Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Well, i am now getting deeper and deeper, into hemodialysis, and i still am not happy these days with this form of dialysis treatment. I do remember, when i was previously on hemo, back during my ten year run, that hemo wasn't so bad, i exactly became comfortable with hemodialysis, and besides my graft was either in my arm or leg. Doing hemodialysis from a catherer, is not so pretty, there are so many restrictions with having this catherer, (you know doing all you can, to keep the catherer safe, as in if you take a shower, you need to keep the catherer from becoming wet, and causing an infection to develop). I hate bird baths with a passion, so i try my best to keep my catherer safe and infection free, when i take a shower. I told you, in a previous blog, about what i did to resolve this, i purchase some plastic from my neighborhood fabric store, and it has worked OK so far, although the tubing that hang from my breast, i have to find a way to perfect this from getting wet, so far, the tubing gets damp, from the plastic protruding from underneath. I think i will need to double plastic that area and triple tape it as well to keep the water from seaking underneath. Well, enough about that, my day at dialysis started out with my put on time, at 5:38 AM, and about two hours after starting treatment, my PD nurse, Rebecca, came by to visit me, it was great to see her, and to see a familiar face from PD. She first ask how was i coming along with my treatment, and i felt compelled to be honest with her, not beating around the bush, i immediately told her, that i am not comfortable with dialyzing from a catherer. So, she gave me this very funny, peciular look and remark with, i know this isn't the most comfortable way to do hemo. I did express to her, i can't wait to get back on PD. So, she continued by asking me, have they scheduled my hernia repair surgery, and i responded with, i just had a consultation, last friday at Kaiser, Vallejo, and after my meeting and examination with the doctor, he also mentioned that my neph, Dr. Ahmad, wanted to have one of my kidneys removed in the process of having my hernia repaired, so he told me he will have to discuss further with my neph, about what exactly will transpire during this surgerical procedure. After mentioning this to my PD nurse, she said why are they stalling, i know you want to get back on PD as soon as possible. I did mention to her, that my PD catherer is working remarkably, as i do a flush every other day. And she was very pleased with this, and told me to hang in there, that i will be back on PD in no time. From returning to hemo, i realized exactly how much better i prefer PD vs. Hemo. Now don't get me wrong, hemo does have some advantages, such as i don't have to take iron, vitamin D and potassium supplements orally, and plus i don't have to endure EPO shots on the regular, the EPO is simply administered through the tubing on hemo. Now, when it comes to my renal diet on hemo, it is so much more taxing on the body, i feel that when i eat a full course meal on the day of treatment and even in between hemo, i start to feel very bloated. Having to watch my fluid intake more closely, it is such a challenge with hemo. I decided that not eating a breakfast on the day of treatment and eating a light lunch, and a light dinner as well, it helps to keep the toxin and fluids to a minimum, i usually only eat a full course meal at dinner time, the day after treatment, and continue to eat and drink less, and it is helping somewhat to lessen this bloating feeling that i have been experiencing, prior to doing this little experiment. I also mentioned to my PD nurse, the coughing that i am experiencing on the regular, with having this catherer, to the point, that the techs and nurses, get frustrated with having to tend to those alarms, every time i cough, there solution always is administer me some benadryl, to keep me quiet, oh yeah, it keeps me quiet, to the point that i eventually fall off to sleep. You see every time i cough, the alarms go off, and cause the blood flow to be affected, they very often have to reverse my venuous and arterial lines. What i do like about the unit, is the closeness, that my side of the unit, have with their fellow dialysis pts. They joke when they come in with one another and the techs and nurses joke with them as well, even at this God forsaken early hour. They all seem to be doing very well with hemo, although some have lost their limbs due to diabetes. They seem to all be in high spirit, i even realized there was a fellow pt. that is a member at my church, this my husband brought to my attention, he just look across from me, and recognized this heavy set guy, and i had been seeing him, off and on, for several weeks now, and didn't realized he was a church member. I had to take a real good look at him, and that is when i realized that my husband was right. My husband has for the last few weeks, after getting me settled, he would go over and chat with him. I feel so bad, and maybe it is i am so in my own zone of dealing with hemo, that i truly didn't even notice this guy very much. Well, since then, i would wave at him, when he would go to his station, just to acknowledge him. A nurse even introduce me, and mentioned that i have been on dialysis for over two decades, and that i have published two books to share my experience and knowledge, with others faced with dialysis for their continued survival. This patient was very interested, and wanted to know how to purchase my books. She is an ederly pt. that has been on dialysis for two years, and that she is still trying to learn all she can about this unique life of dialysis. I spoke with her briefly, and she said she will look into how to buy my books. I was so flattered, just before the benadryl, started to kick, because i began to look at her, in a daze, i guess i went straight to sleep after that. Usually when i am at the unit, she falls to sleep well before i do, but i guess she was interested in talking about me, and my many years of being on dialysis, she did mentioned, why haven't i received the blessing of a transplant, and i did mentioned that i had a first transplant in 1993, which failed after four months, and that it is way too much to get into at this time around, i will share that with her some other time, as i mentioned, the benadryl, is starting to kick in (lol). Well, that is it for my blogging today, take care and all the best to you guys. Glo