Thursday, January 29, 2009

Dialysis went fine today. They only kept me, and everyone else, on the machine for two hours because of the weather. Snow and/or ice has been predicted. Some of them almost had to spend the night the last time, so they wanted to get everyone through a quick session and sent home. I was so awfully disappointed that I was deprived of a whole hour sitting there.:)

A PD nurse was supposed to call me Monday or Tuesday but nothing so far. I'm waiting on three calls at present: (1) the PD nurse, (2) my glasses from Wal-Mart, and (3) my negatives put on CD, also Wal-Mart. The wheels that be . . . grind slowly.

~Later

Thursday, January 22, 2009

A Royal Rant

Well, okay. . . . here it is running right through January of the new year 2009. What has changed? I'm not sure. I've been out of sorts which I always seem to be of one kind or another. Sometimes it's hard to clearly define.

Daughter, Becky, who just recently started dialysis at age 42 is doing great! I'm very proud of her. She chose to have peritoneal dialysis as it afforded her the time to continue home-schooling her boys.

I don't know why I didn't give peritoneal a thought. I think it just seemed foreign to me, and hemodialysis is what my sister was on. But, after being on it for almost 2 years, it is beginning to get very old.

I made it fairly good while my access was in my left arm. I could still use my right arm to do things and I did quite a bit of hand sewing. But less than a year out, my fistula quit working and I had to have one put in my right arm.

So, what are the things you can do without using your right hand/arm? Watch TV. Read. Sleep. Pray. Very sloppy crosswords. Look out the window at the parking lot. Watch the nurses and patients. Are you getting excited yet?

I've dealt with a lot of depression in my life. It's part of my personality. Sometimes it gets me down, especially in the winter months with shortened days and no sunshine. You can see how this in conjunction with dialysis could prove not to be an encouraging thing for me.

All this to say this: I'm toying with the idea of changing to peritoneal dialysis. Just thinking about not having to go to the clinic and "hook up" for 3 hours, three days a week puts a longing in my heart. I wanna stay home! I wanna play! I want my time to be "my time."

Then being the analytical person that I am, I start thinking about the reality of it. Am I disiplined enough to do the exchanges as regularly scheduled? I'm a procrastinator. Time gets away from me big time. But, I would live in the hope of being able to use a cycler while I sleep. That way my days would be free! FREE!

I'm learning now that they say that PD (peritoneal dialysis) gives the best results. More level blood work results with fewer fluid and dietary restrictions. Several professionals I've talk with says that would be their chose of treatment.

I'm analyzing it to death. What if I go through all that and it doesn't work, or I don't like it? What if I go thorough all that and can't use a cycler? What if, what if, what if? Groan . . . . ! None of this is my choice. I think that is the problem. I HAVE TO DO SOMETHING whether I want to or not. And none of the choices are "MY" choices. I'm just trying to play the cards dealt to me. Sigh! I know, I know. I'm just butting my head up against the wall. I think I just needed to vent.

Any suggestions from my adoring public? LOL Until next time . . . . .

How Hemodialysis Works

In hemodialysis, your blood is allowed to flow, a few ounces at a time, through a special filter that removes wastes and extra fluids. The clean blood is then returned to your body. Removing the harmful wastes and extra salt and fluids helps control your blood pressure and keep the proper balance of chemicals like potassium and sodium in your body.

One of the biggest adjustments you must make when you start hemodialysis treatments is following a strict schedule. Most patients go to a clinic” - a dialysis center ”three times a week for 3 to 5 or more hours each visit. For example, you may be on a Monday-Wednesday-Friday schedule or a Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday schedule. You may be asked to choose a morning, afternoon, or evening shift, depending on availability and capacity at the dialysis unit. Your dialysis center will explain your options for scheduling regular treatments.

Researchers are exploring whether shorter daily sessions, or longer sessions performed overnight while the patient sleeps, are more effective in removing wastes. Newer dialysis machines make these alternatives more practical with home dialysis. But the Federal Government has not yet established a policy to pay for more than three hemodialysis sessions a week.