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Peritoneal Dialysis

Posted by alicat60 @alicat60, Mar 3 8:53pm

My husband is going to Mayo, Phoenix for his second evaluation to see if he’s a candidate for a kidney transplant. In the meanwhile he was supposed to start Peritoneal Dialysis almost 3 weeks ago. The catheter is not working ( they already ruled out constipation). He sees the surgeon next week to see what’s wrong. We are both still working and alone in this town with family far away. Has anybody here dealt with this issue before? Thank you.

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trying2bhappy | @trying2bhappy | Mar 5 3:38pm

My husband had a transplant about six years ago which failed last summer. He is now on peritoneal dialysis. He's retired but I still work (I'm 64) But luckily I work from home. PD is quite a bit of work to set up the machine each day, stay on top of supplies and there's a lot of plastic waste. He just doesn't feel well a lot of days so I handle most of the PD stuff. Now that I've been doing it a while, I can set up the machine each day in about an hour. Overall, though, it's still much better than having to go into a center 3 times per week.

Sorry your husband's catheter isn't working yet. I'm sure the surgeon will be able to resolve that. Has he had abdominal surgery in the past that could have scar tissue?

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alicat60 | @alicat60 | Mar 5 8:59pm
In reply to @trying2bhappy "My husband had a transplant about six years ago which failed last summer. He is now..." + (show)
@trying2bhappy

My husband had a transplant about six years ago which failed last summer. He is now on peritoneal dialysis. He's retired but I still work (I'm 64) But luckily I work from home. PD is quite a bit of work to set up the machine each day, stay on top of supplies and there's a lot of plastic waste. He just doesn't feel well a lot of days so I handle most of the PD stuff. Now that I've been doing it a while, I can set up the machine each day in about an hour. Overall, though, it's still much better than having to go into a center 3 times per week.

Sorry your husband's catheter isn't working yet. I'm sure the surgeon will be able to resolve that. Has he had abdominal surgery in the past that could have scar tissue?

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He had diverticulatis surgery back in 2007. Not sure if that could be one of the issues. He’s about 3 weeks behind in the treatment.
I’m sorry your husband’s transplant didn’t work out. Did they tell you the reason for it?
Yes, PD is lots of work I can imagine. Makes it difficult when we are still working. My husband is 67 and I’m 60. I hope things go well with you and your husband. Is he considering another transplant in the future?

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Mentor
Becky, Volunteer Mentor | @becsbuddy | Mar 5 9:52pm

@alicat60 Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect ! I’m glad you found the site! It’s great, isn’t it? I know what you mean by how difficult PD can be when you’re just learning. Oh, wait ! Your husband hasn’t started yet. Sorry for the confusion. Now, I’ll try again. :-(. PD can be difficult as you are learning, but, in the long run, it’s very easy!
Be sure to let us know how you are both doing once he starts.

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trying2bhappy | @trying2bhappy | Mar 6 8:36am

They waited until my husband was down to 6% kidney function to put his catheter in. He lost a lot of weight during that time because low function causes loss of appetite. Now, they're saying they want him to gain a lot of weight back before being considered for another transplant. What is your husband's kidney function? You may have to insist they put in a chest port for hemo dialysis in the meantime if it's very low. I've learned we have to be very pushy and noisy sometimes to be sure our loved ones get the care they need.

Good luck!
Trying2BHappy

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Mentor
Ginger, Volunteer Mentor | @gingerw | Mar 6 12:59pm

@alicat60 Let me add my welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I have been on peritoneal dialysis since Sept 2022.

When you say his catheter is not working, is he not able to take in fluids to dwell, or not drain fluids out? The catheter might be wrongly placed, and butting up against his abdominal tissues. That would create an issue, and also possible cramping. As was mentioned, if his kidney function is really going down, he might need to get a port and do hemodialysis until the problems with peritoneal dialysis are resolved. When a surgeon does the catheter placement, usually there has been an ultrasound ahead of time to see if the patient has the "right" set-up for the catheter. That can mean little to no scar tissue [from previous abdominal surgeries] or omentum [fatty tissue in the cavity].

How is your husband feeling? Will you let us know what the doctor says next week, please?
Ginger

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