Hello from North Carolina

[NCspinner]

Greetings--

I am the care partner for a home hemo patient. We've been doing this for almost two years. There's a lot to be grateful for in our situation but it is still overwhelming sometimes. We moved down here from up north not long before my partner went into kidney failure, and all family members are far away. I look forward to sharing with others on this board.

[Simon Dog]

If your patient is not doing his/her own needles, I suggest moving in that direction if (s)he is medically able.  This substantially reduces caregiver burden.

[cassandra]

Welcome to the site NCspinner


   


Take care, Cas

[Paul]

 
Hello NCspinner. Welcome to the board.

[NCspinner]

Just FYI, to SImon Dog re: suggesting the home hemo patient learn to do his own needles: I can appreciate the utility of that strategy but my husband has a familial tremor (sometimes called "essential tremor") that is getting worse as time passes. We haven't tried it but I'm pretty sure it would be impossible for him to cannulate himself. Sometimes his access arm is trembling so much that I have to hold it still with my left hand while cannulating with the right hand. So yes, I'm on the hook for everything.

[Simon Dog]

I would expect the tremor to preclude self stickulation.  (A term I just invented in protest against clinic policies never to use words like stick or puncture when talking to patients).