Non on D yet - but have an urgent question...

[KarenInWA]

My neph wanted to start me on D a month ago - I said no.  I stilll feel fine, for the most part.  What I want to know is, do they let you pee mid-session?  I still pee frequently, and I don't know how I will do being stuck to a chair w/a needle in my arm doing the "sit and wiggle" pee dance! 

I'd like to do NxStage eventually, but not if I have to pee as much as I do (nocturnal could be a problem...)

KarenInWA

[Rerun]

Yes, they let you off to pee.  Just make sure you ask them a little in advance so they can get to you.  It takes them a few minutes to get you off.

               

[Bill Peckham]

Yes, they let you off to pee.  Just make sure you ask them a little in advance so they can get to you.  It takes them a few minutes to get you off.

               

Some units do, some units don't. I think the trend is to bring you something to go the bathroom in rather than take you off.

[YLGuy]

My unit will unhook you and let you go.  Remember that they are pulling fluid off of you during dialysis. Limit your fluid intake and I think you will be okay.

[jbeany]

Depends on how well you are reacting to the treatments, too.  If you end up wobbly, they aren't going to let you stand up and hike across the room.  Instead, you get that charming potty chair and the "privacy" curtain that has none.

[tyefly]

I was worried about that also..... but I have found that when you are doing dialysis you dont need to pee as much if at all.....   I am doing nxstage nocturnal now and worried about not being able to get up and go as I have done for a long time... guess what.... I dont have to go anymore at night.....  I think you will manage....and yes the clinics do let you go if you need to...... Not a big deal.....

Its all the unknowns that drives you crazy....... It did me too.....

[cookie2008]

Most units will try to get u to use a bedpan, when I had my permacath in they told me I couldnt use the bathroom due to infection, when I started using my fistula they let me off to use the bathroom.

[calypso]

I've heard PD is the best modality for those with some renal function left because it helps preserve renal function. But these are things to discuss with your nephrologist to find which modality is best suited to you.

[RichardMEL]

Basically what everyone else has said.

Yes, they would prefer to unhook you, but this can take some time (it's not instant, a few minutes depending on how long it takes you to clot etc). Though if it's urgent you can have a bottle/pan(NOT FUN!). However as others have said you will likely find once you actually start on dialysis the amount you need to pee will drop down, and the number of times a day you need to go will be reduced, so it probably won't wind up being an issue.

[aharris2]

Karen,

We ave traveled and have used at least a dozen units throughout the US in addition to our home unit and two others here in Tampa. Most have been DaVita units, several have been Fresenius units. So far only one has refused to allow the use of the bathroom and insisted on a bedpan instead. The unit was a DaVita in Michigan.

My brother's dialysis access has been via catheter for most of our travels.

[phyl1215]

I am on PD with 12% function so I still go a lot.  I was taught that PD does help you keep your kidney function longer as it is more gentle on the body and helps keep the bladder working longer.  I am maintaining my function for a year now. 

[Stoday]

It worried me before I started hemo. How could I last for more than a couple of hours?

I found in reality it was a non-issue. The unit said they would disconnect me so that I could go to the bathroom, but I've never needed to do so.

[RightSide]

This was a real problem for me, because I had a badly enlarged prostate (67 cm^3), and I was getting the urge to pee at least once an hour.

Rather than having to get off the dialysis machine twice in each session, I elected to just use a urinal.  They pulled the curtains around me, and I would pee into the urinal while being dialyzed.  (Each pee was only a few ounces, but an enlarged prostate makes you feel like your bladder is full.)

Later on, I had prostate surgery which fixed the problem.

[Riki]

PD does help retain some kidney function.  It took 4 years for me to stop peeing completely while on PD.

My unit will unhook you if you really need to go, but it does take a minute or so to do, so don't wait till it's urgent to ask.  I only had to ask once, and it was only because I knew I couldn't hold it, and they weren't giving me no pan for that.. *L*