My wife has been a 6x/week home nocturnal dialysis patient (and I have been her “nurse”) for nearly 3 years using a Fresenius 2008K machine with great results. We would, however, like to use NxStage for travel and would appreciate comments from those who have relevant experience.
- Is the machine and the IV pole all that must be transported?
- How much does the machine weigh? I’ve seen reports varying from 40 to 70 lbs.
- Are NxStage shipments limited to the dialysate bags and dialyzer/tubing boards or do they also handle miscellaneous supplies needed for access care (CVC in our case) If not, from whom so you get miscellaneous supplies and how are travel shipments handled?
- When travelling can NxStage deliveries be counted on to arrive on a specific day or is backup inventory required?
- How much storage space does a one month supply of NxStage supplies require? The monthly Fresenius delivery we now receive which includes just about all our needs fills up a 7’ bedroom closet.
- Has anyone encountered any unique problems with NxStage travel which should be anticipated?
- How close to a drain must the machine be located – is, say, 25’ practical? Can the machine pump up to bathroom or kitchen sink drain?
- In the event of machine failure how rapidly could a machine swap be accomplished? Has anyone actually had this experience?
Thank you in advance for any help you can give us.
Mel