Dodged a bullet

[Whamo]

   I almost missed my Baxter delivery which would have meant a $400 fine or something.  They just raised the penalties yesterday.  I had to go to the pharmacy, forgot my appointment, and almost missed it.  Dodged a bullet.

[justagirl2325]

Wow, they charge fines?

We had them deliver once (in Canada) as the first order was large but never again since they ask for someone to be home "between 8am and 8pm" - impossible for us so we just pick up at the terminal instead.

On a separate note the delivery driver that first time went on and on about how he'd led a clean life, never drank in excess, never smoked, ate well, blah, blah, blah, and he was confident that he would live a long healthy life, he'd never end up on dialysis.  And he was right about that, not a month went by and we saw his obit in the paper, not sure what happened (likely heart I guess).

[cassandra]

On a separate note the delivery driver that first time went on and on about how he'd led a clean life, never drank in excess, never smoked, ate well, blah, blah, blah, and he was confident that he would live a long healthy life, he'd never end up on dialysis.  And he was right about that, not a month went by and we saw his obit in the paper, not sure what happened (likely heart I guess).

Wow someone actually dared saying that to you?? Unbelievable

And Whamo I'm shocked they would make you pay a fine too. Do they pay you when they make a misstake? Or does that never happen? Cos here that does happen quite a bit. Anyway I'm glad you didn't miss them.

Love, Cas

[Jean]

WOWIE!!!! A fine? That is insane!!

[Charlie B53]

My PD Nurse has told me a number of times that Baxter can charge for making your order late, or making a special order other than a change in your prescription.

Just 6 weeks or so ago Baxter had changed their delivery schedule setting back MY delivery date one week.  While usually not a problem if they are a few days late for weather, etc., I did NOT have enough Icodextrine for that additional week, and my Clinic does not stock Ico.  Either the expense or not that much demand.  Either way, I had to call Baxter and make a 'special' order.  Because this was caused by Baxter they told me there would be no surcharge.

There have been a couple of times over the three years I have been on PD that I noticed my supply of boxes was getting pretty far lop-sided as during the summer I must have been drinking to much and had to use far more Greens then normal.  I called Baxter and told them this, the Lady was very nice and asked me how far off and told me 'No problem, we can send you X number of boxes".  I was thinking these would be added to my next order.

It wasn't long before my PD Nurse called me to ask why I had tried to place a special order.  I told her how lop-sided my stock was and that I thought Baxter was going to add this to my next order.

NO, they took it as a special order and wanted to charge the Clinic the $100 charge.  Nurse canceled the order and told me to make SURE I ONLY made my orders according to the published schedule.

[cassandra]

It's really ridiculous. My HHD nurse had called me too when he realised I used bags quite often (I had told him as I thought it was less of a waste to use spare bags to use with say 1/3 of a batch so I could do 40 liters ISO the 20 liters left in the batch which I than didn't have to drain away and make a new 60 liters bag) consequence was lots of extra blood tests as my K+ kept rising Month on Month.
I only worked out yesterday that my K+ was high (unexplained, no diet change as in extra choclates or crisps or something) because I never used bags anymore (with 1 K) but only batches (with 2 K).
My emergency bloods on Wednesday (I felt so weak) showed a potassium of 7.4 and at last they gave me some Sacks to make 1K batches.
All that hassle because 'they' think to save some money and they don't want you to just use what you know you need. Any form of home D is cheaper than in clinic so I don't know why 'they' have such a problem with self ordering.

[Charlie B53]

I don't know much about Hemo, only from what I have read posted.   I think or sort of understand some use 'saks' and some use a 'pure flow' which if I imagine correctly is a very good water filtration system.

So either, you need to mix proper chemical solutions to run through your dialyser which if I get that correctly is sort of like an exchanger, blood on one side and your chemical mixture on the other, a membrane of sorts in between that hte nasties pass thru and are 'rinsed' away?

I make it sound so simple, but the details are critical, I'm sure.   Potentially scary, until you have you training well instilled.

Flow rates are a whole separate book?

[PrimeTimer]

  I almost missed my Baxter delivery which would have meant a $400 fine or something.  They just raised the penalties yesterday.  I had to go to the pharmacy, forgot my appointment, and almost missed it.  Dodged a bullet.

Holy crap! Did not know they could charge you a fine like that. You'd think they would call 30 minutes ahead of time to reconfirm that you are home to receive supplies. That's what our courier service does when delivering NxStage supplies.

