Time To Introduce Myself

[mcjane]

I'm not the patient, my husband is. In April 2006 he was hospitalized in metabolic acidosis, spent 28 days & while there started dialysis to save his life. He was seeing a neph before that & was on Aranasep (sp) & was doing just fine, but practically overnight his kidneys failed. The doctor was puzzled by this saying it usually doesn't happen this fast.

He is now doing HD in center 3 x a week. He does produce some urine, not a lot, but maybe enough to keep him out of trouble because his labs are always great in spite of the fact he eats just about anything he wants. The only consession he made was to switch to rice milk. He does take his binders, 1 or 2 at every meal & his Nephro Caps (Saw a post by rerun where she mentioned them) & told him to call his doctor for a script which he did. One thing is that he does tire easily.

He hates dialysis, but doesn't complain, he's laid back about it & doesn't say much & that's probably because I keep after him about home dialysis. He's holding back because he doesn't think he can put in his own needles. We are about 15 miles from a center that will train us on the Nxstage & I keep telling him how much better he will feel with  daily dialysis. He did promise me he will read epoman's ilovenxstage & I feel sure it will turn his thinking around.

I've been lurking since May & I like coming here, I like the way everyone cares & looks out for each other. This is a wonderful place & I am happy to be a member & it's about time I said so.
Jane




 

[Joe Paul]

Welcome Mcjane, good to have you aboard.

[Sluff]

Welcome to the site mcjane.

[Black]

  Glad you decided to do the intro  Hope your Hubby can be brave enough to do his own sticks.  Keep reminding him how much better the buttonhole is than having someone else stick a new place every time.

[AlasdairUK]

Welcom Mcjane,

feel free to post or ask any questions.

[jbeany]

Welcome to the site, Jane.

If you can get your husband to the computer, also have him check out these videos -
http://www.dailyhemo.org/2/page.php?7

They make the buttonhole cannulation look pretty easy.

And read epoman's account on here of his training on NXStage - he's posted a day by day account of how he started.  It's incredibly helpful.

Good luck!

[goofynina]

Hello McJane and Welcome to our wonderful and awesome website, i am glad you decided to come out and speak to us (so to say)    Has your hubby thought of doing PD, there are no needles, just the catheter and it is great.  It is just another option for him to be able to do dialysis at home.  Hope to hear more from you.  Good luck to you and your hubby, and once again 

[Rerun]

Welcome Jane.  I'm so happy that you finally joined us.  You already know how the site works, so I won't go there.  I guess I'll just welcome you!

 

[DeLana]

 

DeLana   

[mcjane]

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone.

 Remember when I said rerun mentioned Nephro Caps & that's how we found out about them, well there is another thing the doctors "forgot" to prescribe when Rob was discharged from the hospital....Phoslo. Read about it here. How could they forget something as important as that, but they did. Thanks to IHD we found out about binders.

Goofy Nina, the doctor said Rob was not a good candidate for PD, scar tissue from surgery about 20 years ago.  I told him to get another opinion, but so far he hasn't.

[anja]

Jane, the doctors aren't always right in their assumption that abdominal surgery automatically kicks you out of the running for PD.  I am proof- I had a hyster.,  gall bladder surgery(with 7 holes),hernia repair (from one of the 7 holes)  and ovary and large cyst removal- all separate surgeries, different years beginning in 1981.  I started on PD and my labs have been great.  My doctor did not tell me about that option, this site did, and am I ever thankful!  (I too lurked when I knew my kidneys were failing)  Doc wasn't too anxious for me to try it, but I insisted.  All is well and I am glad I am not on hemo. like my father.  Keep encouraging him and see if he will read some of the information here to learn more about his disease and choices.  Good luck and welcome to our community!    Anja

[goofynina]

Mcjane, your hubby should see the surgeon who does the surgery, he would know more or less if your hubby will be a good candidate for PD.  When i asked my neph about PD he told me he had to send me to the surgeon to see if it would work with me (because of my size) PUHLEASE!!   lol,   I say get that second opinion from the actual surgeon ok,  Let us know...  Good Luck 

[Zach]

Welcome Jane!!

[Bajanne]

Just want to add my welcome to the others.  I always feel great when someone who lurked for a while joins us.  That means you really appreciate us.  We are so glad to have you (openly) and look forward to hearing more from you.  Please keep up posted on your husband's progress.
When I started, I too was very tired and lethargic.  After a session, even though I didn't feel badly, all I could do was take to my bed until the next morning.  But I am not like that nowadays (I have been on for a year and 2 months).  After dialysis, I am usually quite okay and find myself doing all kinds of stuff.  So, give it some time.