Allowing Grandkids to see me on NxStage?

[Dannyboy]

I need advice/perspective on this please.
Been doing NxStage for over 2 years now, but have never done a treatment when the grandkid(s) are here (schedule it before/after only).   
I am seriously in a quandary over this.
Providing the parents are in *total* agreement, what's your thoughts/experiences with allowing younger ones to "see"??
Suggestions/thoughts/experiences??
---Dan

[cattlekid]

How young are your grandkids?  Old enough to understand medical stuff or young enough to know not to be rough around Grandpa? 

For example, my niece will be 5 in February and I would not have wanted her around because she can get rambunctious and a line could have gotten pulled out accidentally.

[amanda100wilson]

My son was two when I started PD.  never hid it from him.  Have been doing NxStage for the last two years.  He is now 13, probably a more sensitive time to things such as this as teenagers like conformity.  Even if I had started this when he eas younger, it would never had entered my head to not let him see it ( as a grand parent you have the luxury to consider this sibce the kids aren't there all the time, as parents wouldn't).  Children are a lot more resiliant than adults in my opinion and take things in their stride.  They are usually more furious than anything.  I would not worry about it.  If their parents have a problem about it, then they need a lityle gentle education.

[Jean]

It wouldn't bother me a bit to let them see it. They are usually only curious, I think.

[willowtreewren]

We sent to visit our grandchildren while DH was on NxStage. They were fine seeing the whole process. My older granddaughter even got her stuffed animals out and taped straws to their arms to give them dialysis. It has been almost 3 years since the wonderful transplant, so those two young ladies in the picture were younger when we were doing this.

 

Aleta

[jbeany]

I did crafts while on mine, and entertained a 4 and 6 year old with craft projects on a regular basis while hooked up and running on my NxStage.  They weren't in the room for needles going in or out, but the rest never phased them a bit.

Don't underestimate a child's ability to accept things as "normal" with only the simplest of explanations.  "It's like a vacuum that sucks bad stuff out of my blood," was all I ever needed to explain.

[Dannyboy]

Thank you all for your comments.
My concern was about the impact on my grandkids.
Thanks,
Dan

[cassandra]

I found it my duty to dialyse on Nxstage in front of my 6 year old niece. It's important that kids see that: having something wrong with you is not the end of the world

[paris]

Kids accept things better than adults. I wouldn't hesitate to let mine be with me. They are more worried when you hide things from them. 

[JohnJ]

Been doing Home Hemo for just over 5 years. Our 4 y/o granddaughter has seen it all with I think positive results. She HELPS my wife get the side table ready..counting the tape, making sure everything is there. And she's seen me stick a hundred times. No problem at all. If it's time for a snack while I'm dialyzing she'll run to the fridge to get a fruit cup and spoon and we share it. If it's time for bed she'll crawl up into my lap and I'll read a story to her. You CAN'T hide this stuff from kids..they KNOW there is something going on. BE HONEST with them.

[Dannyboy]

Thanks for all the great comments.  Feel more at ease about it now.  Just needed perspective which all you very nice folks provided.
THANKS!
---Dan

[Speedy1wrc]

My stepdaughter was 9 when I started at home and was most curious. Full of questions and wanting to be a part of it. It was a combined choice and she is very ok with it.

[Pod99966]

I know this is an old topic, but I stumbled across it and had to throw in my $0.02.

I have a 7 y/o boy and a 12y/o girl. They have both had full access to my while on my nxstage since the start. we usually make them leave the room during hook-up, just for the peace of it. But we both decided that this is part of, not only our life, but the life of many other people. So it will make them more informed and comfortable in these types of situations.  You never know what the future holds for them, this may be the catalyst for a great moment in their life.

I also have 2 nephews (11 and 13) who live in town and come over frequently. Their parents have agreed with our line of thought, and they always stop in my room and say hi to me when the come over and I'm on dialysis. My Brother-in-law is a chiropractor, so he really appreciates exposing his boys to medical environments.

[Dannyboy]

Thanks for your comments Pod.
--Dan

[PrimeTimer]

I need advice/perspective on this please.
Been doing NxStage for over 2 years now, but have never done a treatment when the grandkid(s) are here (schedule it before/after only).   
I am seriously in a quandary over this.
Providing the parents are in *total* agreement, what's your thoughts/experiences with allowing younger ones to "see"??
Suggestions/thoughts/experiences??
---Dan

Just curious to know what you decided. Did the parents agree?? I noticed my sister inlaw kept wanting to quickly change the subject whenever we (tried) bringing up my husbands's home-hemo when my 2 nephews (3rd and 4th grade) were around. People ask how he is doing and when we try to talk about it....we can't. It's become a major part of our life and yet,  we get the feeling that no one wants to know the "dark details" or how difficult our life is now and just wants to go about their merry way as if none of this is any big deal. Well, to us it's a big deal! We live with it 24/7 so it most certainly is a part of our life now and if people want to know about it, then they should let us talk about it. Otherwise they should just not say anything at all.

[Dannyboy]

Hi,
Yeah, parents were/are cool with the whole thing.  Everything good.
Kids reaction was along the lines of "no big deal".....sheesh  LOL.
Thank you,
Dan

[chuckdims]

I play games with my four year old while on the machine.  My eight year old puts my needles in sometimes (don't tell my nurse!).  They just think it's normal. 

[Zero]

I just started Dialysis on 10/16/14. Three weeks of training and have been home since. My kids are 8 and 6 and where afraid in the beginning but once they could see what was going on it brought normalcy back. Well as much as can be expected. Lol

[Kforsythe]

My granddaughter is four.  She has always been with me when I do dialysis.  She does not look when I stick, but other than that she is fine.  She pushes the button on my BP machine and gets me things.  She calls herself my dialysis assistant.  It is just normal life to her

[Zog]

This is a really old topic, but there hasn't been a time in our 7 year old daughter's life that we didn't let her be with her mommy while mommy was on dialysis.  Our daughter really doesn't think much of it.  We are wondering when and if she will ever be uncomfortable with it.

[cbatsea]

I don't see a problem with it...it's what's keeping you alive.  Kids can handle more than we give them credit for!