our diatition can be confusing

[sullidog]

Our diatition is saying that our numbers should be or shouldn't be at a certain number then what the neph tells us, like for example my calcium is at a 10.2 the diatition says that's hi but the neph and the nurses says it's fine, it's confusing but I think I'd rather listen to my neph then the diatition when it comes to labs, how about you does your diatition disagree with your neph on labs?
Troy

[natnnnat]

My mother in law was in hospital a couple of weeks ago and her potassium got to "3".  The nurse said that was "dangerously low", so they put a potassium drip on her arm which made her cry, apparently it hurts like anything.  Then we saw one of her cancer team, he said that wasn't dangerous, "take that with a grain of salt", its not dangerous till it gets around 2, he said.  Yes, confusing.  She is back in hospital again now, and had a potassium drip again for a few days.  Yes, its confusing isn't it. 

[billybags]

I know what you mean. At first when you go on dialysis you get over crowded with dietitians, and food plans, "you can not eat this" "you can not eat that" after a while you get to know what is good for you and what is bad. What to eat and what not too. We have a sensible dietitian guy. He says eat a little of what you fancy, do not deprive your self. If the bloods come back and some thing is up or down our nurse will tell us and then we can adjust things. I can not remember the last time we saw a dietitian. Eat sensibly, you know not to eat any thing with salt, any thing with high potassium, you know not to drink lots of fluid. Stick to a good diet, eat lots of fresh cooked food. Some times it is the tablets that send your bloods over the top, the neph should address this.

[jbeany]

Sulli, is your dietitian a general one who sees all kinds of patients, or just one for dialysis patients?  If you have a general one, she may be comparing your labs to the numbers for a healthy person.  We get a bit more leeway for what counts as "safe" levels as D patients.  I'd go with the nurses and the neph, at any rate.  Or at least ask the neph why the dietitian always gives you different answers - if she's doing it wrong, he may actually correct her.

[sullidog]

She's one that makes her rounds. She's also the one that told me that my low potassium wasn't a big deal, but it is.
Troy

[jbeany]

Okay, so she's an idiot.  Just nod politely and ignore her advice!  Your best bet is to make a list of dialysis patient "normal" ranges and start demanding copies of the real lab results so you can check them for yourself.

[cookie2008]

potassium in an iv hurt so bad I made them stop, 45 min after it still hurt, I take it in pill form never again in an iv. Mine is running 3.6 right now.  When I talk to the dietitian she explains then tells me to listen to my neph.