Hello everyone, i have been on dialysis for about 18 years. i have just started using the Aksys machine in my home for about 3 weeks now. I have read on some of the other posts that some people complain about the Aksys machine breaking down. Mine did break down once but the company did have a repair tech at my house within 3 hours. I know i’ll experience more break down problems in the future. However, for me being able to be free of traveling to my old unit is such a blessing and it over weights the possibility of future troulbes. Home Hemo is a new technology and it’s not 100 % fool proof. Sometimes we have to take the good with the bad. Yes, the machine will break down from time to time, it’s a bit noisey and you do need a place to store supplies. For me, I feel lucky to be able to use a dialysis machine at home, get better blood clearences and possibly feel more “normal”. I forget what that feels like after 18 years of doing Hemo for 3 days a week. 
I also wanted to ask if anyone could give me info about getting a centrifuse for myself here at home. I wonder what other home dialysis patients do for their blood work. The hospital i’m affliated with is having a hard time deciding where or how to get one for me. I am the first one in this new Home Hemo Program with this hospital and we have some issues yet to get worked out. Any information you could share would be highly appreciated.
Thanks!
Deena
Our Center gives the home patients a centrifuse; we draw bloods then send them to a lab via UPS ND Air. My best to you on home dialysis. My father is a dialysis patient and we switched to slow nocturnal 4 years ago and it has been a very positive experience. It does mean alot to be at home.
Deena, what is the biggest change you’ve noticed since switching to more frequent dialysis? I switched after 11 years of incenter; I’d say the biggest change for me was that I had more energy and I could think more clearly, for longer periods.
When I first switched to daily home hemo I was given a centrifuge along with all my other supplies. It can spin up to four test tubes at a time - most of the time I need to spin just one so I keep a spare test tube containing water on hand to balance out the machine. I looked on line and saw some sites advertising centrifuges but the sites I looked at did not list prices – I wonder how much a bench top centrifuge costs? Judging by my centrifuge they must last a long time, I would guess that mine is from the ‘70s.
Deena what area you are in? Have you looked up your center on the Homedialysis.org; is their information up to date?