First treatment at home!

Hey everyone! Well, after two weeks of training, it’s time for me to do my very first short daily treatment at home. Right now I’m just waiting for the machine to prime and then I’ll be ready to go. My dad helps me alot too so I think it will all be good. 8) I’m excited!!
Lizzie

Hi Lizzie,

Awesome, good for you! So, how did it go?

it was very stressful, but the treatment it’s self was fine. I only needed to take off 2 liters. thats still some fluid for me though. I’m small (only 14 years old so of course I’m not huge) but still, good treatment. I just hope my BP’s go down soon…
Lizzie

Congrats on your first day! Kinda weird that this month of November just a day before ThanksGiving was my one year annivesary of being at home doing dialysis…

Anyway, 2 liters per day? That sounds like quite a bit of fluid there…I only take .8-1.2 off daily!! :shock:

I predict your blood pressure will go down in 3 months and if goes down sooner than that then its a miracle! If you taking blood pressure medicine you must be careful…if you start getting weird reactons while dialyzing you must tell your Dr. and clinic as soon as possible…it has been found that some blood pressure medicines (ace inhibitors) give an allergic type of reaction with polysulfone dialyzers…

Anyway, once again, congrats on your first day at home! Your a very strong young person there…

Congratulations Lizzie.

I’m 52, plus I had already been on in-centre hemodialysis for almost 3 years, and, after 6 weeks of training, I still found the first few treatments at home by myself a little stressful. That’s only natural. One suggestion I have after doing this for the better part of a year now is to never press on any button, clamp or unclamp or disconnect any bloodline without thinking about why you’re doing it first and that you’re doing it correctly. Never disconnect any bloodline without specifically double-checking that the two clamps are closed. It’s easy to be distracted and forget. I always count. For example, after I’ve connected myself and when I’m ready to start the treatment, I have 4 clamps to open and then I press the start pump button. So I mentally count 1-2-3-4 and 5. When it’s time to come off and disconnect, I count out the clamps, 1-2. I do this every single time, because, even as my experience grows, I’m more apt to assume I’ve done something when I haven’t actually.

Pierre

Congratulations! :smiley: Glad everything went fine. I know your Dad is so proud of your courage in doing this at home!! My husband is almost 63 but I’m sure when he will be apprehensive on his first day at home – I’ll just remind him that if you can do it at age 14 then he can do it. You will be inspiration for him to do well. 8)