kidneys, pho, and water

i know i said i wouldn't blog everyday, but today was too amazing to not tell y'all. if you love the nations, you will probs love this post.

kidneys

today, i was on a hemodialysis unit. hemodialysis is the process of mechanically/electronically filtering through waste products in the blood because someone's kidneys can't do it for themselves. it's a pretty bomb process. my nurse was a bit late to get started, so i missed out on what was happening initially. but overall, she was an amazing teacher and i learned tons about the process. i really enjoyed being with the patients, as well. praying about how this could be used overseas and if it would be wise to specialize in it.

pho

i love pho. if i could it eat it everyday, i would. all the nurses i worked with today were asian, minus one. they were chinese, vietnamese, and filipina. there was a meeting in the morning, and as everyone gathered in the break room, the food started to come out of nowhere. my nurse had bread, but she took out at least five pieces. once they had finished toasting, she laid them out on the table, took one, and started to lather it in the salmon spread another nurse had brought. other nurses followed in suit. fruit was being cut and placed on plates, coffee was being poured for one another, and, most importantly, laughter was happening. LOVE. at lunch, a nurse full on made pho. yep, just in the break room. another nurse put the finishing touches on dumplings and more fruit was cut. the nurse who had made pho said, "it's like a market place in here. we are so loud." LOVE. like, i would want to work on this unit just so i could feel like i was in another country every day!

water

the main tech took time to explain the filtration process to me. he reminded me that those who have chronic renal failure aren't able to drink a lot of water or any kind of liquid really, because they can't excrete it. he said over the weekend, (two days without dialysis), they only recommend that 500ml of liquid be consumed. i usually drink 1000-2000ml a day. oh my goodness! this totally explained why so many patients were licking their lips and coughing. dry throat much?

but then God was good to remind me of Himself. in john 4, Jesus says He is able to give a woman living water. she eagerly asks how she can receive this living water. i want these patients suffering from lack of physical water to know the source of living water. while i am saddened for them because they are limited in their amount of oral intake, i ache that most do not know of the living water.

or that they haven't really ever heard about it.