The Red Brick Times

The dialysis facility I go to can seat a max of 24 patients per shift. The Mon/Wed/Fri morning shift, of which I'm a part, is the most popular with 20 or so seats being occupied. These seats are broken down into what they refer to as "pods", each having 4 patients and one tech assigned. Everybody, patients and techs, are very friendly but, with the size of the room and the way things are laid out, you tend to only have conversations (if you do, a lot of people prefer to sleep or read or watch TV) with those directly in front or on each side of you.

My pod has 3 seats regularly occupied. Don, to my right, brings bags full of candy, crackers and gum every day that he passes out to everybody, techs and patients, for free. I'm told he's been doing this for years and will never take a donation (I've tried). My usual order is a large fig newton, a tootsie roll pop and a few small bit-o-honeys. Charles, the guy directly across from me, gets a snickers and some hard candy. Don has the earliest report time so usually has our orders waiting in little piles on his armrest to be delivered by a tech to Charles and me after we're hooked up. I always start my morning there with reading the paper (Plain Dealer) that I bring. I eat my munchies and do all the puzzles. Don and Charles (munching away) go right into intensive sports discussions which can last up to an hour. By then I'm done with my paper and the three of us talk a little then maybe try to sleep.

Monday Charles wasn't there. A dialysis patient not showing up is kind of a big deal but in Charles' case a bit less. He lost his kidneys due to diabetes and has health issues that have landed him in the hospital a couple of times in the last year. When that happens they just do dialysis there. Poor Charles. He's missing a lower leg and the toes on the remaining foot from the diabetes. Never bitches about anything though. Wears Steelers jerseys all the time. When they won the super bowl he was in heaven.

Today (Wednesday) he wasn't there again. Not good. The techs can get in trouble telling us about other patients but Don and I kept after them. Charles died at home sometime Monday morning. He was 56. Fuck.

Later Don told me he got "the call" yesterday. He's been on the transplant list for over six years and his number may have come up. It's not for sure but they did ask him not to eat or drink anything today. Hope I don't see him sitting there Friday (meaning he got one).

Gonna be awful lonely though.
Posted 3:16 PM by whatley (4) comments

       Comments:

Sorry to hear about Charles. But I think there is a play in this. Talk to Ralph & Tony? Gentlemen?

# posted by  jeichenlaub : March 25, 2009 7:47 PM
 
Don got his kidney. It started functioning as soon as they attached it (a very good thing - they don't always do that).

I was placed in his chair today. Off in a corner, all by myself, a pod of my own. Maybe if I stop trying to pinch the butts of the cute little techs they'll let me have company again.

# posted by  whatley : March 27, 2009 3:06 PM
 
And you? Are you on the List?

# posted by  Andy : March 28, 2009 6:47 AM
 
Yeah. I've been on since late last year through University Hospital.

# posted by  whatley : March 28, 2009 7:59 AM
 
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