I Hate Dialysis Message Board
Introduction => Introduce Yourself => Topic started by: jambo101 on July 18, 2018, 01:48:20 AM
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Hi new to forum and hope to get much info from it on my upcoming inevitable dialysis treatment.
at this stage i've been diagnosed with kidney failure and am down to 13% kidney function, have had the fistula grafted and once thats matured its time to make the big decision as to when to start the dialysis regime.
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Hello jambo101 and welcome to IHD.
I just want to send you my best wishes for you oncoming dialysis-treatment and I know from my own experiences how difficult it can be to accept the inevitability and necessity of dialysis.
I was very hesitant myself but pleasantly surprised when my dialysis-treatments have gone along so far much better than I had feared.
Mind you I have a chest-cath and fortunately I had no problems with it so far (touch wood).
Best wishes and welcome to IHD and all the best from Kristina. :grouphug;
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Welcome. You seem to be on a track to Hemodialysis what with your pre-emptive fistula, but I'd like to suggest that you also explore PD (perintoneal dialysis) before settling on a form of dialysis. It's a lot easier on the body and on food and drink choices. And it works quite well. Good luck.
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Hi Jim and welcome! :welcomesign;
My hubby and I were really hoping to avoid dialysis. We put it off hoping to "feel better tomorrow", hoping it really wasn't time. It's a big decision, and one that must be made with a brain struggling with excess blood toxins. Best wishes as you deal with this difficult choice.
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Im not looking forward to sitting in a chair hooked up to a dialysis machine for 4 hours a day 3 days a week but if its going to make me feel better i guess its the price i have to pay. at the moment i'm full of water and the all over itching is driving me mad . As for peritoneal dialysis? i'll learn more about it as time goes on but it sounds less appealing than being hooked up to the machine.
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I just thought: In the meantime, the more you can do diet-wise to reduce the work your kidneys do can help. You mentioned the itching, and that's often a classic symptom of too much phosphorus in your blood. Phosphorus, calcium, potassium, sodium - all those electrolytes that your kidneys used to balance out now have to be managed by hand. It took me a good bit of time to learn how to balance the phosphorus and I put it all into a website that might be useful to you: https://mylowphosdiet.wordpress.com/ . Hope that helps some. :)
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No one likes the idea of dialysis, jambo, hence the name of this group! I hope you feel better very soon and that you find that dialysis will take care of those problems you are currently struggling with.
Have you thought of being listed for a transplant? Would that be a viable treatment choice for you?
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I will sign up for a transplant when given the opportunity however i am 70 yrs old with a plethora of other physical problems and would feel some one younger and healthier may be more deserving of a donated kidney.
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Your transplant team will be the ones who decide if you're healthy enough to "deserve" a Tx. I'm 76 with multiple heart issues but I have been told by my dialysis team that I could qualify EXCEPT for the fact that I have insufficient available support system in my life. I live alone and have no family nearby. And my good friends are scattered around the globe. So you never know if you are listable until you try.
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Welcome to IHD!
Generally labs can show a growing trend towards dialysis. But some patients haven't 'felt' sick even though their labs clearly indicated they were in need. Point being labs are not the end all, go by how you feel. If you are feelilng that poorly then Yes, it may be time to get started.
Electrolytes are critical. Potassium either too high OR too low can be life threatening. It can disrupt the electrical signals to your heart, stop, and you simply die. I was that close. I don't want to make that mistake again.
Itching is most often high phosporus. I've scratched until I bled. I knew it was wrong, but I didn't thinnk I was scratching that hard.
Following a Renal Diet as much as possible is a huge help. It isn't easy to change what we eat, but try. Learn what you can have safely and see if you can replace some of the not so good with those that are a bit better. It will take time, like forever.
Glad to have new members. There are many yet that could benefit from being in here.
Take Care,
Charlie B53