Dialysis Center Closed

[Mizar]

  I Live in one of the Southern States and due to the Massive Ice Storm, that Moved, through here, last Night, Our Dialysis Center, did not Open at all Today.
  I got up at Six, this Morning, to take Hubby and there was 1/4 to 1/2 Inch, of Ice on Everything. None of the Techs, could make it in. They are putting all
  Todays, Patients, in Tomorrow, with all the Friday Patients. This has never happened to us before. Hope, this didn't happen, to anymore of My, Southern
   Friends.   One Adventure after Another.

[rsudock]

stupid weather!      another reason home D is better! i worry about this all the time...

[Lillupie]

Oh my gosh,
 What is the outcome of this? How did they squeeze everyone in at the same time? That is crazy? How did you find that out? How is your husband doing? I think times like this you really have to watch your potassium, and fluid, and sodium. THat is crazy. I hope this does not happen anymore. I hope noone had to go to the ER because of no dialysis.

Lisa

[willowtreewren]

 

You have enough on your plate without this!

[del]

We live in Newfoundland and have never (even in a state of emergency) seen the dialysis unit close.  4x4 vehicles picked up patients, nurses, doctors, etc around town if they couldn't use their own machine. We live an hours drive from the unit.  usually if a snow storm was forcast or icy conditions we ent to the town where the dialysis unit is and stayed all night.  One night we had about 50 + cm of snow. Took us 5 hours to get to the unit in our 4x4.  over 2 of those hours were spent waiting for the snow plow to plow the roads.  We followed the snow plow and there were times when I looked out the side window of the truck and all I could see was snow!!  Thank goodness hubby does home hemo now and we don't have to deal with the weather.

[Mizar]

 We can actually see the Dialysis Clinic, from our Driveway, but Problem was, none of the Techs, could get there.  This will throw Him off Schedule for this Week and Next, as He does Dialysis, on Sat. also and that's Christmas.  Whoo Boy, I'm Hanging in there and He is Hanging in there. That's all We can do.

[YLGuy]

Living in southern California I am not concerned about weather closing the center.  I am worried about earthquakes though.  I lived in the Bay area for the 1989 quake and we were without electricity for multiple days.  My kidneys functioned back then.

[MooseMom]

My mom, who lived in Houston at the time, nearly had to be evacuated to Dallas when Hurricanes Rita and Ike were on the way.  My family has lived on or near the Gulf coast all my life; we have a house in Long Beach, MS, and I've often wondered what they did with their dialysis patients during Katrina.  I suppose they were evacuated, but dialysis patients in NOLA probably didn't fare as well.

[kamar55]

I was always told that if the weather was bad enough and the paratransit buses couldn't make it, that the National Guard would transport patients to the unit. Last winter during a blizzard that didn't happen. The patients may have been able to be transported, but the nurses and techs weren't so our center was closed 2 different times. We were told to call 911 if we experienced labored breathing, etc. I missed the 2 days and felt like crap. I didn't gain much fluid, but the toxins in my blood made me feel really lousy. I hope we're lucky this winter.....

[Brightsky69]

Scary stuff

[Mizar]

 They did, give Him, Dialysis, Today, but He was in such bad Shape, I had to bring a Wheelchair, We have on hand, into the House, just to get Him out to the Car, about Fifty Feet away. They will do Dialysis, again, Tomorrow, to get Him Back on Schedule. He's a Tues. Thur. Sat. Patient.

[casper2636]

I live in Pa. and we just are getting a light snow ( from the way some people drive you'd think it was a blizzard!), but my center has closed before due to inclement weather. They always, if a storm is due, give us a prescription for Kionex. What this is supposed to do is rid your body of the extra fluid along with the potassium and other toxins until you can get to D. What it basically does is give you wicked diarrhea (you might as well set up the t.v, or bring a good book to the bath room for the day) and you expell all the toxins that way. Not the best way or the one that I would choose if I could, but it's better than risking fluid over load and pulmonary edema! I'm surprised that those other centers don't use it...I know I can't go more than three days without D before pulmonary edema sets in and I sound like a  coffee peculator when I breath going into congestive heart failure. REALLY SCARY. I'd try looking into it. Uncomfortable yes, Life saving...Big YES!

[Trena]

I live in Kansas and about 3 years ago we had a bad ice storm that left many people without power for a week, we were one of them. My dialysis unit is located in the medical office building next to one of the hospitals and is hooked up to their generators. In the 6 years I have been dialyzing there they hav never closed because of the weather. If it were to happen we have an emergency diet we are to follow and they will make arrangements for us to go to other units if the weather does not permit us to make it to the unit. Thank God I have switche to home hemo this year and don't have to worry about it now. We have a generator in case the power goes out again.

[retrartpole]

This is terrible news for you and your husband. They should have done something about it and open all days disregarding what weather or condition it might be. People out there need it and they would be tired and fatigue without getting their treatment. It would be best if there’s an alternative like doing it at home. Or getting to a place where there’s no significant change of weather. But that wouldn’t be a great idea as it would bring more complications.

[lawphi]

Our center closed as well, however, there was absolutely no reason for it to be closed. The other centers operated on a delay.

 We emailed a national FMC VP and he called us the same day.  I was very impressed with the response.  Our er is not equipped for dialysis.

My husband and our neighbor were the only ones to be dialyzed on Monday. 

[nkviking75]

My dialysis center has handed out sheets telling us how to manage if we can't get to the center due to winter weather (which is more likely than having the center closed).  It mainly consists of being extra careful with fluid and nutrition restrictions.  It's not a great spot to be in, but for one extra day most people can probably manage.