Lin., you mentioned the Braun. We have heard good things about this machine. Do you find any difference in how you feel on this machine post tx. as compared to the FMCK?
No Heather; I don’t feel any better but then I’m not your average dialysis patient. Everything about the machines, dialysite ect. (and staff training) is geared towards a pt. needing fluid removal, and I don’t. At first I actually felt worse on dialysis, and would read in amazement the posts from pts. who claimed they felt so much better. I finally discovered the problem was that I needed no fluid removal which meant additional problems because there are no machines, not the Braun, FMC ect. that can be set to not take off fluid, and when set lower there were a whole new set of problems to contend with. I’m on an FMC now and whether it’s set for 500 or 1k it still takes off the same amount. I’ve been on dialysis for five years and will eventually will need fluid removal. I’m hoping the Nxstage will be easier on me than the three txs. a week I do now. Perhaps the Braun works better for other types of pts… I’ve read the posts about the Braun too, but I think that most of them are from the same person, someone who is affiliated with the company perhaps. Lin.
Hi Lorelle, I wish your husband all the success in the world! I too have worked from an early age on mostly in healthcare. I don’t have the time or energy to go out to work anymore but if doing home-hemo could give that back to me it would just be the icing on the cake; we sure could use the money. Right now the days I don’t do dialysis are hectic because the days on tx. are shot, and then not feeling well after makes it impossible to even run some errands after txs… I feel that at 51 I should have more energy and if doing hd at home can give some energy back to me it would be super. I think it’s super that your husband would travel with the machine and supplies. It would of course be good for him and your family too, but add to that, that others would see someone on dialysis doing well. I’m so sorry of people hearing we’re on dialysis and saying things like “oh, I’m so sorry”. Lin.
Lin, you will be happy to hear the the NxStage can be set not to remove fluid, so this might be a perfect match for you!!
Cathy
Lin., It is really great to hear that you will have the opportunity to dialyze at home soon as I’ve seen your posts and know you’ve had a lot of obstacles as have I. Also great to hear how you will build a room onto your home to give yourself a special area where you can comfortably do your txs. My training should start in the next several months and as far as I know I won’t have to travel.
Cathy, That is by far the best news for me! Now I’m really impressed.
Jane, I thought it was you lol Wow, we’ll be going to different schools together lol Good luck to you too. Now neither of us can “chicken out” lol Lin.
I mostly run back the way I was taught…that is by attaching the arterial line to the saline bag. That way you get back the majority of your blood. Sometimes if I cant unscrew the arterial line I run back via closed circut. You do lose a bit of blood this way though, if you dont run back to arterial line as well. I dont run it back because there is no clot trap or air detector, and I almost always have clots in the arterial pillow at the end.