I Hate Dialysis Message Board

Dialysis Discussion => Dialysis: Nocturnal => Topic started by: thegrammalady on December 31, 2008, 08:50:56 PM

Title: It's Official
Post by: thegrammalady on December 31, 2008, 08:50:56 PM
tuesday i got word that it's official. as of january 5th my center is starting a nocturnal shift. so when i get back from my trip to oregon february 2 i'm going nocturnal.   :yahoo; :yahoo; i can hardly wait. i didn't think there was any point in starting on the 5th as i'm leaving town on the 15th and the center i use in oregon doesn't do nocturnal. so when i come back it's a go. i can hardly wait.
Title: Re: I'ts Official
Post by: kellyt on December 31, 2008, 09:03:19 PM
Congratulations!     :clap;
Title: Re: I'ts Official
Post by: Romona on December 31, 2008, 09:12:36 PM
 :bandance; Good Luck! :clap;
Title: Re: I'ts Official
Post by: Bajanne on December 31, 2008, 10:47:18 PM
That is such great news!!  :yahoo;  I am so happy for you (and so jealous!)!!
Title: Re: I'ts Official
Post by: kitkatz on December 31, 2008, 10:55:36 PM
If you have any questions Rerun and I are Nocturnal Old Hand Babes! Ask away!
Title: Re: I'ts Official
Post by: David13 on January 01, 2009, 05:41:03 AM
Good for you! 

It seems that most people who try nocturnal really like it, and I am sure you will, too!   :yahoo;
Title: Re: I'ts Official
Post by: willieandwinnie on January 01, 2009, 05:51:38 AM
 :thumbup; thegrammalady. Please let us know how you do.  :cuddle;
Title: Re: I'ts Official
Post by: kitkatz on January 01, 2009, 10:43:02 AM
Rerun advised me to get an eggcrate mattress topper to take with me.  It helps to make the chair endurable for eight hours. You can get one at Walmart or Target. I have also noticed I do not eat the snacks I take along as much anymore on nocturnal.  Must be sleepy time for me.  I also have purchased noise reducing headphones.  They really do work and cut a lot of the machine noise out or down in the center. I have tot ell people to get my attention when these headphones are on me because I will not hear them.

Title: Re: I'ts Official
Post by: del on January 01, 2009, 12:48:21 PM
Hope nocturnal works really well for you!!!  You will notice a major difference when you have blood work done.  :grouphug;
Title: Re: I'ts Official
Post by: thegrammalady on January 01, 2009, 12:59:14 PM
Rerun advised me to get an eggcrate mattress topper to take with me.  It helps to make the chair endurable for eight hours. You can get one at Walmart or Target. I have also noticed I do not eat the snacks I take along as much anymore on nocturnal.  Must be sleepy time for me.  I also have purchased noise reducing headphones.  They really do work and cut a lot of the machine noise out or down in the center. I have tot ell people to get my attention when these headphones are on me because I will not hear them.



the last time i spoke with the head of my center about the nocturnal shift they had ordered a special insert that fits the dialysis chairs that's designed for sleeping. it's supposed to be more confortable, we'll see. if they don't work i do plan on getting an eggrate or maybe a memory foam thingie.
Title: Re: I'ts Official
Post by: jessup on January 01, 2009, 06:27:32 PM
 :bandance; :bandance;
Cogratulations mate.
Title: Re: I'ts Official
Post by: Chris on January 01, 2009, 06:58:08 PM
Cogratulations  :bandance;

Hope they treat you well and your not stuck with a lousy neighbor at the center. ;D
Title: Re: I'ts Official
Post by: pelagia on January 01, 2009, 07:01:39 PM
This is really great news!  :cuddle;

Have a great time in Oregon.  Where are you going?  We were in Portland and at the coast for Thanksgiving break.
Title: Re: I'ts Official
Post by: thegrammalady on January 02, 2009, 02:18:33 AM
This is really great news!  :cuddle;

Have a great time in Oregon.  Where are you going?  We were in Portland and at the coast for Thanksgiving break.

my family lives in corvallis
Title: Re: I'ts Official
Post by: okarol on January 02, 2009, 09:19:47 AM

I am happy for you TGL - I hope you have good results.

