OMG what a leak!

[petey]

Marvin has been doing home hemo (with NxStage and PureFlow) for almost 15 months now.  We've had very few problems (all minor) until this last week.

Marvin loaded a sack to make a new batch (makes a three-day supply of dialysate and then stores it in the PureFlow).  Well, we didn't notice until about an hour later that there was a malfunction in the "brain" (the computerized control panel) of the PureFlow.  By that time, there were gallons -- literally gallons -- of dialysate soaked into the carpet in Marvin's "clinic."  (We converted a bedroom into a clinic for him.)

Carpet was ruined and had to be pulled up.  Everything had to be moved out of that room (supplies, cabinets, recliner, NxStage machine, PureFlow, etc.).  Marvin and his friend had to replace the subfloor in the room because it had soaked through to that.  Thank goodness the man who built our house put in TWO subfloors with a moisture barrier in between!  The top subfloor had to be cut out and replaced.  We decided to put tile back down in that room (instead of carpet) in case it ever happens again.

It was a mess!  We temporarily set up Marvin's machine in the den so he could have treatments in there while he and his friend were repairing the floor in his clinic.  We had boxes of supplies, that recliner, cabinets, and everything else crammed into every corner in my den and dining room (we have a rather small house to start with).  There was stuff everywhere, and it was like walking through a maze to get around inside the house.  I hated to go to school on Wednesday and Thursday because I knew my house was turned upside down, but Marvin and his friend did most of the work during the day (thank goodness his friend was off this week -- works swing shift).

My homeowners insurance company said we had a $500 deductible, and the contractor they sent to give an estimate and do the work said it would be an additional $800 to put down tile (he wanted to try to clean the carpet and put it back down -- not replace it)!  OMG !  Marvin (the handyman that he used to be) convinced me that he and Randy could do the work for a lot less.  All total, they spent about $350 on the supplies (plyboard for the subfloor, tile, etc.).  Marvin tried to pay his friend for his labor (he had to do the majority of the physical work), but Randy refused.  "You'd do it for me if you could," Randy said.  (I love this man -- and his wife is my best friend.)

How does the room look now?  Oh, goodness, it's gorgeous!  Marvin and Randy did a top-notch, professional job!  I picked out a neutral tile, and it looks terrific in there!  I got my house put back together late Thursday night.  Marvin was pooped every night this week after working in there, but he said it was a "good tired."

[monrein]

Petey sweetie, what a nightmare for you two but thank goodness for good friends.  I think the tile is the best idea and I'm glad things are all back in order now in your home clinic.

Sending you some flowers.   

[del]

OMG!!!  Water can make an awful mess!!!  We had to replace everything in our basement last year because a water line broke!!  Like Marvin hubby was able to do all the repair work. Do you have moisture sensors, Petey, for putting close to your dialysis machine?  We have 3 - one to go close to the dialysis machine when hubby is hooked up, another close to the RO and another close to where the water and draiin hookup is in the wall.  They were given to us when we did our training. You can buy them yourself in hardware stores.  They alarm with a very little amount of moisure.  Even alarms from sweat on your finger!!!  Woulsd alert ypou very quickly if this ever happened again.

[willieandwinnie]

Oh my God petey. I'm so sorry.    I've been where you are. We had to have the furnace removed, washer, dryer and 2 curio cabinets with hundreds of previous moments all stored in Len's office. It was horrible. I got a washer pan to put Len's RO on and one for his dialyzer, they worked great. It took us over a month to get the house back in any kind of order. Your girlfriends husband is a real great guy. I hope you and Marvin can now get some rest. 

[G-Ma]

oh Lord petey and marvin....rest this weekend, you deserve and need it...thank God for friends....I have not thought about a leak sensor for the area but perhaps that is next...   

[jbeany]

They work great most of the time, but, boy, when a Pureflow goes bad, it gets REALLY bad, doesn't it?  I already had lino in the room, so all I had to do was dry out my throw rug when mine went kablooey.  Glad you got everything back in order!

[Bill Peckham]

I had a cartridge leak at my Mom's house - the moisture alarm I have and keep on the cart the System One sits on went off and it completely boggled me - 4AM and this ear piercing alarm is going and I have no idea what it is - I thought it was my Mom's smoke alarm. The sound was loud enough to be a weapon.

I finally saw the fluid on top of the cart and figured it out; stopped the alarm and manually rinsed back my blood.

It got me thinking - I checked out large plastic tubs at an office supply store. I think they're big enough to hold a PureFlow. At home I have linoleum in my dialysis room but at my Mom's I can set the System One, cart and all, in a giant plastic tub to keep her carpet safe. I think I got less than a liter or so on her carpet from my one leak but I'd hate to have 40L spill.

[Sluff]

Glad everything is back to normal. 

[lola]

Oh man, that stinks, glad you could do the repairs yourself.

[kmatisse]

You should contact NxStage for reimbursement.  I know that other patients have been reimbursed for damage to their flooring caused by dialysate leaks.