I am going to be doing the PD home dialysis. I wasn’t sure if there is a machine involved or not. I thought that this type did not have a machine. I will be getting the peritoneal catheter in place in Jan 2011. I will be doing the training and will probably have to do this without a helper. Just a little anxious about how all this will work. I am sure that I will be able to do it. I still have questions about how it all works.
New to dialysis…since 10/2010.
Hi Grateful1,
It is VERY normal to be a little anxious right about now. The fact that you’ve already found your way to PD says you are doing a better job than most folks of learning what you need to know. You have a great start. PD can be done with or without a machine. Most people do use one, because the machine (called a “cycler”) lets you do most or all of your exchanges at night while you sleep, so your days are free. Some folks prefer not to use a cycler, and say that the exchanges by hand get to be like brushing your teeth–something that you just do kind of automatically. As long as you take care to do each step as you’re taught so you avoid infection, either way can be a good choice.
We have TONS of info for you here on this site.
– You can see PD cyclers here: http://www.homedialysis.org/learn/equipment/pd/ (They weigh about 35 lbs.)
– We have stories of folks doing PD by hand here: http://www.homedialysis.org/resources/stories/#capd, or, with a cycler here: http://www.homedialysis.org/resources/stories/#ccpd
– Here’s an article about what to expect when you get a PD catheter: http://www.homedialysis.org/resources/tom/200608/
– Here’s one with common questions & answers about PD: http://www.homedialysis.org/resources/tom/200901/
– Did you know that there are 2 kinds of PD catheters?: http://www.homedialysis.org/resources/tom/200507/
– Here’s an article about a test that’s done to see how PD is working for you: http://www.homedialysis.org/resources/tom/200801/
– We have lots more articles here: http://www.homedialysis.org/resources/reading/
Read the threads of this message board, too. You can learn all sorts of useful things. 