A look at Kidney disease:

My Good Health

When my Doctor said dialysis
I said, “I’d rather die”,
I thought I’d get my affairs in order
But then I heard that baby cry,
My first little grandkid
All peaches and cream,
I’ve got a reason to live
My nightmare became a happy dream.

Hypertension runs in my family
That I know for sure,
Diabetes comes along with it
And I know there ain’t no cure,
But I didn’t pay attention
Nor get a decent education,
I was more interested in having fun
On a life-long fools vacation.

When I was getting older
My weight was going up,
It seemed like every minute
I had to pee, about a cup,
I paid a visit to my Doctor
And he listened to my tale,
After doing a bunch of tests
He said my kidneys were about to fail,
I said, what the heck
I don’t get it, what do you mean,
He said, full blown diabetes
I’m afraid, I made a scene,
I wailed and I hollered
And then I began to shout,
Listen up, you crazy doctor
It’s not me you’re talkin’ about,
You must have got my blood tests
Mixed up with some other chick,
I know I pee a lot
But I’m healthy, I’m not sick,
So you can take these results and place them
Where the sun don’t shine today,
I ain’t got no diabetes
Not now, not tomorrow, no way.

Well, I went home and suffered
My good health for 90 days,
When my toe turned black, and then fell off
I knew I had to change my ways,
So I walked my 9 toes back to him
And apologized for hours,
I swore I’d do whatever I could
And did he have the power,
To restore my little toe to me
But he shook his head so sadly,
And though I’m short a toe today
I do not feel so badly.

Now I check my sugar QID
And read my sliding scale,
I take the pills prescribed to me
I swear I never fail,
To follow all the orders
And do what must be done,
The purpose of my life today
Is to appreciate everyone.

How long I’ll live, is hard to tell
I’ll do the best I can,
I’ll change my diet and exercise
And face it like a man,
Because the cards are dealt
The bets are placed
And the audience holds their breath,
I’m in charge of the person
That I want to be
Until, my timely death.

Fibril_late; 4/05