I Hate Dialysis Message Board
Dialysis Discussion => Dialysis: General Discussion => Topic started by: hurlock1 on May 22, 2009, 10:34:01 AM
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after dialysis on Monday through Tuesday I was very sick. I'll spare you the details, but when I came in on Wed., I was below my dry weight. Because of problems on Wed. I left an hr. early. Today, I came in again below my dry weight. I have to be off Sat., Sun. and be back on on Mon. I'm wondering if maybe I lost weight. In which case maybe I should request that they lower my dry weight officially. Ive heard that somebody in here died because the center didn't challenge their dry weight and they died of congestive heart failure. One time I was thrown from a horse and sprained both my ankles and a bunch of other stuff, anyway, both my ankles were swollen up. When they did the nurses assesment, The nurse said "congestive heart failure!" All I heard was Heart Failune1! I said "No! both my ankles are swollen up because I just hurt them really bad." I don't know why I wrote that, but I suspect that congestive heart failure is really bad and I don't want it. What do ya think?
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I'm not on dialysis yet / can't answer your question very well, but I hope you feel better! :flower;
Isn't the congestive heart failure problem more of an issue when they don't pull off enough fluid? (your dry weight is set too high). If they're pulling off too much fluid, doesn't your blood pressure crash or don't you get cramps during dialysis?
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Isn't the congestive heart failure problem more of an issue when they don't pull off enough fluid? (your dry weight is set too high).
Yes that's correct.
Hurlock I hope you are better soon.
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...The nurse said "congestive heart failure!" All I heard was Heart Failune1! I said "No! both my ankles are swollen up because I just hurt them really bad." I don't know why I wrote that, but I suspect that congestive heart failure is really bad and I don't want it. What do ya think?
This is why you must look out for yourself - the nurses are locked into a mindset.
Be realistic. You lost fluid for sure being sick and possibly real weight too. How did you feel going into dialysis - dehydrated? good? "wet"?
If you felt good (not wet, not dry) walking in, then you were either at a good weight or a little over and you needed to attempt to get a little fluid off.
If you felt dehydrated, then you needed to walk out at the same weight as you walked in, or possibly even receive a little fluid (that's a bit risky, but it is indeed possible for a dialysis patient to become dehydrated if sick.)
How did you feel after dialysis? If you feel good or wet, let them take you down a little lower next time, and the next time, etc. until your blood pressure or the way you feel says that they have arrived at your new dry weight. Meanwhile, you're no longer sick and you're eating again and you're gaining weight back, so a lower dry weight may be fleeting.
This is why dry weight is ... what? difficult to determine, elusive, a moving target, a best guess. Determining it is an art and YOU are the artist because only you know how you feel. The dialysis staff can only help.
About challenging... if you feel that your real weight has gone down or you feel wet (edema, difficulty breathing, high BP or you come off of dialysis feeling good but find that you quickly feel wet after drinking what shouldn't be too much fluid) you have them challenge you. If they won't get the nephrologist involved and don't let it go. You must look out for yourself.
Alene
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Oh no, sorry you were sick...glad you are better.
You are right CHF is not good and everyone is right in what they said. It's just not something I even want to think about, I know too many people with that.
The techs popped out my veinous needle with 1 hour left to go..sprayed 10 feet..aren't you proud of me??? I didn't want to be stuck again so left with .4 still on so I have to watch this weekend. I did feel dehydrated going in today so not sure if I gained .5 or what..will check on Monday. Hope you all have a great weekend.
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Hope they can get everything figured out and you feel better. Hope the weekend goes well.
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:waving; hurlock. tell them Monday to challenge your dry weigh as it sounds like you probably lost some weight with being sick. Let us know hoe it goes. :cuddle;
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Alene (aharris2) has provided some good advice in her response.
I hope you are feeling better soon.