Author: Peter Tan

Peter Gabriel Tan. Penangite residing in the Klang Valley. Blissfully married to Wuan. A LaSallian through and through. Slave to three cats. Wheelchair user since 1984. End-stage renal disease since 2017. Principal Facilitator at Peter Tan Training specialising in Disability Equality Training. Former columnist of Breaking Barriers with The Borneo Post. This blog chronicles my life, thoughts and opinions. Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

Celebratory lunch

Chili’s Classic Ribeye

Lunch was steak! Testing my allergy to beef. And also because I need to increase my dietary protein. 10oz of grilled ribeye. Replaced the loaded mashed potatoes with another serving of broccoli. Potatoes are high in potassium and bad for kidney disease.

This lunch is also in part because of the outcome of my scheduled medical check up this morning. Blood test results showed improvement. Hb and serum iron is within range. Micera is now reduced to 50mcg every 6 weeks from every 4 weeks; Calcitriol every two days from daily.

I’ve been hypotensive lately probably due to dehydration related to peritoneal dialysis. Amlodipine to control my hypertension is stopped. I’m allowed to drink up to 2,000 ml water daily to counter that. Besides, I’m still producing a good amount of urine and my uf is averaging 800ml.

I’m thankful for small mercies like this. Going to enjoy the moment because I know it will not last.

Unproductive days

I have been feeling lightheaded on and off recently which I attribute to hypoglecemia. That is exacerbated by occasional hypotension related to peritoneal dialysis. I was advised by the doctor to stop taking amlodipine, the medicine to control my hypertension.

Nevertheless, the convergence of these two symptoms in the past few days have made me listless. The current hot spell is not helping either. I cooped myself up in the bedroom with the air-conditioner at full blast almost the whole of yesterday.

I had to drag myself out of bed today because I felt that the more I slept the more listless I would become. Even then, I have not been able to do much. Hopefully, this will go away soon and not symptoms of something more serious.

New year, new blood

Lego minifigure in wheelchair posing in front of box with the word "Mircera" in bold and "meythoxy polyethylene glycol-epoetin beta" below it.
50mcg Mircera

Time for another monthly dose of 50mcg epoetin. My kidneys can no longer produce erythropoietin (EPO), a hormone that stimulates the production of red blood cells. I was severely aneamic because of that.

Epoetin is a man-made hormone that has the same effect as EPO. My red blood cells have gone back to normal levels since I started on this therapy. From 8.7g/dL in April 2018, it has gradually increased to 13.8g/dL in October 2018.

Each dose comes in a syringe that can be self-administered. Wuan has been injecting me on the abdomen since last year. Each 50mcg dose costs RM111. It is a painless procedure where she pinches the skin and injects the solution. All is done in 5 seconds.