Have a great trip!  :waving;
Title: Re: I'ts Official
Post by: thegrammalady on January 18, 2009, 12:25:19 PM
ok, got all the details and signed all the paperwork and when i return from oregon (february 3) i start nocturnal. only thing is they are only going to run for 7 hours. when it ain't broke don't fix it!! i guess they're still working on it and i'm hoping that by the time i get back they'll have decided to run for 8.

kitkatz, i've got a question.....do you wear your jamies??????????? i'm thinking i want to be as comfortable as possible. i may get some scrubs, because they are loose fitting and have elastic waists. the techs and i can be twins  :rofl;
Title: Re: I'ts Official
Post by: kitkatz on January 18, 2009, 05:02:12 PM
I wear the pants I have on during the day and a loose fitting tshirt most dialysis days. I want to be comfy, so no bra on with the t-shirt and who cares what they see.  :rofl; I might shift over to PJs but they are thin and I like being warm.
Title: Re: I'ts Official
Post by: twirl on January 19, 2009, 01:42:09 PM
kitkatz
are the lights off or on low
does your husband miss you
can you cover your face if the lights are on
there is no noturnal here in conroe or spring or the woodlands
Title: Re: I'ts Official
Post by: kitkatz on January 19, 2009, 05:59:02 PM
The lights are off overhead, some lights on low so nurses and techs can see, but away from our area.
Yes, he misses me. But he takes me at 8p.m and picks me up at 4 a.m.
Yes, I can cover my face, just not the access arm.

Title: Re: I'ts Official
Post by: Rerun on January 19, 2009, 08:33:52 PM
I wear my flannel PJ's.  I had to cut the arm off the sleeve but that is okay because they are old.  I have a new pair for home.  I do have an egg crate pad but I'm interested in the insert thing you are talking about. 

Last night my arterial needle stung.  I would feel no pain and then BAMB it was there.  Just one of those nights.  I'm glad they are few and far between.

Good Luck!  My niece lives in Lebanon so I have dialyzed in Corvallis.  Nice center.  I remember it took me forever to find it.
Title: Re: I'ts Official
Post by: thegrammalady on January 19, 2009, 09:40:53 PM
I wear my flannel PJ's.  I had to cut the arm off the sleeve but that is okay because they are old.  I have a new pair for home.  I do have an egg crate pad but I'm interested in the insert thing you are talking about. 

Last night my arterial needle stung.  I would feel no pain and then BAMB it was there.  Just one of those nights.  I'm glad they are few and far between.

Good Luck!  My niece lives in Lebanon so I have dialyzed in Corvallis.  Nice center.  I remember it took me forever to find it.

the center here in corvallis is at the good samaritan hospital, less than a mile from my mothers. i could walk if i had to. however they are very small, only 12 chairs and have been full the last 3 times i have been here. i have been going to albany 10 miles from my moms. not bad at all and a very nice center. lebanon is in the opposite direction.

the chair inserts are something my center ordered and apparently are designed for sleeping use in the chairs. i'll let you know after i have tried them.
Title: Re: I'ts Official
Post by: twirl on January 20, 2009, 03:59:49 AM
I am so happy for you
Title: Re: I'ts Official
Post by: kitkatz on January 20, 2009, 02:07:38 PM
Yeah, eight hours of BAM and the pain is there in the needle area, sucks! I have had that happen.  The nerve pain runs all the way the fingertips.  The only thing I found works is to find one position that does not hurt and stay there if you can. Benadryl and Tylenol are my friends.  So is Jay Leno and that other late night guy, with the Australian accent.
Title: Re: It's Official
Post by: thegrammalady on February 04, 2009, 04:01:00 PM
the adventure starts tonight!!! i have to be there at 8pm, on-time i'm not quite sure. when i left for oregon they were only going to run 7 hours but since i've been gone they have changed it to 8. and when i talked with the social worker on monday, to make sure everything was set up (that's right i trust them just as far as i can throw them, she said i will have a choice between a chair or a bed. yes, i had her repeat it, a bed! we'll see.................. if i'm not to bleary eyed in the morning i'll let everyone know how it went. apparently everyone already on this shift, 3, just love it and wouldn't go back to days for anything. i'm so excited you'd think it was christmas  :rofl; while i realize there can be problems, i'm keeping my fingers crossed.
Title: Re: It's Official
Post by: monrein on February 04, 2009, 04:03:58 PM
I'd be excited too.  I really hope that you'll quickly notice an improvement in how you feel.   :cuddle;
Title: Re: It's Official
Post by: MandaMe1986 on February 04, 2009, 04:08:37 PM
Yey  :yahoo;  i am not to sure what nocturnal is but everyone seems to be happy. So yey for you.
Title: Re: It's Official
Post by: Wenchie58 on February 04, 2009, 04:34:35 PM
TGL....hope this works for you.  Rest and detoxify all in one ( I hope).  Good luck!
Title: Re: It's Official
Post by: kitkatz on February 04, 2009, 05:54:58 PM
Go for it. I got a bed finally on Monday. Cripes did I sleep good.   Bring a big pillow to rest your back or arm on. It helps

