I think you made several arguments that support my position is isn’t necessarily a matter of education. You are correct that patients have a varying degree of levels of ability, and solo dialysis isn’t for everybody. I hope I didn’t give that impression. You also mention a personality trait of one being a daredevil. By definition, that would mean that the person has decided to take a risk, whether that was analyzed before or not, and the consequences. Evel Knievel used to jusmp motorcycles. He took the risk and often paid for it. Some daredevels pay with their lives – but that was their choice.
You say that people should be capably trained and know how to handle every eventuality. I think you’re aiming too high as no one even knows what every eventuality it. You would be in training for your entire life just waiting for every eventuality to happen in a laboratory environment. That’s just not real life. At a point with enough training you just need to go home and start your home treatments.
If I cramp, I know what to do about it, but if one is careful and doesn’t take off fluid too quickly you shouldn’t cramp. Have I cramped at home – rarely and I dealt with it. In-center I cramped every treatment. If I have a heart attack or stroke during a treatment, I’ll either deal with it or not. I did have a heart attack driving hiome from in-center dialysis, and did all of the right things and survivied. On the other hand I’ve seen people have what appeared to be a heart attack in-center and after the nurses and techs scurried around for a few minutes, they called 911. That’s what I would do too if able – just a bit quicker. But in any event, it’s something I’ve thought about and have decided the risk is worth it.
Hi Folks
Hi Jane
I cut some of your post to talked just on this part. Like Rich posted , I learned more or maybe should say I gain more of a sense of how to once I got home and had to deal with issues on my own at first(did tx at first myself) and now that Eleanor( wife) is their since I’m doing nocturnal. We together hae come miles away from what my center could ever offer,unless I was there 6 nights a wk. There is only so much a center can show or teach in the time line that they are given. This is why I have and want every center that offers dialysis to offer home hemo, it is not right that my center and the hospital they are with are 50 miles away. In the event of a real need the place I would go to is 3 miles away. But they do not offer home hemo. It just like everything else in life, as you live it the more one should learn…
[QUOTE=Jane;16676]
When you treat solo, how do you deal with the occasional cramp or do you keep your goal so high above your weight that you never cramp? Also, one could have an underlying condition when one gets on the machine and not know it resulting in a heart attack or stroke, so what is your plan should that occur? And one could start to choke if food taken in on the tx went down the wrong pipe. Or one could have a leak while napping ( either dialysate from machine or blood from machine or access) which take quick thinking, so will you be in control if it catches you unaware and you are well on the way to crashing? My point is, these scenarios are not going to happen every tx, but what’s your position should they occur and you are alone?[/QUOTE]
Thanks
Bob O’Brien
Excellent Point! I recognized these dictatorial medical practices the first year are started dialysis over 20 years ago. This problem is not isolated…it is systemic. And it has to be as a result of their training.