Attn. Dialysis Techs and Nurses, Shhhhh! I am tryng to sleep!

[Bub]

I have an extremely hard time falling asleep during dialysis.  I always suffer from RLS symptoms which my litany of doctors have steadfastly refused to deal with.

******************* WARNING! Rant Area Ahead ******************

First comes the nurse practioner to wake me up.  He is here to give lab results, or, to just remind me that he is pretty, and smart and in fact in charge. Sighhhhh!  But I have developed a work around.  I ask him for something , anything, which is usually enough to keep him away for a month or more.

Then there are the techs who congregrate in groups of three or more next to my recliner and discuss and laugh loudly to discuss what was on tv last night, whats for dinner tonight, and sometimes have sing-a-longs (really!).  I am not a bad guy and try not to be rude, but do occasionally growl at them to scare them off.

Finally, nurses stack and unwrap new dialyizers, crinkling the foil and cellophane wrappers loundly.  This prcoess is usually only started after they notice that I am asleep.

******************Rant Over*****************[

Phew I feel better now!  And let me add the disclaimer that I do like and appreciate the staff at my center.  They work hard, and try to take care of me.

[peleroja]

When I was on hemo, all I wanted them to do was turn off the damned alarms.  I once called the front desk and asked them to send a tech to turn off my alarm which had been ringing for over 20 minutes!  Sure glad I didn't die while the alarm was ringing.   

[-Lady Noir-]

Totally understandable rant there Bub. And you have such a great sense of humour too, and i wouldn't blame you if you didn't after dealing with those situations!

[sullidog]

Yeah the alarms annoy me, and the longer it takes to turn them off the longer your treatment is because it stops the clock and everything.
Troy

[kitkatz]

I now sleep pretty much during dialysis due to being there most of the night.  I know what you mean about loud techs. On day shift they were loud when they were near patients.  We have one patient who is currently coughing like he is going to cough a lung up.  He smokes outside the clinic, then comes in to his treatment. Sigh.   

[Bub]

Yes Sullidog, its true.  For every minute your machine alarms, its a minute you spend in the chair that does not count against your time.  Ive taken to getting up and resetting the alarm.  Tees people off, but my response is if you dont want me to do it, then YOU should come over and do it.

[Stacy Without An E]

When I was a kid dealing with kidney disease in the early 80's, there was an unwritten rule in the hospital that when patients turned in, you needed to keep the volume down.

Fast forward to today and common courtesy is extinct.

Especially here in California, egotards and iDouches flood every nook and cranny of society with a me first, you never attitude.

And unfortunately, its ruined medical clinics and hospitals for all who are suffering.

[bdpoe]

it's rude, inhospitable and inconsiderate. there have been times when I scream at them to shut up but they have no clue.
.........bdpoe

When I was a kid dealing with kidney disease in the early 80's, there was an unwritten rule in the hospital that when patients turned in, you needed to keep the volume down.

Fast forward to today and common courtesy is extinct.

Especially here in California, egotards and iDouches flood every nook and cranny of society with a me first, you never attitude.

And unfortunately, its ruined medical clinics and hospitals for all who are suffering.

[glitter]

This was one of my husbands biggest nightmares, one time, in  an inpatient setting on the heart wing of the hospital, his sink was conviently by the nurses station, so they would open his door and use it while talking loudly to the nurses behind the desk. at 3 am!!! I finally just started getting up and shutting his door over and over and complaining every single time until they somewhat got the hint!

In the dialysis center they like to slam garbage lids, then grin when they startle you- I wrote a letter about them yelling from one end to the other about breaks, whats for lunch and stupid shit that had no bearing on the patients, and then laughing and saying 'awww-did I wake you up' his unit had a few sadistic nurses. Complaing just made it worse-then they ignored hom when he needed help. They all seemed to thing dialysis was easy, and the people were just complainers. I hated them.

[RichardMEL]

wow - you can sleep???!! I but wish I could!

I'd be blessed if I could sleep even 2 hours of the 5.. it would make things go so much quicker.

[Karlise13]

I feel terrible waking up the patients when they are sleeping! But I am only at the unit 2 days a week...gotta catch you when I can! 

[galvo]

Oh Dear God! I thought for a moment that Bub was back among us!!