Title: Re: It's Official
Post by: pelagia on February 04, 2009, 06:01:43 PM
Good night, sleep tight and don't let the bed bugs bite.  Hope it's going well.  :cuddle;
Title: Re: It's Official
Post by: Zach on February 04, 2009, 09:35:31 PM
 :beer1;
Title: Re: It's Official
Post by: Chris on February 05, 2009, 12:18:58 AM
Hope it went well with your session.
Title: Re: It's Official
Post by: Joe Paul on February 05, 2009, 01:29:57 AM
 :thumbup;
Title: Re: It's Official
Post by: kitkatz on February 05, 2009, 06:28:39 AM
How did it go?
Title: Re: It's Official
Post by: thegrammalady on February 05, 2009, 09:11:55 AM
well, it's 10am and i've only been up for 15 minutes. all in all not bad, considering i only intended to "rest" when i got home and be up by 9. i slept at the center about 4 hours and since i'm up till midnight most nights anyway is pretty good. they do have a bed, but it's completely flat and i don't sleep lying down any way. they have a very nice insert for the chairs which makes things much softer. they turn the lights out at 9pm, which means i'll need a reading light, that i can handle. everyone was fairly quiet, nothing to complain about there. if there was anything wrong, the room, if you can believe it. was too warm. i know, go figure. the machines didn't beep as often as during the day and then they weren't ignored and even the blood pressure cuff didn't bother me. maybe if was just beginners luck, we'll have to wait and see. i think i'm gonna love it!
Title: Re: It's Official
Post by: Chris on February 05, 2009, 09:16:38 AM
That's good, but hope it's not beginners luck. I ca't sleep flat either.
Good Luck with the next session and hope it does not change, well except the room being to warm. for you.
Title: Re: It's Official
Post by: paris on February 05, 2009, 10:04:15 AM
Sounds like a good first night.  I hope this works out really well for you.  The center seems to be doing things the right way for nocturnal.  Keep us posted  :2thumbsup;
Title: Re: It's Official
Post by: pelagia on February 05, 2009, 05:06:42 PM
good news!  :cheer:
Title: Re: It's Official
Post by: kitkatz on February 06, 2009, 06:34:11 AM
It is official- You are now a Nocturnal Babe.    :bandance; :bandance; :bandance;
Title: Re: It's Official
Post by: monrein on February 06, 2009, 08:20:30 AM
You now belong to a very good club indeed.  So glad it went well.  :cuddle;
Title: Re: It's Official
Post by: tamara on February 06, 2009, 02:42:09 PM
 :bandance; good to hear another nocturnal babe !!
Title: Re: It's Official
Post by: kitkatz on February 06, 2009, 06:25:54 PM
Give it a month and I can guarantee the fog on your brain will lift and you will feel so much better. Oh wow what a difference here!
Title: Re: It's Official
Post by: thegrammalady on February 07, 2009, 10:31:21 AM
2nd night, which was good, but i didn't sleep as much and i stayed up awhile when i came home. therefore when i did nap i slept a little longer than i would have liked. i gained .6 between thursday morning and friday night. but i think i've lost a bit of weight, so i don't know how accurate that is. i left 1.8 down from when i went in. the proof i guess will be in the labs. last labs, 3 weeks ago, before leaving for oregon, were good. but i would like to see better. i'm supposed to "meet" monthly (during the day) with the sw and the dietitian, but there's going to be a discussion on that one. i never met with them when i did days and i don't see any reason to start. if i have a question i can pick up the phone. if they have something to be signed they can leave it with the nurse. the only person i have to meet with is the doctor and his office is closer than the clinic. i'm sure he and i can work something out.
Title: Re: It's Official
Post by: kitkatz on February 07, 2009, 10:38:10 AM
The dietitian and social worker come in once a week to our clinic. Isn't funny how different clinics do different things?
Title: Re: It's Official
Post by: thegrammalady on February 10, 2009, 10:37:33 AM
The dietitian and social worker come in once a week to our clinic. Isn't funny how different clinics do different things?
 

