What's your experience with dialysis? Give & get support here

Posted by Rosemary, Volunteer Mentor @rosemarya, Mar 7, 2019

Dialysis is required if your kidneys don't function adequately on their own. Your doctor will discuss with you the type of dialysis that's best for you. Dialysis treatment is a serious responsibility, You'll need to work closely with your health care team who have experience in managing dialysis. Open communication with your health care team is essential to your overall health.

Fellow patients are a wonderful source of support and practical information because of a shared dialysis experience.
If you are a dialysis patient, or loved one of a patient, what are some things that you have experienced that might be helpful to someone who is new to dialysis? What kind of life adjustments have you had to make? How has it affected your everyday life?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Kidney & Bladder Support Group.

Surgery today to remove the permacath and replace it with a safer mediport for blood draws since you can't do needle sticks in the arm with the AV graft and the veins in my other arm are crap. That's six sessions in the operating room under general anesthesia in 6 months. Hope to be released from the hospital some time Wed. Let's keep our fingers crossed that this works!

REPLY

@kamama94, I'm sending virtual hugs along with a prayer. I want this to be a procedure that will make your future days easier for you.
My dialysis treatment, before my transplant, was different than your dialysis treatment. However, most of my labs were drawn thru my port (don't even know the terminology) and it is so nice to not need constant needle jabs.
Rest and stay warm, my friend.

REPLY
@kamama94

Surgery today to remove the permacath and replace it with a safer mediport for blood draws since you can't do needle sticks in the arm with the AV graft and the veins in my other arm are crap. That's six sessions in the operating room under general anesthesia in 6 months. Hope to be released from the hospital some time Wed. Let's keep our fingers crossed that this works!

Jump to this post

@kamama94 Holding good thoughts! Fingers and toes crossed for success.
Ginger

REPLY
@kamama94

Surgery today to remove the permacath and replace it with a safer mediport for blood draws since you can't do needle sticks in the arm with the AV graft and the veins in my other arm are crap. That's six sessions in the operating room under general anesthesia in 6 months. Hope to be released from the hospital some time Wed. Let's keep our fingers crossed that this works!

Jump to this post

Good Grief, @kamama94, having 6 general anesthesias in 6 months may not be a record but surely it comes close! Hope this latest procedure not only works but brings added relief. Hugs!

REPLY

I'm home!

Surgery went well!

Great news, labs showed further creatinine drop before the procedure from 3.66 last month to 3.05 yesterday. Still high but was 4.08 late November. Filtration rate (eGFR) up from 12 in Jan to 15 yesterday! High end of Stage 5! Even if it doesn't last I'm going to enjoy it for now. Thank you for all the prayers and good wishes and support. You're a wonderful bunch of people.

REPLY
@kamama94

I'm home!

Surgery went well!

Great news, labs showed further creatinine drop before the procedure from 3.66 last month to 3.05 yesterday. Still high but was 4.08 late November. Filtration rate (eGFR) up from 12 in Jan to 15 yesterday! High end of Stage 5! Even if it doesn't last I'm going to enjoy it for now. Thank you for all the prayers and good wishes and support. You're a wonderful bunch of people.

Jump to this post

@kamama94 so happy for you! I’ve been praying 🙏 for you. God is good!!

REPLY
@kamama94

I'm home!

Surgery went well!

Great news, labs showed further creatinine drop before the procedure from 3.66 last month to 3.05 yesterday. Still high but was 4.08 late November. Filtration rate (eGFR) up from 12 in Jan to 15 yesterday! High end of Stage 5! Even if it doesn't last I'm going to enjoy it for now. Thank you for all the prayers and good wishes and support. You're a wonderful bunch of people.

Jump to this post

@kamama94 So glad to hear the upbeat notes in your voice. As we enter in to the New Moon, may your steps be light and joy at better lab values be a beacon for even better values next time!
Ginger

REPLY
@kamama94

I'm home!

Surgery went well!

Great news, labs showed further creatinine drop before the procedure from 3.66 last month to 3.05 yesterday. Still high but was 4.08 late November. Filtration rate (eGFR) up from 12 in Jan to 15 yesterday! High end of Stage 5! Even if it doesn't last I'm going to enjoy it for now. Thank you for all the prayers and good wishes and support. You're a wonderful bunch of people.

Jump to this post

You are amazing, remarkable, inspirational. You lead by example. We are better off knowing you. It is simply fact, not compliments nor exaggeration, that you find ways to put things in the best possible light. Clearly, when you look at the stars you see the light.

REPLY
@lagrange5

You are amazing, remarkable, inspirational. You lead by example. We are better off knowing you. It is simply fact, not compliments nor exaggeration, that you find ways to put things in the best possible light. Clearly, when you look at the stars you see the light.

Jump to this post

@lagrange5, Wow! What nice things to say. But the real inspiration is all of you. Your various experiences and attitudes have kept me going when I nearly had given up. I owe you guys a huge debt of gratitude. You kept encouraging me even when I wanted to quit trying. Big hugs to all!

REPLY

I had a liver transplant and suffered an AKI during surgery. I had to have dialysis for a few months until my kidneys improved to grade 3. I have now regressed to a solid grade 4 and my nephrologist has starting mentioning dialysis and transplant evaluation. They also suggested I find a living donor and maybe I won't have to ever have dialysis. In the beginning I was on dialysis for only a few months and I am not looking forward to having to go back on dialysis. I hated the absolute boring waste of time. I have no idea how people do dialysis for years and hope I can avoid that even though I understand it is likely inevitable.

REPLY
Please sign in or register to post a reply.