- Mar 14, 2018

My Happy Place

So as you know I have kidney disease. This is a disease that can mess with your weight, make you tired, keep you from your favorite foods, and can cause you to have to undergo dialysis treatments for around 12 hours a week. So basically it can bum you out….IF you let it. I’m at a point where I try not to let it. I have a couple of things, some spiritual some physical that keep me in a good mood. Here’s another list.

Food. I have some go to faves that always make me hum (y’all know when food hits the spot you gotta hum). One is chicken salad from Chicken Salad Chick with low sodium wheat thins. Another is animal crackers. Now let me be specific. These are the ones that are pink or white iced with sprinkles. They are as my brother described them, “the rich man’s animal cracker.” These treats are a lifter of moods and definitely get a hum (for those of you counting, they are 80mg of sodium per serving). In fact, my roommate and I went on a city-wide search for these cookies…during a hurricane warning. People around us were panicking and buying water and nonperishables. We were on an intense snack run. Last is home cooked food. You can’t be worried when you’re eating something Mom made.
Music. I am currently sitting in dialysis making all the faces and singing to myself. I literally have to put my hand over my mouth sometimes because I’ll hear something that makes me forget where I am. Music moves me more than anything. I listen to a lot of different things for different situations. When I’ve had a rough day, I’ll do a whole concert in the mirror. Some of my favorite artists are Mariah (first name basis because we go way back), India Arie, and (I know you’ve heard me talk about this but here we go again) Leslie Odom Jr. My roommate and I are obsessed. We watch everything he’s in. We buy every album, concert tickets, his book, book tour tickets, etc. We like to say we’re his street team, but we might just be stalkers. Anyway… you cannot be upset or anxious listening to Leslie. Kidneys? What kidneys? No, seriously…what kidneys? These are duds. 😊
Friends. I have great friends. I have friends that come and hang out-get this- at DIALYSIS. This place is not fun. However, I always have friends that stop by to bring me things or to just sit and chat. It really helps the time go by and keeps me feeling normal. One friend that’s been stopping by since the beginning is Herlend, my roommate. I have mentioned her in every section of this list, and by now you’ve probably gathered that she is a crazy person. Whether it’s hunting for snacks, stalking Leslie, being a second mom to my crazy dog, or hanging out at dialysis, I am truly grateful for her. If you’re going through a tough time, get yourself a Herlend.