Instagram story viewer> @batemanenroute> Posts

Lauren Bateman

@batemanenroute

189

followers

650

following

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

Download All

In my first week of unemployment (self-employment?), I have:
*applied to a consultancy
*gone to a wedding as a date (I’ve only ever gone to weddings of people I know?)
*applied to a job with the State of Maine
*scheduled my next nephrology appointment
*scheduled two social coffee dates (who else wants in?)
*made two new professional connections
*gone on a gorgeous walk to a beautiful sea view overlooking miles of colorful foliage
*Applied for unemployment and submitted my first weekly claim
*napped!
*attended a banned-books talk hosted by the ACLU of Maine

Not bad. Not bad. by @batemanenroute

20

4

8 days ago

An update, because I know the last one was grim.
Apparently, my new “depression is in remission” pattern is to get overwhelmed for a period of time, and then make a plan and move forward.
I’ve ensured that, at least for now, I won’t have any gap in health insurance. I’ve applied for unemployment and received notice that it’s been approved. I’ve started applying for consultancies and continue to apply for full-time jobs.
I let my niece make fun of my hair, I text with my family, and I’m taking a lot of naps to shake this cold. The Boyfriend checks in regularly and helps me shake off the gremlins. My family does the same.
Next week, I’ll take more steps, including figuring out what comes next for my kidneys.
It’s going to be a non-linear road for awhile. But I’ve done that before. I can do it again. by @batemanenroute

32

6

13 days ago

This is a particularly hard season.
I’m losing my job and my health insurance on Wednesday. I need to figure out buying health insurance on the marketplace (which can only be done by calling the state of Maine) and apply for unemployment (which requires more phone calls).

On top of that, last week I found out my labs are declining again. This will likely mean more (expensive) tests, more time navigating our health system, more time feeling crappy, and the uncertainty that comes with being on the kidney transplant list and hoping to avoid dialysis.

There are asset caps on receiving disability, and I currently own a home… with a monthly mortgage payment and we’re heading into another Maine winter and heating fuel costs are doing nothing but rising.

Finding a full-time job would solve the insurance problem and the income stability but not the time demands of all of this. And the job market is abysmal.

Leaning into consulting and building my own business for diverse income streams helps with the time demands, but doesn’t solve for the income security or the health insurance.

And I have an amazing support system and family who could help me navigate some of those things and who will ensure that I won’t be homeless, at least. I’ll be wracking up a lot of medical debt and will almost surely have a gap in my work history while this gets sorted. I’m trying to believe that this will all get sorted, but it’s stressful and scary and did I mention this is all super helpful for my ongoing mental health concerns?

This is more of a brain dump than I anticipated and I will probably delete pretty quickly. by @batemanenroute

31

10

19 days ago

So, transplant’s still on the table, and we’re going to ramp up the search for a living kidney donor. If you’re interested in being a living donor (for me or for anyone!), check out the site on this card or go to the National Kidney Registry to get your questions answered!
Living kidney donations result in better health outcomes for recipients, cost nothing financially for donors, and are a pretty easy recovery! by @batemanenroute

18

2

21 days ago

I had a visitor in my backyard! by @batemanenroute

9

0

a month ago

Really enjoying the bedhead series 🤣🤪 by @batemanenroute

19

5

a month ago

Getting my legs back.
I had a lot of muscle loss while I was on prednisone to stabilize my kidneys. For a stretch there, standing up from sitting was precarious.
But I’m slowly getting stronger- strong enough to climb Megunticook solo! by @batemanenroute

32

6

a month ago

My relationship to food has changed in absolutely wild ways over the past year and a bit. I was told, without much context, that I needed to “avoid salt” when I had my first conversation with a nephrologist about my declining kidney function.
I almost completely stopped eating. For months. I almost passed out at a derby match I was supporting. I scoured the grocery store for zero-sodium foods, and found very little that wasn’t in the produce section. Except, because of the steroids I was on, I was constantly ravenous- and would start shaking uncontrollably if my blood sugars dropped too low.
I ate so. Many. Eggs.
It felt impossible to go out to eat. I remember meeting one of my best friends (a Nurse Practitioner) and I could feel her watching how I interacted with my meal. I picked through everything. I was convinced that a wrong bite would send my kidneys into failure.
I’m eating a much wider range of foods now, and I even allow myself a piece of pizza or a hamburger every once in awhile.
But mostly I’m eating low-to-no-sodium foods, still, and spend wayyyyy too much time worrying about whether I’m hurting my kidneys every time I reach for something to eat.
Which is why going for one of my favorite meals- a vegetarian sampler at an Ethiopian Restaurant was so hard and also such a victory. by @batemanenroute

18

3

a month ago

I started out documenting what my hair looks like as it grows back…
But lately I’m mostly just documenting my wild bed head. 🤣 by @batemanenroute

40

5

2 months ago

Possibly my favorite part of my house. Except the staircase is functionally full and now I need actual bookcases. by @batemanenroute

25

0

2 months ago

Batemans in Maine by @batemanenroute

28

4

2 months ago

2nd run in the books! C25k Weeks are going to be longer than actual weeks, but I’m determined to get them done. by @batemanenroute

14

1

3 months ago