I Hate Dialysis Message Board

Dialysis Discussion => Dialysis: Home Dialysis - NxStage Users => Topic started by: Roadrunner on May 29, 2008, 05:08:01 PM

Title: How often do you do labs
Post by: Roadrunner on May 29, 2008, 05:08:01 PM: Hi,
I was reading the post "Are you Healthier??" and jbeany said "You have to deal with getting the lab work done on a weekly or bi-weekly basis."
We only have labs done once a month, not weekly.

I am curious what others are doing.
Title: Re: How often do you do labs
Post by: flip on May 29, 2008, 05:17:48 PM: monthly
Title: Re: How often do you do labs
Post by: Sluff on May 29, 2008, 05:19:54 PM: Every 3 months for now, used to be monthly.
Title: Re: How often do you do labs
Post by: Meinuk on May 29, 2008, 05:24:15 PM: Me, monthly as well.
Title: Re: How often do you do labs
Post by: thegrammalady on May 29, 2008, 05:26:00 PM: my center runs a full panel monthly and repeats certain test two weeks later. i get a coumadin level every monday.
Title: Re: How often do you do labs
Post by: KR Cincy on May 29, 2008, 05:37:22 PM: Full labs the first of the month...
Since we are tracking my hemoglobin and calcium pretty closely, I've done those every week or two weeks. They are easy to take...just have to pack them up safely and drop at a FedEx store (or I guess they'll do home pickups)
Title: Re: How often do you do labs
Post by: terry3004 on May 29, 2008, 05:39:34 PM: Mine are once a month.
Title: Re: How often do you do labs
Post by: silverhead on May 29, 2008, 07:59:25 PM: Monthly for us, blood and PureFlow water samples, call the lab in California (We are in Washington state) they have a courier service pick it up and ship it overnight to the lab, the lab supplies everything we need for the tests and shipping containers and ice packs.
Tom
Title: Re: How often do you do labs
Post by: monrein on May 29, 2008, 08:00:56 PM: Monthly but more often if something needs checking.
Title: Re: How often do you do labs
Post by: Sunny on May 30, 2008, 02:34:27 PM: Right now, once a month.
Title: Re: How often do you do labs
Post by: Zach on May 30, 2008, 02:50:11 PM: Calcium, Phosphorus, Hemoglobin/Hematocrit -- Weekly.
Standard Chemistries including PTH N-Intact -- Monthly.
Aluminum, Ferritin, Lipids -- Quarterly.
8)
Title: Re: How often do you do labs
Post by: kellyt on May 30, 2008, 02:56:17 PM: I go to the transplant clinic every other week for a blood draw (PSH I thnk). My nephrologist orders a renal panel & CBC every three months when I see him. And now I have to have my blood drawn monthly to check my iron due to Epogen shots, even though I'm not on them anymore. Lab work appears to be the only thing my insurance pays 100% so I don't mind too much.
Title: Re: How often do you do labs
Post by: mark m on June 06, 2008, 11:31:06 AM: I do them once a month and draw them the night before my clinic appointment. The numbers have been looking very good since starting on Nxstage. I was all ways getting yelled at in center.
Title: Re: How often do you do labs
Post by: jbeany on June 06, 2008, 01:51:43 PM: My training nurse just came back from a conference for NxStage. She found out that most of the other clincs do lab work for hme hemo patients only once a month. The doc who runs our clinic is still new to the idea of home hemo, so it's hard to get him to agree to that. Hopefully, she can show him that once a month works fine, and get him to readjust his thinking. I'm hoping for a bi-weekly compromise, at least!
Title: Re: How often do you do labs
Post by: rookiegirl on June 06, 2008, 08:13:33 PM: My PD Clinic does bloodwork monthly. I see my nephrologist once every 3 months.
Title: Re: How often do you do labs
Post by: alrightstill on June 15, 2008, 12:26:06 AM: Like others have said, I do mine the first Monday of every month.. only checking in between if the numbers are off.
Title: Re: How often do you do labs
Post by: cev on June 19, 2008, 09:14:29 PM: we are doing monthly labs, 1 week before monthly appt with Neph. it is getting more and more difficult to draw his blood and I have questions. Is anyone in California doing their own blood draws? do you have a centrifuge? Our Neph said centrifuge $3000 and we are not certified to do the draws so I need some amnio to convince him to let me do the draws when i do the pre/post BUN & creat. I know we can get small centrifuge less than $3000. What brand model is anyone using? Thanks for helping
Title: Re: How often do you do labs
Post by: Roadrunner on June 20, 2008, 08:25:42 AM: Hi,
My husband is on NxStage and received a centrifuge so I can draw my husbands blood, process it and send it off by FedEx to the lab. We did not have to purchase the machine, I guess medicare paid for it.
Title: Re: How often do you do labs
Post by: melissahumm on June 24, 2008, 04:16:47 PM: bi monthly
Title: Re: How often do you do labs
Post by: alrightstill on June 26, 2008, 09:37:02 PM: Quote from: cev on June 19, 2008, 09:14:29 PM
we are doing monthly labs, 1 week before monthly appt with Neph. it is getting more and more difficult to draw his blood and I have questions. Is anyone in California doing their own blood draws? do you have a centrifuge? Our Neph said centrifuge $3000 and we are not certified to do the draws so I need some amnio to convince him to let me do the draws when i do the pre/post BUN & creat. I know we can get small centrifuge less than $3000. What brand model is anyone using? Thanks for helping

Hi cev. My little centrifuge I have at home is by a company called Cygnus. Here's a link for the one I have: http://www.cygnusnj.com/index.php?p=centri
Title: Re: How often do you do labs
Post by: Bill Peckham on June 27, 2008, 06:05:53 PM: I've been doing labs monthly but just today at a doctor appointment he asked me to do a hemoglobin every two weeks. I'm switching from Epogen to Aranesp.
Title: Re: How often do you do labs
Post by: cev on June 28, 2008, 05:43:15 PM: Thank you so so much for the centrifuge information. it will help a lot at the next appointment