Do you spend your time on tx at home any differently than you did in-center?
Yes! I’m nekkid!.. :lol:
If your a nocturnal patient you better be sleeping. Otherwise you’d be up all night and day.
I was never in center but have heard plenty of stories. I think it depends on what time you do dialysis and what types of activities your center allowed.
Personally, I generally eat dinner and watch TV, read through my mail, read a book, I’m thinking of getting a laptop so I can do computer stuff, but I really have enough time without doing that so haven’t worried.
Things I can do at home that I probably couldn’t do in center include, helping my son with his homework, playing and talking with my son (we will play board games or card games), talking on the phone, eating and drinking (many centers don’t allow this), and watching movies or anythng I want to on TV.
Cathy
When I used to dialyze my SO at home I spent alot of time on the computer researching more about HHD at that time. We also did puzzles, read, played with a cat (which was a no-no). Lois also spent much time on the telephone which could nt be done in-center.
We actually watched very little TV except certain morning shows like Regis. At one a website had a chat line and we chatted with a couple other people doing home hemo at the same time. We were all at different stages ie. someone in Italy happened to be just finishing her run. Lois was also able to eat, without sneaking it like in-center. :roll:
while dialyzing at home I watch tv, read, pay bills, make phone calls, cuddle with cat, plan dinner, hobby things.
would rather be up and about but then when would I find time to pay my bills?
When I was in-center I watched TV with head phones and read magazines, now I do the same thing only I watch my big screen TV as loud as I want and I am in a comfortable chair. When I knew I was going home with my Aksys machine I went and sat in about thirty recliners until I found one I liked. I can sit in my own house, in my own chair, watch my own TV, sleep or do whatever without any interuptions. I’ll never go back to in-center treatments, the comfort of home is the place to be.
John L
How much does ones attention need to be on the machine at home? In-center, I read, watch tv etc. and keep my eye on the machine, needles at the same time. But it never fails - the one time I’m not looking is the time something happens unless nurse happens to catch. With no nurse at home, do you find you must be more vigilant.
I seldom alarm and don’t keep a “vigilent” watch. I look at my pressures every so often and my chambers as they might need leveling once or twice during the four hours. Once I’m on I’m pretty relaxed and watch tv, read my mail, help my son with his homework, read, play games with my son etc.
I don’t find the need to pay to much attention, the PHD is set up so it will alarm if anything needs attending to, but that is rather seldom. If the machine does alarm it is usually only a pressure issue that is easily remedied. I take a nap alot of the time, or read or watch TV.
John L
2-1/2 years in centre 3 times per week: I mostly just read or watched movies or documentaries on TV. Luckily, they had cable, or else I would have been reduced to watching reality shows in the evening 
3 months short daily at home: read a bit, watched movies.
9 months daily nocturnal: watch news for first half hour or so, maybe watch a movie, then sleep for the night.
I’ve always found that no matter whether I’m in centre or at home, I just don’t feel like concentrating on anything too serious while I’m on dialysis.
By the way, I ate and drank whatever I wanted at the dialysis centre. They had no rules at all about that. My favourite snack was a bag of chips and a Coke. I’ve even eaten full course meals in there. At home, short daily never stopped me from eating, but I kept it to snack like toast and Cheez Whiz, tea, etc. Obviously on nocturnal, I don’t eat.
Pierre