Hi guys
So soon I will have my catherter and start my training
I just have a quick question, I know that I will have a supply of things I need deliverd each month, BUT is there anything specific I should buy or will need while on PD, that I can buy now and not wait till the last minute?
thanks
alex 
I like to use the clorox wipes at my table/machine - I use the cycler which I have set up on a BABY CHANGING TABLE. The table is just about the right height & I have room to store a lot of the smaller supplies, like tape, paper towels, batteries (9 volt & AA), you’ll also receive boxes of needles, vials of antibiotic w/sterile water, 2 X 2’s & 2 X 4’s, caps and trash bags (both sizes) these fit nicely on the shelving of the table. I use 2 seperate trash bins, one for my used tubing, which is a 30 gallon trash can (when it’s full I can hardly lift it out) and a tall kitchen trash can for the smaller trash, like the packaging on the caps - etc. You’ll also need a notebook to record your drains/fills and a supply of pens handy.
I also use the clorox wipes, those are great. I always have a good supply of antibacterial soap, paper towels and waterless hand sanitizer. I have a small waste basket for the little caps that come off all the tubing. Everything else I use I get from my PD nurse, masks, gauze, tape.
You also might want to find out where the nearest cardboard recycle place is to you. The empty boxes can get overwhelming.
Does anyone have a suggestion for a specific microwave to use for heating uphis bags. I know there is some concern in heating the bags and was just wondering what has worked best for other people.
Thanks,
Cristina
Although in the “old days” people used microwaves to heat dialysate, this practice is discouraged nowadays because it can heat the dialysate unevenly causing hot spots and damage to the peritoneal membrane if solution is too hot.
Patients can heat the bags using dry heat such as a heating pad set on low and wrapped in a towel. Some patients have heated a bag in the sun for a short time when they’re on a trip, but I’d ask your dialysis nurse if this is OK. There are also devices that heat solution for example, see warmers:
http://www.kidneystuff.com
Before draining in a bag of heated solution, I’d recommend shaking the bag back and forth to equalize the temperature of the solution. The dialysate solution should be heated no warmer than body temperature – 98.6 degrees fahrenheit or 37 degrees centigrade.
Heating PD dialysate in a microwave can also caramelize the sugars, which makes them more irritating to your body.