Have to do a few in center treatments

[del]

Hubby is soooo pissed!!!!  His dialysis machine is failing one of the safety tests so he can't use it. Had everything all set up last night ready to go and it failed one of the safety tests. did the test again and it failed. tried some things we know how to do to fix the problem but they didn't work so 11:00 last night had to call the tech.  He did some troubleshooting with us but nothing work.  He has to come and put a new part on it. Techs are over 5 hrs drive away from here!!! But they don't usually drive they fly.  The airport is only about 1 and 1/2 hrs from here!!! Neither of them could come today to fix it and won't come tomorrow because they will be late getting back tomorrow night and its the weekend.   We had to make arrangements for an in center treatment tonight (just got home)  left home at about 3 this afternoon and got home at 10:00.  What a pain in the butt!!  Will be Monday or Tuesday before the tech gets here  Have to go for another in center treatment on Saturday    He hates in center treatments now!!!  And so do I!!!

[jbeany]

Yuck, I can sympathize.  I had to do in-center this week as well.  I've forgotten how crappy I feel doing it there instead of my lovely short daily runs on my NxStage.

[Adam_W]

There have been a few times I've had to do some in-centre treatments, but fortunately I've always been able to dialyze with the home dept. and I still got my short daily treatments. I know going back to three days/wk would suck if you're used to short daily or nocturnal.

Adam

[okarol]

That sounds awful del. Too bad you can't keep a "spare" machine around just in case!

[del]

Tech will be here on Sunday morning to fix the machine.  Still have to go to the dialysis unit tomorrow evening thought for a treatment. 

[willieandwinnie]

del, Len hated to go back to center the few times he had to because of access problems. They at least let me due everything and sort of put him off to the side. I just had to put up with comments fro the nurses that hated the fact we did home-hemo.  I hope they get the machine fixed and fast. 

[del]

All the nurses at hubby's center are glad that he is able to do home hemo so no comments from them only good ones!!!  I still needle him in center. There was only 2 other patients there last evening.

[monrein]

Canada is very pro home hemo.  It costs less and has better outcomes.  I've never heard a nurse make negative comments.  Usually they wish more patients would go for it but they understand why that isn't always possible or even the best choice for an individual patient.

Hope you're back home soon with your usual routine Del.  Hugs to the hubby.

[petey]

Marvin had to go back in-center twice in the last year (for strong antibiotics that we can't administer through NxStage machine) -- he hated it!  The nurses were great, and they let me cannulate, set his dry weight, and disconnect (they even watched as I cannulated because they had never seen the buttonhole, blunt needle technique first-hand).  Everybody at the clinic was glad to see him again (he was there for 12 1/2 years before we started home hemo), but Marvin still hated it.  I think it was the loss of control and the inconvenience of driving there.  I hope it doesn't last long for you, but, if you're like Marvin, just one in-center treatment is too long!

[jbeany]

I crashed in-center.  How annoying to have to go back to calling for help when I'm used to being able to fix it myself!

[Maggie and Jeff]

One good point with the NxStage they just overnight a machine when the one we are using stops working for any reason and we send the broken one back to them. 

[del]

Tech was here today and the dialysis machine is fixed    It was costing us about $50 a treatment to drive to the dialysis unit!!!  Amazing that we had to explain home hemo to a lot of the nurses at the unit. they just looked at us with wide eyes when hubby said he hooks up for 7 hours at home!!!  Had to explain he does it when he is sleeping and it is at a slow pump speed. 4 hours at the center seemed so long!!!  takes us over an hour to drive there as well.  Makes for a long day!!!  Be so good to hook up and go to bed tonight!!  His main fear at the unit was his blood pressure dropping on a 450 pump sped with the fluid coming off fast.  He did fine!!!  he'll be so "glad " to hook up to his own machine tonight. 

[monrein]

Yay.  As I read your post I could really feel the difference in comfort level.