Returning to Hemo Temporary - thursday, July 14, 2011

Hi All, Returning to Hemo wednesday, July 14, 2011, should have been like de ja vu, but for some strange reason, i was experiencing so much anxiety, having to face going back to Hemo, three days a week. First, i wasn't too pleased with my schedule, as i guess that is the only spot they had open at this time. My schedule is for T, TH, Sat - at 3:45 PM, 3 hours 15 minute treatment session. I think back to my hemo days, of when i would have a M, W, Fri, schedule and i only was on the dialyzer for 2 1/2 hours. I guess with a catherer and my flow only being tolerable at 350, the treatment is run a little slower, than in the past. Well, getting back to the scenarios that surround my first day back on hemo. I arrived at 3:15 PM, and of course, when i walked into the waiting room, the first person i see is my PD nurse Susan, it is always nice to see her, but not under these circumstances, so i wasn't as pleasant as i usually am. A little bitter about all these changes at the moment, i guess i will adjust soon enough. Seems nothing has changed, i discovered they were a little behind schedule, so i had to wait for about 1/2 hour, before i was called in. Finally i am called in, and i have to do the usual protocol, sign some papers, to give my permission to have hemo treatment. I wasn't bombarded with so many papers to sign, like before, when i first started my initial hemo treatment back in 1990, and this was due to the fact, that i was already a PD patient at the unit, so many of the paperwork was already in place. The tech introduced himself, and escorted me to the back of the unit, actually by the back door, (that the staff leave from after their shifts are over). Well, anyway, he took the usual vitals (b/p standing & sitting, and temp), and they were pretty normal, so i was very pleased with this. While he was preparing the dialyzer, the nurse comes over, and introduce herself as well, and then she ask a few questions, like when was this catherer put in, and as she attempt to look at it, she notices the dry blood visible through the bandage, and then she notice the dressing, and informs me that they don't have that kind of gel dressing, so they used their kind of dressing instead. She then notices that my daughter has accompanied me in the unit, and told her that she will need to have a mask and lab coat covering on, during the preparation of connecting my catherer to the dialyzer. I was given a mask as well, and then the nurse proceeded. She only took about ten minutes to connect me, and then the tech does the usual protcol, (that i know all too well), it was though i never truly forgotten all this, he shows me the little white tab, to get the OK from me on whether or not it is clear or not, and that indicates it is time to rock and roll. Before starting,(i guess by me being an expert so to speak for my many years of hemo history), they ask me for the first time, how much do i desire to be taken off, and because i know my body all too well, i told them no more than two (the amount of fluid to take off), because i heard them both discussing taking off 3 or 3/1/2, and that is when they referred to me, and ask me, i was so flattered, because this is the first time in history that the tech or nurse has ask me what amount i desire for them to take off. Now the treatment begans, i took a quick glimpse around the unit, and i didn't see any staff member or patient for that matter, that i recognized from my past hemo days. However, i did see a tech (Amy), who had just returned from her break. I chatted with her for a minute, it was great to see one staff member from my glory days of hemo. Of course, hemo can be quite boring, if you don't have a plan in place, on what to do about boredom. There was a TV for viewing, but i didn't have any headphones, and wasn't told that i needed them to watch the TV. I remember, the old unit that they were at before, where you didn't need headphones to watch the TV, as there weren't individual TV sets, like they are now. We would view TV, that were stationed high in the ceiling. Well anyway, while having treatment, i was chatting with my daughter for awhile, and then the nurse returns and begans to chat with me, asking how long i had been on dialysis, and then my daughter proudly chimes in, and says my mom has published two books about her life on dialysis, and the nurse was then astonished by this, and then she ask where can she purchase my books, and i told her she can purchase them directly from my publisher or she can just go online to amazon.com, and order that way. I brought my word search book with me, and the trip thing about this, is that i had just got about three more copies, from my subscription, and when i started PD, back in 2000, i just put them up on a shelf in my library room upstairs, and hadn't looked at them since, now a decade later, having to return back to hemo, i took them off the shelf, and now back to doing word search while i am on the machine, and yes, this felt like dejavu once again. The Saga continues - i am now getting restless, i have about 45 minutes before my treatment session is over. My husband arrives, because it is time for my daughter to leave for her evening class. With only 4 minutes to go, i suddenly get a cramp in the lower left leg,(and then i say to myself, "Welcome Back To Hemo, Glo) but it got so excruiating, that it alarmed the tech and he immediately comes over to give me some relieve, he said you only have a few minutes left, so i will turn off your UF, and then i was feeling better, the cramp was miraculously gone in seconds, but the tech did commend me, on calling it almost to a T - (you know only take 2 off), in his book that was a perfect estimate of how much fluid to remove. The nurse at the moment is a little pre occupied with another patient's disconnecting her catherer. Finally after about 15 minutes, she comes over to me, and begans to disconnect me as well. The only advantage about having a catherer for hemo, is that there is no bleeding time necessary, and i know all too well in the past, how long it takes for me to stop bleeding, as there was times when i would appear to stop bleeding and the sucker starts to bleed as soon as i start to drive home, and of course, i have to immediately apply pressure to the site, to help it stop bleeding, but like i said, i don't have this worry anymore. Hallejah! i am now on my way home. Need to eat first, because i am starving like marving, and then i will take my usual two hour nap to rejuvenate. Well, that is all for the first episode of Gloria Returning to Hemo (but remember, it is only temporary). I should be returning to PD in about six weeks or so, can't wait, because i don't particulary like dealing with hemo on these terms, having to practially sit real still, because of the sensitivity of having this catherer. Enduring this catherer, ain't no joke, the potentialy risk of an infection developing, and all the stigma of retrictions place on this catherer, can't take a shower, bird baths (i truly despised) and the can't drive or sit up right, you have to lie down practically all the time, all well, it is only temporary, right! Until the next blog, take care and all the best to you guys, stay well and compliant. Glo