I have dialyzed at three other units in the area over the 17 years of coming to the Chicago area - at least once a year (and I've schlepped the System One to my mom's). With enough Tylenol 3s the headaches can be dealt with ... here is what I like about the incenter nocturnal run:
- It is long as I want it. Usually it is hard to do more than 4.5 hours and fit into a unit's shift schedule.
- It starts in the evening. If I go to a typical unit my on time is up in the air until arrival and may require that I dialyze first thing in the morning or middle of the day. I like to have dinner with the people I am here to visit and then go to treatment.
- The lights are off. I hate - hate - dialyzing under unblinking fluorescent lights. Only at NKC units or nocturnal runs can I be sure to avoid having them on.
- No half hour blood pressure checks. I've been on dialysis long enough to know if I am getting too dry - I'm not so stop with the bp checks. Only the nocturnal units allow the pre and post bp only option.
- Quiet. The whole point is to allow sleep, so no blaring TVs or techs talking across the room. Even the machine alarms are muted.
They use to kind of insist that I run 7 or 8 hours but last night they were fine with a five hour run so I'm sticking with them - I've learned how to increase the sodium on the Ks and while I am way more thirsty it does help the headaches. Without raising the sodium the conductivity is in the 13.6-8 range while if I can just get that up to 14 or higher I feel a lot better. I was on the K in Aruba and had no ill effects at all so it something about how this unit has their settings but the staff are pretty unhelpful.
They do not inspire confidence. One new staffer asked if I was a "friend of Bush".
huh? Did I forget to take off my I'm an #$$hole pin? Joke. It's just a joke Bigsky. Using a napkin I indicated where Seattle was in relation to Chicago and Washington DC. She was astounded. There are two Washingtons!!
I Hate Dialysis Message Board
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