Tomorrow's the big day

[2_DallasCowboys]

Hi, P. Bear!!!

Just wanted to let ya know
I have been thinking of you, and do hope
your first day on D went smoothly.

Sure hope you are feeling OK!!

Anne

[paddbear0000]

My first day was fairly uneventful. I did start out this morning nauseous though. As soon as I got there, they weighed me (55kg) then took my temp. As soon as I settled in the chair, they made my husband leave, which kind of suked, but he would have been so bored. The clinic is really nice, but like i said, it's in a well funded hospital. I have mixed feelings about having to leave in a month though. It is nice, with the tv, chair and all (and it was nice and warm!), but the way the chairs are seperated, you can't see anyone and it's lonely! Also, the no drink or food sucks too! My neph was supposed to make it to the hospital clinic during my shift after seeing patients at one of his offices, but he never made it. The nurse did get to take a look at my arm and said it looked a little red and felt a little warm. She said to keep an eye on it and they'll check it again Thursday. She's not overly worried yet because I do not have a temperature. It sure does hurt like a b**** though!!!    And it's rock hard, but people keep telling me that's normal. Okay.

I only had to do a 2 hour run at a slow speed today and very little fluid was taken off so that I can be eased in to dialysis. I will go 3 hours normally. My speed was originally set at 290, but it was making me very shaky and made my heart pound really hard, so the nurse cut it back to 250. My orders said no fluid removal, but since I have started retaining fluid since I saw the doctor, she took 1/2 a liter off. I see a little difference in my hand, but not a lot. The nurses were very good about telling me exactly what they were doing and I was busy asking questions too. I should have asked about the wi-fi sooner, but the thought didn't even cross my mind until I was already hooked up, so I didn't get to plug my laptop in. I only had about 10 minutes before the battery drained. So I spent most of my time watching tv.

Besides my computer, I had brought some puzzle books, a notepad, a book, warm socks and my warm, fleece blanket. I just became more and more tired as the session went along to read anything, but I did use the computer for those 10 minutes! I didn't bother to take my shoes off since I wasn't there that long, but the blanket was nice and cozy! I felt weird dragging in this big bag of stuff when the other patients were all being wheeled in in hospital beds with nothing else. After it was over, I was downe to 54.5 kg and I was extremely tired and exhausted (still am), still a little shaky, my heart was still beating hard, I felt a little lightheaded for a few minutes, and I've got a wierd taste in my mouth that appeared about half way though treatment. What is that all about? It's not horrible, but it's not pleasant either. I haven't gotten that metallic or ammonia taste yet, just stuff tasting different.

After figuring out the kilograms to pounds conversation, I just realized how much weight I've gained back in the last week after losing those 11 pounds over the last 3 months--all of it! Yikes!

[TynyWonder]

Oh Paddlebear!   I guess I read your last post wrong...........I thought when you talked about the clinic and the internet access and no food and drink and all that, I thought THAT was your first day.............sorry I misunderstood!      Anyways, just hang in there, it will get better or well, maybe not "better" but you will get use to the routine...............

[monrein]

I'm glad your first day went pretty well.  The unit sounds nice as do the nurses and that's a big bonus at the beginning.  I often feel washed out after a session and sometimes have a headache because it's not always easy to get the dry weight exactly right.   I hope the unit you go to eventually will also be OK and maybe they will allow a small snack.  It's probably wise not to eat much if anything in the beginning anyway as it'll take some time to figure out how you respond to everything. 

[paddbear0000]

I've been very tired, but that wasn't unexpected. The one thing that I didn't expect was this horrible heartburn that started shortly after. And I hadn't even eaten anything. I keep taking stuff for it, otherwise it just comes back.

[Chris]

I didn't have that happen, maybe other have had that hapen. But bring it up with the nurse and doctor if he comes in on time Thursday.
Hope you have a good day tomorrow.

[monrein]

Could it have any connection to what you ate before D or to not eating enough in the day so that you might have had too much acid in your stomach?  Coffee and colas are the two things that occasionally give me heartburn but it isn't something that I deal with very much at all so I'm afraid I can't be much help.

[paddbear0000]

I didn't eat anything before dialysis and the only things I had for the rest of the day were water, jello, and a bland, 6 inch sub from subway. And the sub was eaten long after the heartburn started. I'm hoping my neph will show up during my session tomorrow.

[silverhead]

Sharon never had any heartburn problems until she started on Dialysis, the Neph prescribed  Prilosec and it has controlled it quite well ever since. By the way, I get the Generic to it - Omeprazole, at Costco for $17.99 for 6 weeks supply......

[Wattle]

 

Hugs Paddbear.

I had a funny taste long before I started dialysis. It still comes and goes. Because I am on PD I can't give you any advise on Haemo, except to say I know you will start to feel better. Give your body a chance to adjust.

[Dan.Larrabee]

I thought funny taste comes with the Kidney failure.  My neph also prescribed Prilosec and it helped.

[Bajanne]

I am glad you made it through!  Your body will soon get accustomed to it all.  when I first started, I would just go home, lie down and stay there until the next morning.  I had no energy, no will to do anything.   Now, I leave from dialysis and go straight to tutoring, feeling quite fine.  In the early days, I didn't even drive myself to and from D.  Now that is no problem at all.
You just keep on keeping on!

[Chris]

Looked at my old med sheet and I too was on Prilosec while on dialysis. After transplant though I was switched to Ranitidine  (Zantac). Some transplant center will keep you on Prilosec though due to the efects of the anti-rejection meds on the stomach.

[Joe Paul]

Glad your first day went OK. I remember my first taste of saline, but the iron they give by far is the worst taste of all.

[deafman]

Hopefully everything went well for you.

Thinking of you mate.

 

[Tinah1968]

Hoping that today goes better for you.... 

[Lucinda]

Sorry I haven't been around to give you more support Paddbear.  Seems I am in a similar position to you at the moment and I am starting dialysis as soon as I can get a spot in training.  Definitely left it too long to get going but have to live with that decision now and just get on top of it.  I hope the effects of your treatments settle really soon and the treatment starts to make you feel a lot better.  By all accounts it takes a few months to settle into a routine and then you start to feel better.  I don't think it helps that we were both feeling pretty hideous before starting But you can look forward to feeling a lot better soon.  I hope I don't have to wait too long to start my training. Love to you and hope you start feeling better really soon. xx

[thegrammalady]

things will get better as you go along, but it doesn't happen overnight. after 3 years i still have days where all i want to do is sleep and nights where i can't. the interesting tv stops at 2am. i'm hoping my adjustment to nocturnal won't take too long. please know that we all care.

[kitkatz]

I am on Pepcid-AC prescription strength for heart burn.

[pelagia]

Hey PB, hope it goes well today. 

[Sluff]

Same sentiments here paddygirl.

[aharris2]

Same sediments here paddygirl.

WTF!!?? are you trying to be funny there you sluffaroski??   

your pal 

Rolando

[Chris]

Hope Saturday goes well for you paddbear.

[Sluff]

Same sediments here paddygirl.

WTF!!?? are you trying to be funny there you sluffaroski??   

your pal 

Rolando

  misspelled, spell check didn't catch it because sediments is a word also..

[monrein]

Sediments works well too though because we all do have the same cocktail of sludge settling down in us waiting to be removed by D.