My First Dialysis Session

[Bajanne]

First of all, I have to explain that I live in a tiny flyspeck Caribbean island.  It seems that our interactions therefore are much different from those of you in large countries with humongous centres. 
I reached 20 mins late for my first session and expected some kind of negative reaction.  Not at all, I was welcomed and taken care of professionally and yet in a very personal and genuine way.There are only about 7 machines in the Hemodialysis unit of the hospital in this country.  One good thing is that the new centre was opened just last year and the machines are new and sparkling.
What was a bit surreal was seeing my blood just leaving my body like that and doing this loop who-knows-where.  I starting wondering what would happen if a terrorist ran in while I was being dialysed and said 'cut all those tubes' [Terrorists are unlikely in a country where you can still leave your house and car unlocked, sometimes with the key in the lock, but that machine situation plays with your imagination!]
I told the nurses who dealt with me about IHATEDIALYSIS.com and showed one of them the advice that you guys gave me.  She was very impressed and promises to visit the board.  I also told the guy at the next machine about it.
The whole thing went very well.  I took a neck pillow I have which helps me to sleep in chairs and I slept through most of the 3 hours.   I had no kind of cramp or dizzy feeling.  The only problem was that I had not taken my blood pressure medication before I went and I started and ended with a fairly high blood pressure.  They were going to keep me for a little while, but I told them that my BP is usually quite high.
When I was leaving, I made the nurses laugh because I told them that they had not given me anything to make an interesting account of my first dialysis session.  [Hope it stays that way!! ]

[Epoman]

First of all, I have to explain that I live in a tiny flyspeck Caribbean island.  It seems that our interactions therefore are much different from those of you in large countries with humongous centres. 
I reached 20 mins late for my first session and expected some kind of negative reaction.  Not at all, I was welcomed and taken care of professionally and yet in a very personal and genuine way.There are only about 7 machines in the Hemodialysis unit of the hospital in this country.  One good thing is that the new centre was opened just last year and the machines are new and sparkling.
What was a bit surreal was seeing my blood just leaving my body like that and doing this loop who-knows-where.  I starting wondering what would happen if a terrorist ran in while I was being dialysed and said 'cut all those tubes' [Terrorists are unlikely in a country where you can still leave your house and car unlocked, sometimes with the key in the lock, but that machine situation plays with your imagination!]
I told the nurses who dealt with me about IHATEDIALYSIS.com and showed one of them the advice that you guys gave me.  She was very impressed and promises to visit the board.  I also told the guy at the next machine about it.
The whole thing went very well.  I took a neck pillow I have which helps me to sleep in chairs and I slept through most of the 3 hours.   I had no kind of cramp or dizzy feeling.  The only problem was that I had not taken my blood pressure medication before I went and I started and ended with a fairly high blood pressure.  They were going to keep me for a little while, but I told them that my BP is usually quite high.
When I was leaving, I made the nurses laugh because I told them that they had not given me anything to make an interesting account of my first dialysis session.  [Hope it stays that way!! ]

Awesome I told you everything would be OK! Yeah I remember first seeing my blood leave my body for the first time it is surreal, but remember only about a cup worth of blood is outside your body at once. Also you mentioned about terrorists or in fact for that matter any kind of disaster, ask them to show you how to "cut and clamp" yourself just in case you do need to leave in a hurry. With cut and clamp you would clamp your lines (each) in two places and cut in the middle, between the 2 clamps AFTER you returned your blood manually (if there's time) Ask them, they will explain it to you if they don't I will add a picture to this site describing the "cut and clamp" procedure.
But anyway I'm glad everything went well and it is always nice to sleep through dialysis the time really flies. Thank you very much for spreading the word about this site. I even have the "Got Dialysis" license plate holder for my car (see our online store, I make NO profit.) to help advertise.
It is nicer when the dialysis unit is small. At my center there are a lot of patients, and things can get hectic.
Have you been exercising?

[LifeOnHold]

Glad it went well!

Don't worry-- if you're on dialysis long enough, you'll have lots of interesting stuff to tell us!

[Rerun]

The "clamp and cut" is good to know.  We had a dialysis unit burn down about 2 months ago.  The Nurses and Techs smelled smoke for about 2 hours but no one called the Fire Department.  DAH!      Everyone got out thank goodness!

[Bajanne]

Although I didn't have any cramping, a few hours later, I was feeling a little hint of cramping in my leg.  It didn't last.  I know that I was given advice which would work if I had cramping during the session or if I have someone with me.  But what I want to know is, how do you deal with cramping if you are at home, on your own?
Please also, give the information about 'cut and clamp'.

[Epoman]

Although I didn't have any cramping, a few hours later, I was feeling a little hint of cramping in my leg.  It didn't last.  I know that I was given advice which would work if I had cramping during the session or if I have someone with me.  But what I want to know is, how do you deal with cramping if you are at home, on your own?
Please also, give the information about 'cut and clamp'.

