Randy's 1st day on dialysis

[annabanana]

Randy was scheduled to have his fistula surgery this morning but his potassium was too high. So he got a catheter put in and had his 1st dialysis session this afternoon. He has to have another session tomorrow in the hopes that his potassium will be low enough to do the surgery for fistula on Thursday. They're keeping him in the hospital.

I asked him about dialysis and he said he didn't feel anything, or feel lightheaded, etc. but that he had a bad headache. And he was in a HORRIBLE mood! 

His bloodsugar levels are like a rollercoaster. Something new to think about now...

He does not have any questions yet but I know he will.

Anna

[jbeany]

I never found that the dialysis itself affected my blood sugar, but the stress of a bad day of dialysis certainly did!  Blood sugar swings make me grumpy, too.
Hope it gets easier for him.

[Sunny]

Yay!
I am so glad he decided to begin dialysis. I'm hoping he will start feeling better soon and feel like there is a good future for him.

[paris]

Anna,so glad to hear he took that big step.  Hopefully dialysis will help everything and will improve his moods too.   I'll keep praying that all goes well for him   ---   and you!

[Mimi]

Glad to hear he decided to try it.  Hopefully things will smooth out for him and he will
be all right.  My prayers are with you both.

Love, Mimi

[Ang]

yah  for  randy


the  first  step   is  the  hardest


I  / WE  WANT  RANDY

[boxman55]

Thanks for being there for Randy. I am sure it means a lot to him...Boxman

[thegrammalady]

hope he soon finds he's feeling better.

[monrein]

A big step forward for Randy and we welcome him here if he ever wants to come on board.  It'll take time to adjust and the headaches are the worst part for me too. 
   This is for you Anna, and so is this 

[aharris2]

We have seen the blood sugar variation while on dialysis. We were visiting a clinic several years ago and the prescription was missing something (glucose in the dialysate solution, I believe - the ingredient used to be listed on the rounding report from his regular clinic, but I no longer see it listed.) We were at the unit for three weeks and had to monitor blood sugar and snack throughout the treatment.

It sounds so stupid (they must know what they're doing, right?), but we all know better. Make sure they know that Randy is diabetic and ask if they add anything to the dialysate for diabetics and is it included in his. Additionally, on dialysis mornings we are very conservative with the insulin amounts Rolando gets with his breakfast prior to dialysis and he always has a "juice box" with him just in case.

Best wishes to you and Randy.

[Roxanne610]

Hello,,,

Grumpy we can relate to that,,, my dad is so grouchy, just give him one little thing to pick on my mother or me....   I drive them to the doctors all the time and omg,,,,when he gets out of the car I wanna run the nearest bar cause my nerves are shot....

Im sure if we were in there shoes we would be too,,,its a disgusting disease for the people that have to go through it.  I read also that kidney disease causes depression and mood swings..My mom says when he takes the marinol (synthetic marijuana) pill form to help his appetite HE IS A DIFFERENT PERSON, and that she was going to get 30 refills...lol

[mcjane]

Randy will adjust, takes time. I'm glad he's started.   

[pelagia]

A big day for both of you, I'm sure.  Hang in there Anna. I hope Randy decides to visit IHD.  Maybe he'd be happy just lurking for a bit. 

[Run8]

Thanks for being there for Randy Anna. As you are going though this also I hope he is for you.I don't know what i would do without my wife, yeah i do, so i give her an extra 5 bucks to stay around. Pretty soon he will be the training the techs.

[Run8]

 

[RichardMEL]

Well Anna so begins a new chapter for you and Randy. I hope a good one (for Randy) well good as in positive (oh you know what I mean). That he didn't feel anything much with dialysis is actually good. I mean most sessions I don't feel anything other than boredom and the annoyance of keeping my arm still for the 5 hours (I bet Randy will love that part of it.. NOT!). Still it's good to get him used to what the deal is now with the Cath.. it won't be that much of a stretch to get to regular dialysis (and remember that even after the fistula is created it won't be used for 4-6 weeks anyway - it needs time to mature to be useable) so he'll be on the catheter for awhile yet either way.

I certainly hope he sticks with it and remember it will take TIME for him to notice any positive effects - you must tell him to not expect miracles or for him to suddenly feel like jumping up and down and doing that banana dance, because it just doesn't work that way unfortunately. Hopefully in a few weeks though he will feel something that he can tell within himself he is doing better. Of course it also depends on how he manages himself when out of hospital - as in the drinking and that side of things. I'm sure the chat with the dietician will be fun (NOT!) though I wouldn't mind being a fly on that wall....

Anyway best of luck to you both as this progresses...

 

[Lori1851]

Glad to hear his first session went well. I pray it continues that way. About the grumpy part Oh Yeah I know that to well . Dustin had good and bad days at dialysis. We got to go in for his first dialysis treatment. The tech Daren was a sweet guy. Dustin and him became friends and he would even come see Dustin when he was at his hospital. I can relate on wanting to run to the nearest bar! I always told Dustin even though I was not on dialysis I felt every fear and pain he had. Guess that was a mom thing

Lori/Indiana

[kitkatz]

Grumpy is my new name before a dialysis run on Mondays.   I used to be the same way almost every day grumpy and tired, but nocturnal has erased a lot of that out of me.

[annabanana]

Yesterday Randy had his 2nd session in dialysis at the hospital. I really think it's making a big difference in the way he feels in general, even though he's still very grumpy. Wish I could get my hands on those pills Roxanne was talking about! (Not for me... )

His surgery went well and he's being released tomorrow after dialysis. His neph set him up with a dialysis clinic close by and I talked with the social worker there who seemed very nice and knowledgable.

aharris, Randy is not a diabetic, even though the nurse thought he was. Blood sugar went down to 20 after surgery and dialysis then he ate and it went too high. Dropped a little again after today's surgery but levelled off. I think the juice box is a good idea regardless.

Richard, thank you for the good info, as usual. You are very good at that. And, yes, the conversation with the dietician should be quite interesting!

Well, I'm off to the bar...

[Roxanne610]

I can relate OMG...lol get him Marinol it also helps with there appetite....My dad is a different person on them,,,he talks and is a little more upbeat,,, Honestly it should be legal to prescribe them to caregivers too   Im sure we would be the same way if it was us how could you not, it is such a DISGUSTING DISEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  The other day my trucks battery was dead in front of my parents house so they were going to pave the road and I had to get the truck out of there,,,WELL when I walked in to the house he was flipping (give him a reason omg and he vents it all out)....he said you know your just F***ed up, you F*** everything up, I said Dad its not my fault the cars battery is dead, I couldnt get it fixed till today,,he said ahhhhhhhhhhh you just F*** everything up..I just walked out of the house, to just stay away from him...20 minutes later he was different...So I know!!!!