few years. Dialysis takes a lot of a person’s already vulnerable body.

As part of a patient’s family, because we are going through the process a bit differently but nevertheless we are with them. Physically, unless we ourselves go through kidney failure, we will never comprehend it personally. However, we picked him up from his treatment and we saw how tired he was that he had to stop driving. I remember personally on those Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays picking him up. He was really good at hiding his true thoughts and complaints, but he powered through them. He wanted to be with us feeding our guys in the field.

My uncle was a social butterfly. He talked about dialysis as a social club and he was the only one of us that could attend. Somehow this was where I wondered if I myself was either just about or in the middle of taking a course in Medical Coding. Could dialysis be a good place to work? For a long time I didn’t even consider the idea, but it stemmed from here,

In my mind, last year was the culmination of that idea, that dream. A dream I didn’t even begin to comprehend I could really have without being a Nurse, CNA or a Doctor. Then a failed writing experiment blew up on me and left me rather bereft and completely unsure of any writing ability to begin with. So I decided to give this fantasy a shot, using my courses in medical terminology, anatomy, medical coding and got the job at DaVita. Little did I know that the closest clinic I could try would be the most disorganized one possible to work within.

Ironic that I did not feel qualified even at two months to take the test due to various inconsistencies in my training. Even the other new trainee wanted to quit it took us a month to be able to talk to each other and it seemed funny we both wanted to quit, but we were in Illinois training at a different clinic which was massively different. This however, built up my confidence, but she didn’t feel the same. The next week while we were training in this other clinic her dream job called she got the job. I was extremely happy for her and sad that I was alone for another day of training by myself in Illinois a long way from home.

It takes a long time for me to say ‘uncle’ so I completed the training and felt good. Coming back was like being in a den of lions. Everyone wanted me to stick their way. It was almost like why did you send me to another clinic to learn if you would chastise what I learnt? One thing piled onto another. Then I found out surgery was on the horizon; my hardware would have to come out very soon. Nothing made sense my original trainer was gone there was another one. Like I said disorganized.

So why on earth would I try Fresenius? Because I actually learned everything that was not taught at the other company. Don’t get me wrong each company revealed something about what I could actually do it was an incredible learning experience. Plus I met some amazing co-workers and patients. All because of watching my uncle 10 years earlier.

Now though, I was able to work in the clinic where my uncle received his treatment. I have memories that mean the world to me. I got to see as a family member and as a member of the staff what seats he generally used and the staff who stuck him. Some of the patients even remembered his name and genial attitude. That was absolutely the most amazing gift from what I emotionally and physically experienced last year.

This was where I had some amazing aha moments. I had worked here for months and didn’t even think to ask certain questions. We were busy and I simply forgot some of the questions I would have liked to have known. Then sometimes out of unusual ways I got those answers without asking a question.

One never knows the direction life will take, but if we don’t follow it we will never know. Personally I came to find out a lot more about myself from this position.

There are people who need these treatments, while there are also those currently receiving treatment that basically don’t care about complying with the doctors orders. Dialysis is hard on the body, if you have a purpose in life it shows by how the patients work with the staff or against them. Family is crucial as a support system and in traveling back and forth to the clinic.

I have a whole new respect for the process we went through with my uncle and I’m glad we were able to support him through it those 5 years. These experiences will live in my memory for years to come.