You really shouldn't be cramping at home. The reason for cramping is because they are removing fluid from you and sometimes if too much is removed it will cause you to cramp. As long as you watch your "Dry Weight" you will be fine start off slow, watch your fluid intake until you know how much fluid you can tolerate them removing. Then you can drink more. For example in my case I have them remove usually around 6-8 pounds of fluid, sometimes even 8-10 pounds but I drink alot of fluids.

But in the situation that you do cramp at home the best thing is to eat something HIGH in sodium and in liquid form for example "Chicken Broth" you can buy those little cubes you drop in hot water, stir and drink, that is REALLY high in sodium. If fact the center you go to will most likely have those cubes to give you in case your blood pressure gets too low from them removing too much fluid. Another thing you can do is buy a massager to help massage your area of cramping or if the cramping is in your legs get up and walk around briskly if you can. If you cannot walk because the pain is too great, lay flat in a bed with your legs as elevated as you can. Put several pillows underneath your legs so that your feet are way above your head. The cramp should subside shortly.

Once your body is used to dialysis you should not get cramps unless they are removing to much fluid from you during dialysis. That is why it is very important to have them turn off the U.F. (the Ultra Filtration, what they call it when they are removing excess fluids from your body.) if you start feeling nauseous or your blood pressure gets too low.

[Bajanne]

Sorry, I should have explained up front that I used to have cramps in my legs even before I started dialysis.  Once they were so bad, and in both legs, that my 16 year old daughter at the time with no driver's licence, had to drive me to the hospital which was, thankfully, quite near to where we lived. I was hospitalised for a while (it was deep vein thrombosis). So the little one I felt might have been that.  I was just hoping for a fast solution.
Thanks for your advice.

By the way, I had my second dialysis and this time I drove myself to and fro (to the consternation of friends and family). I don't feel bad at all.  I just feel lethargic, like I just want to lie down and do absolutely NOTHING>

[Epoman]

Sorry, I should have explained up front that I used to have cramps in my legs even before I started dialysis.  Once they were so bad, and in both legs, that my 16 year old daughter at the time with no driver's licence, had to drive me to the hospital which was, thankfully, quite near to where we lived. I was hospitalised for a while (it was deep vein thrombosis). So the little one I felt might have been that.  I was just hoping for a fast solution.
Thanks for your advice.

By the way, I had my second dialysis and this time I drove myself to and fro (to the consternation of friends and family). I don't feel bad at all.  I just feel lethargic, like I just want to lie down and do absolutely NOTHING>

You drove yourself? good for you. Many people drive themselves. As long as your pressure is fine when you leave and you feel well then don't worry what you friends and family say.

[Bajanne]

Some questions from a Newbie.
From some things mentioned in various posts, I am getting the impression that dialysis patients don't pee.   Does this always happen?  At what point does it happen?  So what happens to your bladder when it is no longer being used?
What about bowel movements?  Will I see any difference in them?  Before my renal failure was diagnosed, I was an extremely regular person.  I 'number twoed' about as much as I 'number oned'.  In the hospital and after taking much medication, I became very irregular (don't want to go into the unpleasant details).  Now that some of the medication has been changed, I am going back to my regularity.  Does dialysis do anything with this function?
I thought a fistula and a graft were the same thing.  What is the difference?
I am off to St.Thomas (US Virgin Islands) tomorrow to have the surgeon fix my fistula/graft.  I am a bit apprehensive.  I am hoping that it is not in anyway painful. That means that on Tuesday Wednesday I will have dialysis back to back again.
[By the way, I noticed that a member's name was Fresenius something RN.  I thought it looked familiar.  Then on Friday, I saw that my dialysis machine is a Fresenius 20008K!]

[Rerun]

I have an excellent link to a site that explains the difference between a fistula and a graft.

http://www.vascularweb.org/_CONTRIBUTION_PAGES/Patient_Information/NorthPoint/Dialysis_Access.html

Just copy and paste this in your internet address block. 

I have a transplanted kidney that is over 17 years old and bless it's little heart (figure of speech) it is still producing "some" urine.  This gives me a little more leeway in my fluid intake for now.  They say this will diminish and quit.  I remember before my transplant 20 years ago, my urine output was very little.  When I got my transplant I was Peeing up a storm.  I had a catheter bag for a few days, but when they took that out, I was going pee every 30 minutes and then things got normal.  So, I think your bladder does shrink from non use.

As far as bowel movements?  I've never been regular in my life!  This one poor lady in the center is regular........ every dialysis session.
Oh, OH, I'm not making fun of her.  See, when I make fun of someone... by GOD it happens to me!   

 

[Bajanne]

Thanks, Rerun.
Again you guys are actually making me laugh like crazy!