DEAR SURLY, In March of last year, I saw Abby's column about the upcoming World Kidney Day when the National Kidney Foundation would offer free screenings around the country through their Kidney Early Evaluation Program (KEEP). You encouraged your readers to find the location of their local KEEP screenings, so I did -- figuring I had nothing to lose.
Well, my lab tests from the KEEP screening showed that my kidneys had not been properly filtering toxins from my body. Armed with those test results I made an appointment with my doctor. She had never checked my kidney function before. Once she saw the results of my kidney function tests were low, she suggested major diet and exercise changes and took me off two medications she suspected were too much for my kidneys to handle.
Today, I feel great. My blood pressure is normal, my weight is 30 pounds lighter and my kidney function is continually improving. What a blessing that I read your column that day, Abby, and went to the KEEP screening before it was too late. If I hadn't, I could be on dialysis, waiting for a kidney transplant or, worse, not here at all. -- CAROL ANN JOHNSON, INDEPENDENCE, MO.
CAROL, good that you're feeling better, but it's sad that you needed a kidney test to tell you to watch your diet and get a little exercise.
DEAR SURLY, I don't think I have a recessive personality, yet I constantly find myself in conversations with people who appear to have no interest in what I have to say. Regardless of the subject, I am never able to finish what I want to say before the other person interrupts with his/her own 'more important' story.
An example: I said, 'My mother-in-law came to visit last night ... ' Before I could get the next word out, someone started talking about an incident she suffered through with her M-I-L. She continued on for more than five minutes.
Another time, during an hour-long lunch with a girlfriend, she spent 45 minutes (I timed her) talking about herself. And then there's my co-worker who spent seven minutes of a conference we had for a project we shared discussing the project, and the rest talking about herself.
Am I expecting too much to be heard, respected, empathized with and supported by people I consider close friends and associates? What can I do to remedy this? -- LET ME FINI ...
NON-FINISHER, same things happen to me all the time. I have a problem where I like to pause for emphasis or to breathe, but most people are more interested in their own stories than you. When in that situation, I listen. Someone needs to, besides, it really messes with people when days/weeks/years later you see them and know all these little details that they don't remember telling you. Then they think you're smart and suddenly want to listen. Then use your newfound respect to tell them to sod off.
See Abby's responses at http://www.uexpress.com/dearabby/?uc_full_date=20100301
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment