PD Cycler 'Program' Change

[Charlie B53]

I hate to waste anything that could be put to good use.  Having switched to the Cycler shortly after recieving my regular month delivery of Manual supplies I've had almost a whole months supply of manual bags.  Cases of 1 1/2%, 2 1/2%, and Ico.

Talking with my PD NNurse about this last month we decided that I could easily use the manual Ico bags, simply clamp off the unused drain bag.  These cases were set to expire here in Dec and at the rediculous cost of Ico, it would have been a shame to wste them.  I'm on the last case now.  I will reorder one or two cases just so I will always have manual supplies in case of any long power outage I can still do exchanges.

But all those cases and cases of  yellows and greens.  I asked my Neph if I could increase my nightly exchanges a little, add one 2 liter manual bag, and slowly get this product used so it doesn't have to be wasted.

He agreed that should work.

PD Nurse and I made a couple of adjustments to the Cycler program, raising the total fluid two liters, increased the total time an hour, the machine calculated a 2 exchange increase and cut each exchange time from 1:25 to 1 hour. 

The only real change other than hanging another bag was switching to the 4-prong cassette.  I LOVED the 3-prong as the lines are soo much longer.  So long that I had to cut 10 feet off the drain hose, and with the patient extension added, I could travel around half the house.

The shorter hoses on the 4 prong even with the patient extension I can barely make it into the bathroom.

Well, it shuld only be a couple of months.  Then I can go back to the 3 prong.

Last night was my first night on the NEW schedule.  It toolk off an addition 300 UF more than my old average.  BP is better this morning.  I am not dehydrated at least nothing noticed.

If this continues to work this well when I do run out of the manual bags I will ask my Neph if we can increase from my current 5 liter bags to the 6 liter bags.

Should know just before Spring.

[stayingalive]

If you don't mind...what machine do you use?  Never heard of three line.   I am on the liberty cycler and mine has a cassette that goes into it that has a drain line, two lines I connect my bags to,  three lines I clamp off as they are not used, and a line that connects to my catheter.

[Charlie B53]

In a nutshell.  Ports are the number of bags you can connect to your Cycler.

The Baxter Cycler I use I have a choice which cassette I can use depending on the number and type of bags I use.

Like yours it has  Drain, Fill and the main Fill from the bag laying on the heater.

The difference or the other supply line from the hanging/laying bags used to refill the heater bag.

Using Ico for the last fill, there is a dedicated last fill line, the other difference is the number of the primary fill bags, the ones used to keep refilling the heater bag throughout treatment.

The 4 port this line has a Y so you can connect two bags.

The 3 port without that Y I can only connect one bag.

Previously I used one 'green' bag one the heater, one 'yellow' bag in the refill line, and one bag of Ico for the last fill line.  Three bags = Three Port

Right now I am using the above PLUS a second Yellow bag on the 'refill' line that Y's.  Four Bags = Four Port.

I much rather be using the 3 port as the line sets are so very much longer than those on the 4 port.  And I mean the Patient line and the drain line are both about TEN FEET longer.  Which give me so much more room to roam while connected.

I can come into this room and use the keyboard instead of hunched over sitting on the side of the bed using my laptop, which tends to pinch off the line and cause alarms.  I have to use the Patient extension line just to reach the bathroom, not so with the three port.  And using the extension WITH the 3 port I can get to the front door and across the house to the sliding back door.  Sorry, can't get to the kitchen for snacks.  But I probably shouldn't have much of them anyway.

I will only have to deal with these shorter lines for a bit over a month to use up most of my manual supplies before they expire.  Then I will switch from my current 5 liter cycler bags to the 6 liter bags as I'm pretty sure we will see in my next labs that the additional cycles will make even a better 'adequacy'.  Which has been fine so far.  But if it can get even better, well, it wont be a bad thing.

[stayingalive]

Thanks Cahrlie  now I understand and remember too!!  I have only the heater bag and one other bag I connect to the machine.  It all depends how much weight I gain that shows me which bags to use.  I remember my nurse at the clinic telling me about the three lines I clamp off and don't use.  Its for different set ups on the machine.  Two of them are for extra treatment bags and the other is for like medicine I may need to have at some point....maybe. 

P.S.  What is the Ico bag?  is that medicine?

[Charlie B53]

Ico, short for Dexedrine.  A different type of sugar that will  not raise the body blood sugar.  Formulated for long dwell period.  One potential problem if Diabetic.  Some blood sugar meters will read the ico and show an elevated sugar level.  One must use an approved meter to avoid these false readings which could potentially cause an insulin overdose.   That's me too!

I used to use Ico throughout the night when I was doing 4 manuals daily.  Now that I am on the Cycler I use the Ico throughout the day.

As I understand it, Ico is 3 or 4 times as expensive as our 1 1/2 and 2 1/2 solutions.  So it isn't used, many insurance companies may not want to pay the added expense.  I dono't doubt that if mine didn't cover my neph would simply change my Cycler settings and leave me dry all day.