Bad News

[Whamo]

My latest test results have my doctors increasing my PD weight to 2000 during the day and 2800 at night.  They're also increasing my PD time.  I have 11 hours during the night and another drain/fill during the day. Ten hours a day was hard on me.  Eleven hours is too much considering I do a drain/fill during the day too.  That's about 80 hours a week on a machine.  I requested to go back to hemodialysis.  My nurse said we'd discuss it.  I already requested it before and I'm being ignored.   My next step is my social worker, and then, hopefully the shot-caller doctor in charge of the center.  Has anyone ever switched from PD to hemodialysis  because of similar circumstances?  I welcome your input and experience.   

[Kathymac2]

Hi Whamo. I am also on PD, but my prescription is much less onerous than yours.

I'm not sure what there is to discuss with the nurse or the social worker. I would just let your nephrologist know you are done with PD and want to start hemodialysis.  It should be your decision once you have all of the information you need.

[lulu836]

No personal  experience but the prevailing attitude at all of my company's clinics is that their patients are in charge of their own bodies.  People change easily from one to another (with proper education of course) dialysis methods.  If anyone has a complaint or an issue the doctor/owners make rounds at least once a week and their PAs about twice a week.  Nothing is out of bounds as long as it is safe.

[kickingandscreaming]

I'm in a very similar situation.  I do PD and my program involves 1 manual and 6 cycles of cycler.  In total it comes to 16 hours/day.  So, conssider yourself lucky.  I'm about to have a new clearance test and I have very recently stopped peeing.  So I expect my RX to become longer and higher volume.  Already, i have very little life left after I'm finished with PD.

My clinic wants me to switch to Hemo, but I would rather die.

[Whamo]

Yesterday I switched to hemodialysis.  I forgot how bad it can be.  I was delighted that I was on a 12 hour a week program instead of 70 hours plus a week, but when I stood up to take my blood pressure at the end they asked me if I was driving.  I was.  I don't have a care-giver.  When I got home I felt wiped out.  I'm carrying my PD stomach tube and my left chest hemodialysis tube.  It bleeds from my seat belt in my car.  My PD nurse wants me to drain with my manual bags.  So long PD people. 

[Cupcake]

skip the seat belt! no sense to make yourself bleed. If you get stopped by the police, show them your belly.

[Charlie B53]

I wasd on PD for 3 1/2 years before an infection cause the loss of my cath and the switch to Hemo.

My stash of manual supplies were nearing the expiration date and I hate wasting anything.  So I asked if we could 'adjust' my program and start adding in one of those manual bags daily.  Adjusting the Program wasn't a problem at all. Reducing the dwell time so to be able to add in another exchange was easy.  My Labs IMPROVED!

It made a lot of since when you think about it.  PD works on the difference in sugar levels of the solution to blood sugar.  Making short multiple exchanges the solution concentration stays higher, driving more 'Pull' of fluid and toxins from the body.

You don't need a very large uncomfortable fill.  Keeping comfortable at 2000, reducing dwell and increasing total volume by increasing the number of exchanges should make improvement in your treatment.

I am not a Rocket Scientist,  but I am a Physics Major.

Take with your team.

Take Care,

Charlie B53