both our sw and dietitian have offices at the clinic. they are always there (except the sw who goes to another clinic on friday's) we still don't meet. the dietitian drops off her lab report and goes on her way. if i'm sleeping i don't even know she's been there till i wake up and see the report. which i've already seen anyway, i get the same report the doctor gets as soon as it's in the computer. the social worker might smile and say hi in passing, but that's not meeting either. basically i never talk to them unless i have a question, and that's the way i want to keep it. if i need something on a tuesday/thursday i pick up the phone, i don't wait to "see" them at clinic. the nicest part of nocturnal is no one is there to bug me!
Title: Re: It's Official
Post by: Chris on February 10, 2009, 11:20:58 AM
If they have nocturnal here and I have to go back on, that's what I want. I never did like the dietician and the stupid smiley face blood count report and the sw. The less people bugging me, the better. Hopefully though dialysis would make me sleep instead of the insomnia I have now.
Title: Re: It's Official
Post by: thegrammalady on February 10, 2009, 09:14:15 PM
our dietician is actually pretty nice, i just don't see any reason to meet with her. i get my labs the session after they are drawn. they're important, to important to wait two weeks while she runs a computer program that gives her everyones results. and a watered down version at that. they actually test about 3 times the number of things than they give you the results for.
Title: Re: It's Official
Post by: thegrammalady on February 12, 2009, 10:08:48 AM
there were only 3 of us last night. one extremely nice lady got a transplant!  :yahoo;  :yahoo; we are supposed to have someone new starting next month, i'm wondering if it's someone i know. yes i know i could ask, but i like surprises and anticipation.
Title: Re: It's Official
Post by: pelagia on February 12, 2009, 04:11:55 PM
Can you notice a difference in how you are feeling after the first week?  :cuddle;
Title: Re: It's Official
Post by: thegrammalady on February 13, 2009, 12:57:52 PM
what i do notice is i'm sleeping better.
Title: Re: It's Official
Post by: paul.karen on February 13, 2009, 01:09:32 PM
Sleeping is a good thing :thumbup;
Glad to read your adjusting to nocturnal ok.
Title: Re: It's Official
Post by: Zach on February 13, 2009, 02:46:31 PM
 :beer1;
Title: Re: It's Official
Post by: pelagia on February 16, 2009, 06:44:26 PM
good to sleep - my favorite thing!
Title: Re: It's Official
Post by: thegrammalady on February 17, 2009, 11:26:30 AM
saw the doctor, he came by on friday night a little before 9pm. he'll stop by at least once a week. last night there were 7 of us! the other thing i've noticed is i don't want a nap during the day! and if it was just a little warmer and the wind would quit, i might actually go out and do something. i've decided nocturnal is the best thing since sliced bread  :rofl;
Title: Re: It's Official
Post by: okarol on February 17, 2009, 01:10:45 PM
 :2thumbsup; It's nice to know it's working out for you TGL!
Title: Re: It's Official
Post by: monrein on February 17, 2009, 03:38:10 PM
saw the doctor, he came by on friday night a little before 9pm. he'll stop by at least once a week. last night there were 7 of us! the other thing i've noticed is i don't want a nap during the day! and if it was just a little warmer and the wind would quit, i might actually go out and do something. i've decided nocturnal is the best thing since sliced bread  :rofl;

It did me so much good to read this post.  I'm so happy that you're feeling the benefits of better quality dialysis.   :cuddle;
Title: Re: It's Official
Post by: kitkatz on February 17, 2009, 04:07:35 PM
Ain't it great!  Has the fog in your head cleared out yet? 
Title: Re: It's Official
Post by: thegrammalady on February 19, 2009, 10:12:28 AM
head much less fuzzy, but then i've always been fuzzy headed. it's a natural state.

