Back on PD!!!

[carla13]

Hi,

Not been onthe site for about a month, I've been holidaying in the hospital (!)

After three bouts of peritonitis I got put on Haemo, my neckline was in a really bad position and i ended up with a hugely swollen right arm and shoulder (I looked like half a wrestler) through blood clots and DVT.

So... they've put me back on PD!! YAY!!!!

It's so great to be back in charge of my own treatment again. I feel like all choices were taken off me when I was dialysing inhospital 3 times a week. I know PDs not perfect, but I felt so dreadful allthe time on HD - no energy, being sick, not getting any sleep cos of stupid placement of neckline. Now I'm sleeping much better adn starting to get my strength back.

This catheter (my third) seems to be working better than my last one too! Though I have a question, does anyone have lower abdominal pain on their final drain? I'm finding that I'm having to bypass the last drain adn leave a little fluid in because it's too painful to do the full drain. Any one know what might be causing it? I asked my nurse and she didn't know, just wondered if any one else had experienced anything similar?

Anyway it's good to be back at home and on IHD!

xx
carla
xx

[monrein]

Nice to see you back Carla but not so nice that you've been in hospital.   

[willieandwinnie]

Glad your back Carla. 

[Bajanne]

Great to have you back!   And glad that you are having the kind of dialysis you prefer.   I myself only know HD as that is the only option here.

[pelagia]

welcome back Carla. 

[mikey07840]

Hi Carla, and welcome back. I haven't had a problem with abdominal pain with draining, but I think it is because I am numb in most of the area by the catheter. I have a large part of my lower abdomen that has little sensation since I had a radical nephrectomy years ago. Sorry I can't be of more assistance.

[kellyt]

Welcome back, Carla.  I hope you're feeling better.     

[paul.karen]

 

Im new here and gonna be starting PD soon.
I am glad you are back to gettting some rest and happy to be doing your thing at home.

Cant answer your pain question but hopefully here in the future you can help me when i have questions about my PD.

I hope they figure out what is making your stomach hurt.

P&K

[Red from Canada]

Carla,  I have been through pretty much the same thing as you.  My catheter quit in Feb and they had to put  me on hemo with a neck line until PD surgery in July.  My catheter had tissue overgrowth which had to be removed.  Now I'm happily back on PD, but occasionally get the drain pain you speak of.  It is usually just near the end so I put up with it, but if it is severe, you could ask your nurse about putting you on TIDAL for a while.  This leaves a bit of fluid in, so you don't get that drain pinch.  After a while, I went back to full drain and rarely have a problem.  Hope it goes well for you.

[peleroja]

Welcome back to PD and the board, Carla.  I don't actually have "pain" pain on my midday manual drain (I never have any pain on my cycler drains), but I do have a sort of "gentle ache" the more empty I get.  I believe leaving a little fluid in is called tidal something or other.  Anyone else remember the real name? 

[Joe Paul]

Welcome back Carla 

[Ken Shelmerdine]

Welcome back Carla. The dreaded 'Drain Pain' is a problem for many on PD. I think it depends how far the catheter goes down into your abdomen. I don't think the surgeons who carry this out have got it off to a fine art yet in the sense that they can never consistently put the end of the catheter in the same position on every patient. To get full drainage in a lay down position it has to be as low as possible in your abdomen but then it's getting very near to your bladder. The suction then starts pinching at the bladder and this is what causes the pain.

I only had minor discomfort for about two weeks after starting cycler PD but then became pain free. On the other hand I can't get a full drain lay down so I have to have the machine on tidal and do a stand up manual drain in the morning. this leads me to believe that my catheter ends slightly too high in my abdomen but consequently it's far enough away from my bladder not to cause discomfort. I'm no medical expert but it's just a conclusion I've come to reading posts on this forum about PD. I wonder how many of us on PD on this forum get a full drain lay down with no pain and no tidal setting on the machine and how many are on tidal and get no pain. I'll bet the majority who don't get pain are on tidal. 

[george40]

Hello I am new to PD. I had the catheter placed on 10/9. When the pd nurse did the initial flush (with a syringe) I almost lost it on the drain. She has told me that once I begin treatments that the pain (pinch) would be lessened. She said the drain pinch was largely due to me being dry. Also, the catheter has been a little uncomfortable. Yesterday (my second visit), she filled and drained a bag of fluid for the first time, afterward she left a little fluid in my belly and today I do not feel the catheter as much as I did prior to being so dry.

[willieandwinnie]

  George that's good to hear. Hope it gets easier for you.