Author Archives: DevonTexas

About DevonTexas

I am a person with ESRD (End Stage Renal Disease) which means my kidneys don't work. Forty or so years ago that would have been a death sentence but today there is Dialysis which means I could be hooked up to a machine that would clean my blood as the kidneys should. Three days a week, I went to a dialysis center and had too very large needles stuck in my arm to remove and replace my blood as it passed through a process where it was cleaned and the fluid was removed, a process taking a little over four hours each time. In November 2017, I received a kidney transplant from a deceased donor. My life went into overdrive. With a "new" functioning kidney, I no longer had to go to a dialysis center and my days were not open to be lived rather than recovering from dialysis which meant dialyzing for three days and resting for 4 days a week. I work full-time and often 50 hours per week. It is something I never imagined. I highly recommend it! HeeHee I want to advance knowledge about dialysis and transplant so that others can learn from my experience and mistakes. We shouldn't have to reinvent the wheel, eh? There is so much to be learned and experienced about our predicament. There are vast resources available to support us and enrich our lives but many patients don't know about them. There are also many issues that we have to deal with whether we want to or not. So I blog about them in www.DevonTexas.com All comments are confidential until I approve them. If you don't want your comment public, let me know and I will respect that. So, feel free to leave a comment. I also blog in LegacyTales in WordPress if you are interested in the ramblings of a Old Man. Give a peek and let me know what you think. https://legacytales.wordpress.com/ Enjoy.

CKD, Diabetes, and Jardiance: Delay Kidney Failure!


There is controversy within the medical community about giving SGLT2 medications (especially Jardiance and Farxiga) to treat diabetic patients in CKD. For example, my PCP framed it this way: “Cardiologists like it because it is so effective against heart failure. … Continue reading

Posted in CKD, diabetes, dialysis, eGFR, eGFR, GFR, ESRD, Farxiga, GFR, Jardiance, kidney, Kidney failure, kidney research, Medications | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Dialysis and Summer Weather Recipes


We’re coming into Summer when the extreme challenge of keeping hydrated while limiting fluids comes into play and a competition greater than March Madness! Here are some low potassium recipes for your consideration from Davita. In this context, please consider … Continue reading

Posted in Davita, dialysis, diet, dietary restictions, fluid control, kidney, Kidney Diet, Kidney-friendly, potassium, recipes | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Dialysis and “Extra Help” with Meds


Most experienced Social Workers know this and will get you set up with this program as soon as you go on Medicare. However, many don’t which means you need to find this yourself. I hope I saved you some hunting … Continue reading

Posted in CMS, dialysis, Dialysis Center, Insurance, Medicare, Medications, New Patient, Social Work, Transplant | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Dialysis and Blood Pressure


Hey Y’all! Long time. no post. My fault entirely. Since my transplant in late 2017, I spent my time recovering and absolutely enjoying my new-found life, free of the restraints of dialysis. That doesn’t mean I’m not constantly thinking about … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Dialysis and pre-Transplant


Here is a great resource for getting on the Transplant List and preparing for the transplant process. This from the Renal Support Network and Lori Hartwell, the RSN founder who has been a hardcore supporter and educator of the Kidney … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Dialysis and Medications


Hey y’all… I came across this article from the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) and thought it might be helpful to those wondering about the effect of medications on your kidneys. Some can be harmful to your kidneys. Caution, however. If … Continue reading

Posted in CKD, dialysis, ESRD, kidney, Kidney Diet, Kidney-friendly, Medications, National Kidney Foundation. NKF, New Patient, Transplant, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Getting away: not always easy!

This gallery contains 6 photos.


Originally posted on Big D and Me:
Over the last six months, we have managed to get out of town occasionally, for one or two days around dialysis. By around dialysis, I mean that leave for our mini holiday accommodation…

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Ya’ll gotta see this…


Here are two photos.  One, taken in 2013 when I was in a wheelchair being pushed around the US Capitol, obese, ready to get off the exit on the Highway of Life. The other is 2016, lost 100lbs, able to … Continue reading

Posted in dialysis, disability, ESRD, exercise, kidney, thankful, Transplant, weight loss, weight reduction | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Dialysis and Kidney-friendly Snacks


Originally posted on DevonTexas:
1/15/16 Update – I saw a post on FaceBook that offered a free sample (just pay shipping) from Vida-Fuel.  I would highly recommend you try these snacks! Go to their WebSite to see the offer Hey…

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Community Run Dialysis – Inspirational!


Originally posted on Big D and Me:
Over the last week, I’ve been working on a new project that involved making a list of all the dialysis units in Australia (more on that soon). In the process, I discovered that…

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments