Help! Back on manual - won't fill

[joyfulmother]

Last night I drained and when I started to fill - I couldn't!  I called my nurse and she suggested capping off and starting over because it might be a defective bag.  I had already done that but did it again.  She suggested trying again and gently squeezing the bag.  If that didn't work to cap off and call her this morning after trying again.  Last night I finally filled after squeezing the bag but it took for.ever.  This morning - won't fill.

I'll call her in a bit - does anyone know what might be the problem?  I had a bit of fibrin during drain but it did drain.  Is there a valve in there that might let fluid out but not in?

[peleroja]

Not to worry.  Had the same problem a couple of years ago.  I went to the clinic and we discovered a big chunk of fibrin.  Once they got that cleared out, they gave me 3 bags with heparin in them and I was good to go.  Although I'm used to the occasional "string" of fibrin, this was a really big chunk.  Let us know how it goes.

[KICKSTART]

I expect its fibrin as well , dont worry easily and painless to fix! Only other thing are you constipated although i would expect that to cause a problem with draining out rather than a fill , also a little tip , the higher you hang your bag of fluid the faster you fill !

[Wattle]

Call your Clinic.

But I suspect it is Fibrin also. Don't worry, it is really easy to fix.   

[joyfulmother]

The pushing on the back must have worked it out.  I think it was Fibrin.  I feel so stupid though.  Yesterday morning I was expecting a problem again and finally after pushing and pushing on the bag nothing happened.  I looked down and the roller clamp was CLOSED.  Doh!

[KICKSTART]

   Not to worry we all make mistakes like that when we first start ! When i first started on manuals i forgot to clamp off at all and sat watching tv while the dialyisate ran straight from one bag into another ..! 

[Restorer]

I bet everyone on PD makes that mistake at least once. I know I have several times.

When I first got my catheter and it wasn't draining, I went in for an x-ray with dye to see where the catheter was. The people working on me weren't especially familiar with PD catheters, and they didn't know exactly how to hook up a syringe to it. They tried what should've worked - screwing the syringe (without a needle) into the end of the catheter, but the dye just wouldn't go in. After 40 minutes, a confused doctor, two confused nurses, and a confused dialysis nurse, I finally realized - no one had unclamped the line! 

[peleroja]

I've been doing this 6 years and still make mistakes.  Once, on the train to Branson I had drained, so I removed the clamp from the top bag and started reading some materials.  A little while later I looked down and thought gee, the bag is really full.  Yup, I had forgotten to clamp off the drain bag, so with much cursing and swearing I opened another bag and finally got my fill.

[Hanify]

I bet everyone on PD makes that mistake at least once. I know I have several times.

When I first got my catheter and it wasn't draining, I went in for an x-ray with dye to see where the catheter was. The people working on me weren't especially familiar with PD catheters, and they didn't know exactly how to hook up a syringe to it. They tried what should've worked - screwing the syringe (without a needle) into the end of the catheter, but the dye just wouldn't go in. After 40 minutes, a confused doctor, two confused nurses, and a confused dialysis nurse, I finally realized - no one had unclamped the line! 

Oh my gosh.  Blinkin' clamps!  Hopefully that couldn't happen over here cos only renal nurses are allowed to touch renal patients' catheters or fistulas.  It's a good rule, but only possible cos there's only one hospital in Wellington that I could go to anyway.

[Restorer]

Well, the doctor that was trying to inject the dye was the same doctor that put in my temporary femoral cath for hemodialysis when I was in the hospital the month before that, so I figure he's certified or something.