Davita vs wellbound

[paul.karen]

I have read alot of stories about Davita centers.

I will be using wellbound to get set up with my PD.
Does anyone have stories good or bad about wellbound.  I phoned them yesterday and they seemed very nice and willing to work with me.  I explained i cant do manuals at work and would like to learn right away how to use the cycler.  The administrator said that shouldn't be a problem but wants to show me how to do manuals incase of a power outage.  I said of course i just cant do them (manuals) for weeks at a time then learn the cycler.

Not sure if i got a nurse on a good day or if wellbound may just be a great service.  Time will tell.  But so far im am happy

[BigSteve]

Why can't you do a manual exchange at work? Isn't your employer obligated under the disabilities
act obligated to provide you with a place to do the exchange?

[paul.karen]

Im not sure Steve?
But where i work i would rather not do exchanges here.  Dirty and dusty and less then sterile.
And if i can go straight to the cycler im all for that.

[Wenchie58]

According to the ADA the employer must make "reasonable accommodation", so thats a judgment call pretty much on the employers part.  Unless you choose to go to court and let a judge decide what is reasonable.

I had arranged a place with my employer before I got my transplant, they were very accommodating.

[george40]

Hello PK, a few things. I would not recommend short cutting your training on manuals. There is no guarantee the cycler will work immediately and in this situation you would be on manuals. Make sure you take the full training. My training was two weeks with Davita. Week 1 was just about PD itself and by doing manuals (connecting, disconnecting, caps, aseptic technique, etc) Then week 2 was the cycler. I was able to go on it as soon as I took it home (2 days into the second week). Unfortunately I had drainage problems and just that quick I had to do manuals until something was figured out. Also if there is an emergency (power outage, machine failure, etc) you will need to know how to do manuals well. Getting your full training as intended by the provider could save you some headaches down the line.  Anyways, this is my 2 cents.

[Rerun]

If you screw up a manual exchange you could get an infection.  You don't want that.  Learn the right way. 

I know you don't want to quit work and you are in a battle with just adding dialysis to your daily life.  Paul, you need to step back.  I suggest you take 2 months off to just learn dialysis and get use to it without work.  I know it sounds impossible but I know people who do that and I wish I had done that.

It will be Monday morning and your cycler will need something and oh but you need to get to work because you missed last Thursday and what will the boss say....... 

Just go to them and say I'm taking 8 weeks off to get a handle on this whole dialysis process because it is not a piece of cake and it is life support.  Then edge work back into your life.  Legally they cannot fire you for a disability.

               

[paul.karen]

Thanks all.

Rerun i cannot take 8 weeks off.  I am one of two employees the other being the owner, who is out of the office often.
I am going to learn manuals at the same time i learn the cycler.  I plan on learning all aspects of both manual and the cycler.  But the administrator said i can start on the cycler (at my wish) while learning both.  I am not trying to cut corners i am trying to keep my job.  I have seen what i will make on SS.  It is less then a quarter of what i am making now.  If i had employees to back me up for a few weeks or was retired i may make a different choice.  I am dong what i think is best for me at this time.

But of course that can all change.  If it becomes to much i will take time off and let the chips fall where they may.  But in this economy i want to keep my job at all costs.  Good benefits and pay is hard to find.
I will be meeting the administrator from wellbound in the next week or so and will get a better handle on it all.

[Savemeimdtba]

I understand your worries about your job... just understand that what you're undertaking is not easy.  Those first two weeks are HARD - and that's when the mistakes are made (and mistakes happen).  It's a long learning process.. but the more you do it the more comfortable you become.  That's why they want us to do the manual exchanges for so long - so it becomes second nature and mistakes don't happen anymore.  Same thing with the cycler... it's going to take a few nights to adjust.  Getting the drain line right, alarms, figuring out how to keep the line from getting crimped.  Over two weeks since I started the cycler and I am STILL learning (and making mistakes ).  The other day an alarm didn't turn off so the machine didn't do ANYTHING the entire night and I had to do manuals during the day - you never know what will come up!  That's why we all want you to be prepared