I talked to the social worker today and she was all for me trying home hemo, but I live in a apartment. Is NHHD possible living in a apartment?
I have the room but I was wondering how involved is the setup for a RO setup.
Plus has anyone here had experience with Kaiser or Davita Home Dialysis?
Yes, I live in a tiny apartment up on the 7th floor. I’ve posted about my setup in another current thread. I think it’s the one called “more info”.
Pierre
Thanks I just read the thread, very usefull info.
Tell me about Epogen how do you get it?
Do you draw your own blood and take it to the center for results?
I give myself EPO the same way they do it at the dialysis centre. I get my prescription every few months from the nephrology pharmacy (same place where the home dialysis unit is located). Same thing for Venofer.
Once a month, I draw my own blood the same way it’s done at the dialysis centre. I have vacutainers and an adapter which goes on the end of the arterial needle line. For pre-tx blood, this is done via the arterial needle when I’m putting myself on. For post, I draw blood into a 10ml syringe via one of the medication ports on the venous line, just before I take myself off. Then I just stick the syringe’s needle into the vacutainers. The vacutainers are under vacuum, so they just suck the blood right in.
Because I do nocturnal, the hospital provided me with a centrifuge. After I’ve drawn the blood and either started treatment or have taken myself off, I spin the vacutainer tubes that need to be spun, then refrigerate it.
It sounds more complicated than it is. These are the kinds of things you learn while training.
In my case, I live only minutes from the lab, so, I just drive it there myself later, usually after breakfast.
Pierre
Exactly what Peirre says is true. The centrifuge and all. Also if you have the room, you should be okay. Depending on the machine, the RO should not be a problem. Our RO “piggybacked” on the FH series machine. The machine was big but we did have the room, an open space.
After Lois passed I was even able to sell the centrifuge on eBay for $100. Go figure.
My husband and I rent an apartment, and he started home hemo 6 mo ago. The landlord had no problem with the very minimal changes necessary to start. They had to add a water pipe and faucet running to the basement.
During his one doctor’s appointment per month, he sees the social worker, dietician, and nurse. During that time, the nurse gives him a month’s supply of Epo (which we keep in the fridge), and buttonhole needles. The other supplies he orders from Fresinius once a month. We draw labs twice per month, and have a blood spinner. We put the blood tubes on ice, and Fedex picks up the box at our home.
We’d be happy to answer any more questions. Home dialysis is one of the best things we’ve decided to do. He decides when to dialyze. No waiting in the waiting room, no chance of seeing others pass away, no “nurses” infiltrating his arm, etc.
You sound as tho you are right on track… Home hemo gives you just that flexibility. Good going…Great landlord…I remember FexEx fondly … and the ice…