[PrimeTimer]

It's really ridiculous. My HHD nurse had called me too when he realised I used bags quite often (I had told him as I thought it was less of a waste to use spare bags to use with say 1/3 of a batch so I could do 40 liters ISO the 20 liters left in the batch which I than didn't have to drain away and make a new 60 liters bag) consequence was lots of extra blood tests as my K+ kept rising Month on Month.
I only worked out yesterday that my K+ was high (unexplained, no diet change as in extra choclates or crisps or something) because I never used bags anymore (with 1 K) but only batches (with 2 K).
My emergency bloods on Wednesday (I felt so weak) showed a potassium of 7.4 and at last they gave me some Sacks to make 1K batches.
All that hassle because 'they' think to save some money and they don't want you to just use what you know you need. Any form of home D is cheaper than in clinic so I don't know why 'they' have such a problem with self ordering.

So if I'm reading you correctly, if you use some bags with a SAK for your treatments it could mess up your labs?

[Charlie B53]

  I almost missed my Baxter delivery which would have meant a $400 fine or something.  They just raised the penalties yesterday.  I had to go to the pharmacy, forgot my appointment, and almost missed it.  Dodged a bullet.

Holy crap! Did not know they could charge you a fine like that. You'd think they would call 30 minutes ahead of time to reconfirm that you are home to receive supplies. That's what our courier service does when delivering NxStage supplies.

The Baxter Computer calls to remind me the night before, or the Fri evening if it is a Monday delivery and tells me my delivery will be between X and Y o'clock.

Google Earth finally shows our Private gravel drive but didn't always.  Only been here 20 years and the house was about 18 when we bought it.  Driver has a delivery order slightly different from the copy we receive, it lists the directions I first gave them exactly how to get here, every Hwy and road to turn.  Most every driver calls 15 to 20 minutes before he gets here.   I hated it when they were short.  Many of those times I'd come home, or I've been home and the bell would ring, to find UPS had stacked a pile of cases outside the garage door.  PD solution gets heavy fast, especially if you're older and no where near as strong as I used to be.  I've called my Son, he comes over and carries in the cases.   He's a pretty good kid (40 now).

[cassandra]

It's really ridiculous. My HHD nurse had called me too when he realised I used bags quite often (I had told him as I thought it was less of a waste to use spare bags to use with say 1/3 of a batch so I could do 40 liters ISO the 20 liters left in the batch which I than didn't have to drain away and make a new 60 liters bag) consequence was lots of extra blood tests as my K+ kept rising Month on Month.
I only worked out yesterday that my K+ was high (unexplained, no diet change as in extra chocolates or crisps or something) because I never used bags anymore (with 1 K) but only batches (with 2 K).
My emergency bloods on Wednesday (I felt so weak) showed a potassium of 7.4 and at last they gave me some Sacks to make 1K batches.
All that hassle because 'they' think to save some money and they don't want you to just use what you know you need. Any form of home D is cheaper than in clinic so I don't know why 'they' have such a problem with self ordering.

So if I'm reading you correctly, if you use some bags with a SAK for your treatments it could mess up your labs?

No PT I'm sorry to be such a bad explainor sometimes 

No my (lets call them holiday)-bags with a pre mixed dialysate (that's Nxstage System One called) have a potassium of 1K. I was started of on Pureflow (that's where you make your own dialysate with a sak) with 1K too, but my Potassium in my blood became way too low, so my Saks were changed to 2K, but my 'holiday' bags stayed 1K cos I eat more 'naughty' things on holiday, and all went fine.
But all those boxes (9+2 spare (for a 3 day holiday) + the normal Pureflow delivery boxes) were piling up on the landing (our 'storage space' so I started adding bags to 'leftover' pureflow mix after canceling a holiday due to illness f.e. So potassium became mostly 1,5 K what I used, probably at least 1 from the 3,5 sessions a week.
That kept my potassium great. So when that stopped and just stayed 2K, the dialysate kept taking less potassium out of my blood and after 4 Month it was way too high in my blood.
So yes you can mix safely but remember if you use 1K or 2K, and I had forgotten after 3 years mixing and matching that the bags were lower K than the Saks.

 

Love, Cas

[PrimeTimer]

cassandra: Thanks for answering. Hope your potassium is at a better level for you now!   

[cassandra]

Thanks PT yes potassium okay again, now I just have a problem trying to get a prescription for 1K saks and 2K saks as "bags are too uneconomical". I might make up a holiday or 6 extra than.

Love, Cas