amazing! i walked in last night to find that we've grown to 8 (the maximum for now) and the center director and the social worker were there.  the center has 3 bays of 8 chairs each and we were set up in the last section. they have decided to use that one because it isn't used on tues, thurs, sat. and if there are problems and anyone runs past 5am we won't have to move or be cut short. they talked with everyone and asked how we felt about things. if we liked it, did we have any concerns or questions. would we prefer to use an adjustable hospital bed or the dialysis chair.  apparently no one likes the roll-away type bed they tried and they aren't too thrilled with the inserts they have.  so beds it is. as long as they're adjustable and i don't have to lie flat i'm all for it. the sw made sure all our records were up to date, address, emergency numbers etc.  as usual they're oh so slow on updating. i've been in castle rock for 6 months. the sw was aware i had moved but the computer still had my address as centennial. come on people let's get our act together. i'm changing my cell provider and thinking about getting a new number, i wonder how long after i inform them of the change it will take to get that one changed. and what kind of problems it will cause when they don't get it changed in a timely manner.

the tech and i were talking and we are both curious about the davita nocturnal set up. they have two centers in the area that do nocturnal. i may call and ask some questions and see what i can find out.
...and life goes on...   :2thumbsup;
Title: Re: It's Official
Post by: Treasure on February 21, 2009, 03:07:26 PM
Greetings, all. Well, I have been doing nocturnal for about a month now, or so.  I love the way I feel-- but then I've always done much better on longer treatments (I did 8-hour/thrice weekly treaments during the day last year).  My joints aren't as creaky and my phosphorus is actually too low and I'll have to adjust for that. My sleep is better-- on the nights I'm not at dialysis. hehehe. Basically, I CANNOT sleep at the center. It's the chair-- not anything else. I have noise canceling earphones and the light doesn't bother me...but OY! THAT CHAIR!

Let me continue my rant about the chair. My body totally rejects dialysis chairs. I cannot do a 3-hour treatment in a dialysis chair without it throwing my neck off. I have to sit upright-- in the posture one has in a really good office chair. To sleep, I need a flat surface, where I can turn on my sides. I cannot sit or sleep in a reclining position--EVER.  Are my CAPS getting the message across?

Actually, I shouldn't be shouting here. I made the staff aware of this problem I have with dialysis chairs before we begun this nocturnal study. I have made a point of repeating my chair problem at least twice a night during my sessions. I have made the directors and docs and some of the corporate board members aware of my aversion to their chairs. And it isn't that this has fallen on deaf ears-- they have looked into getting some samples of alternative chairs.  But really, I can no longer wait for their approval process to run its course.  And here's why...

Not only do I drive 1.5 hours each way to the center where the nocturnal dialysis is taking place, I frequently have to work early the day after a session-- for 8 hours. I find that because I do not get more than a few minutes of sleep at the center (sometimes I'm so exhausted that I will doze off for a bit) I end up sleeping-- on my drive home from the center at 6 am! This is not very healthy, and I'm sure that I"ll end up negating the good from nocturnal dialysis by driving off a cliff on the trip back. * goofy grin*

Anyhoo... I have endured this sleep exhaustion as long as I can. I am now shopping for my own dialysis chair...and I will find out what I have to do to get the center to accept the delivery (isn't nocturnal dialysis great? I can now work full-time and use one whole paycheck to purchase a dialysis chair!) 

I am perfectly willing to let any and all other patients, doing dialysis at the center, use the chair when I'm not scheduled for it.  And whooo boy, I came across one chair on the internet that lies flat, has heat AND massage.  I just ask that they designate the chair the Michelle Adams-Walton Memorial Comfortable Dialysis Chair after my demise-- which may come soon than I anticpated, because I plan to scrabble over the falls in Yosemite over Spring Break-- that's how good I feel! Hmmm, on second thought, I think I'll be buried in that chair....aw! being heated and massaged into the afterlife sounds kinda groovy.

Anyway...I thought I would just give this long-ass update. I'm going to cut and paste this message into my brand new nocturnal dialysis blog-- niteynitedialysis.blogspot.com.  I"ll be contributing additional reports on my blog-- feel free to drop by in a few days and post comments, links, etc.

Nitey nite...
Treasure/Michelle
Title: Re: It's Official
Post by: kitkatz on February 21, 2009, 03:19:23 PM
I finally got to a bed in the center I am at.  Oh my God. I am more comfortable than in the chair.  Being in a chair would wake me up periodically.  Being in a bed, in spite of the snoring of the men int here, I sleep better and am more comfortable.   Also the night goes quicker.