My graph is about 5 years old. I will be starting home hemo in April. Everyone only mentions buttonhole method on fistulas. Do they do it on graphs also? I don’t think I am able to have a fistula after 18 years on dialysis.
Also, I never hear anyone mention traveling with their nxstage machine. I thought this would be one of the great advantages.
I don’t think you can use buttonholes in grafts. As far as traveling with NxStage in many posts back a patient told of going to Vegas with her family and the NxStage.
Check their site nxstage.com it has many stories of patients traveling to resorts, staying in their motor home, and going on cruises.
Many of us are so cash strapped that expensive vacations are out of the question but we do expect my husband to be able to go back to work w/ his NxStage and his work entails numerous trips every year.
Buttonholds cannot be used for grafts, they don’t naturally close over like a native fistula does so after a while you wouldn’t be able to stop the bleeding.
I am going to try switching to the NxStage, hopefully next month, am waiting my training date. If it works for me I will definitely be travelling, that is the main reason for switching.
Cathy
self home hemo 9/04
PKD