Chalard

Don't think for a moment that dialysis is a walk in the park. You may be tempted to assume from having seen pictures of people who get dialysis thrice weekly that it's not a big deal - patients seem to just sit there, conscious and comfortable, and relax while a machine does their kidney's work for them. Not so. It's quite a shock to the system, especially the first time, to have the blood circulating outside the body and in touch with foreign substances. Dad did not have the easiest of times going through it today, but he did it and is resting, and we're very hopeful that tomorrow is going to be a much better day. "Nothing is going to be fast for him", the nurse said tonight when I checked in one last time before driving back up to LA, but a small improvement is really all we're looking for now. Small but steady, please, God, if you're listening.

The nurse who has been taking care of him the last couple of nights, Chalard, left a profound impression on me. To say that she is my favorite amongst the nurses I've met so far wouldn't begin to sum up the impact she's had on me. She is Thai (chalard means smart/intelligent in Thai) , probably in her 50ies, and looks like a Buddhist nun, with short cropped hair and the kindliest of smiles - plus a set of funky, artsy glasses. She is indeed a Buddhist, as Ritesh's mom assures me, and radiates a kind of goodness that permeates you through and through, makes the world appear less stupid and vile, and makes you want to be a better person. I've known my share of Buddhists, both Asians who were raised that way and Western converts, and no one has ever struck me that way. I hope she'll be around to take care of dad as much as possible.

Unfortunately, I have no picture of Chalard to share, but I do have one of the impressively moody sky today. You may think it's a little somber, but when you live in a place where the sky is relentlessly blue 320 days out of the year, you come to really appreciate a little texture...