plug for home hemo

[petey]

Marvin had his monthly checkup yesterday (required to stay in the home hemo program), and it was a great one.  Last month, the neph said, "Your labs are all 'normal' and don't look like those of a dialysis patient."  This month's labs, however, were even better than last month's.  Excellent, excellent, excellent -- all of them were, according to the doc, in line for a perfectly healthy, 25-year-old (and Marvin's 53!).  His kt/V was 2.4, and his doctor said we'd talk soon about decreasing treatments from 6/week to 5/week.   Marvin said he didn't "feel" this good when he had his transplant.  We both think it's the home hemo. 

[monrein]

 

Fantastic Marvin and Petey.  Keep it going.

[jbeany]

My last Kt/V with 5 days was 2.2.  I've been doing 3 days with 20 L and 2 days with 25.  When they calculate the KT/V, they use an average of the liters.  5 days a week is even nicer - all the benefits of home, with an extra day off.

[rose1999]

That's great to hear, you're such a lovely couple and it's good to share some of your good news. 

[kidney4traci]

Great news!  That is great clearance!  Pray you can cut back and still get good reports!  You two deserve a break!!!

[willieandwinnie]

  petey. What wonderful news. You just keep doing what your doing for Marvin so when that phone call comes he is in the best shape he can be. 

[del]

That's fantastic Pete :yahoo;y!! If he cuts back will he do 3 days on and a day off then 2 days and a day off ( so he doesn't have 2 days in a row without dialysis?  Hubby does the 3 and 2 schedule so that he doesn't go 2 days without dialysis.

[petey]

That's fantastic Pete :yahoo;y!! If he cuts back will he do 3 days on and a day off then 2 days and a day off ( so he doesn't have 2 days in a row without dialysis? Hubby does the 3 and 2 schedule so that he doesn't go 2 days without dialysis.

Yes, del.  The doc said two days off a week couldn't be consecutive days.  But, hey, two days off is two days off!  That's our goal now...that and nocturnal home hemo.

[jbeany]

If you need a consistent day off - you do three in row, then a day off, then 2 days in a row.  If your days off don't matter, you can also do 3 days, 1 off, then another 3 days and one off.  If you work that out on the calendar, most weeks end up 5 days, but you get a 6 day week every once in a while.  That's a pretty good routine, too, if you use the pureflow, as it doesn't waste any of the batch.

[del]

Hubby changes his schedule depending on what we are doing.  Sometimes he will do a couple of weeks where he does 2 nights and a night off.  Other times he will do  couple sets of 3 nights on with the night off.  Sometimes he will do 4 nights in a row or just do one night and a night off. In the winter he doesn't like to hook up during a snow storm so that would be a time to change the schedule!!!

[petey]

Hubby changes his schedule depending on what we are doing. Sometimes he will do a couple of weeks where he does 2 nights and a night off. Other times he will do couple sets of 3 nights on with the night off. Sometimes he will do 4 nights in a row or just do one night and a night off. In the winter he doesn't like to hook up during a snow storm so that would be a time to change the schedule!!!

This is probably what we would do (minus the snow storms, of course -- we don't get many of those in southern NC).  Ahhh, the flexibility of home hemo.

[skyedogrocks]

Awesome news Petey.  Rob does 5 does and loves the flexibility that extra day gives him.  Doing home hemo is the way to go, like Marvin, Rob feels soo much better and has way more energy.

[M3Riddler]

You can never have too much dialysis. remember your kidneys work 24 hours a day. Dialysis is only a few hours.  Even though your Kt/V may be aveerage, does not mean your are receiving optimal dialysis. You must look at other labs such as potassium, BUN and phosphorus.
A Kt/V of 2.4 is an average number. Some centers like to see this number in the 3-5 range. Mine is currently 3.8 on NxStage with 3 hour treatments 6 days per week.

There are some slides and other files at www.nxstageusers.com/files that are very useful and describe the difference between, short term, nocturnal, and 3 day dialysis. I believe they also may have some good links in the forum area too.