Anyone feel like talking me 'into' or 'out of' starting NXstage with hubby

[boswife]

you guys crack me up with your somewhat satisfying enjoyment of 'sticking' your partners..lol  I do hope i get ther as well..hehe     
As for all the great pic's of the "set-up's",  whew,  a bit intimidating for sure.  Sort of knocked my excitment down a notch     i do love all the ideas though, just kinda a lot to think about.  At least we do have the room, and easy acces from room to room so we can wheel it away. Im sure glad you guys keep saying "it DOES get easier" cause it sure looks like a whole lot of learning and dooing 
On the other hand, we are going this thursday for the Tour and 'talk' about getting started 

[lillinny]

Hate to say this and jinx myself for sure..........the last two weeks have been fantastic!  Suddenly the needles seem to be sliding into the buttonholes on the first try.........setup time has dropped dramatically..........and alarms have been few and far between and seem to resolve themselves!!!!  So we have come a long way.  (Famous last words..............)

But, do the tour, check it out and let us all know how it went!

[silverhead]

You know you have been Care taking to long when the alarm sounds off and instead of going into super panic mode, you mumble "can't you wait until there is a commercial on?"

[lillinny]

Ain't that the truth!!!  Husband always points out to me that telling the machine to 'shut up' doesn't work!

[boswife]

im hoping this picture shows up...  We were travenling down an unknown road when i saw this and took the pic with my cell phone.. It made me laugh because my first thought was........ Do they do HOME dialysis..lol     yeah, it came through but kinda small........those are all flattend boxes..hehe

[boswife]

and....... No jinx lillinny,  just good work :-)  Im so happy to hear this and cant wait till i *get there*!!!!  Same with Silverhead's comment     I surly hope to join you in your successes 

[jbeany]

Ah, yes, the beautiful showers of sparkly red rubies....just when you are sure you are completely clotted off.

I left the room-sized throw rug that was in the D room with my trailer when I moved.  It didn't go in my new place, as everything big enough was already carpeted anyhow.  So the folks who bought the trailer got it if they wanted it.  It wasn't stained, as I used an awful lot of hydrogen peroxide on it whenever I sprung a leak, so it looked fine.

I just hope they never have a break-in and have to call in the crime scene investigators.  They'll end up being charged with murder, and the cops will be trying to figure out where they hid the body....

[lillinny]

I'm laughing!  Our 'dialysis chair' would light up like a neon sign if the forensics guys looked at it!  Another great night of dialysis with easy sticks!  I'm in heaven.  I think we may have finally gotten there (again, famous last words!). 

I loved the pic of the truck with the boxes.  That is what our garbage truck looks like after they pick up all the flattened empty boxes each week!

[boswife]

yikes!!  sparkliie red rubies? So are ya all saying to get something very washable for a chair/walls/floor?  lol
and im sooo gladd for ya lillinny on your 'sticks' .. What a great feeling!  and so encouraging.  Wish i was ithat far along already!!

but at least....... We went for our class tonight.. sure sounds like it will be a GO for us.  They even told me to have our unit train me to do his button holes so that will be one less thing for me to learn when he's ready.  Though, after talking to her, i feel like i would prefer her to do the training. She's great and she does do that but because  i have to wait for i think 2-3 weeks for an opening, i could still get started with 'training' early..  oh, and i guess  forgot another step in this process.  Telling our Neph..yikes!!  but i wrote him tonight and i dont see a problem there.  The 'center' doc is all for it. 

[jbeany]

I had an oatmeal colored rug and a cream colored corduroy chair, both of which looked just fine when I stopped doing home D - you just need lots of hydrogen peroxide to eat away the blood stains!

[PVUgrad]

From ready all the comments, I guess I had better get the carpet pulled up and laminate put down?
I have learned so MUCh from you guys!

[vcarmody]

I am very happy we have wood floors.  Yes, I have made a few opps like forgetting to clamp after giving him his heprin. All human errors that I have noticed once you do it once your really careful not to do it again. Aww the joy of learning from your mistakes. I think my biggest mistake was when I disconnected the venous line at the end of treatment instead of the arterial and hooked it up to the saline and hit add fluid. By the time I realized my mistake the saline bag already looked like fruit punch with his blood all mixed in with the saline. It took me a minute to realize I mess up. Hopefully I never do that again! Good luck and keep us posted on your training.

[Meinuk]

hahahah on the pic of the boxes. Although I did get some satisfaction on recycling day! Slicing them up and setting them by the curb mean that they were no longer "right there".  That being said, a helpful hint that I got from an IHDer was to stack them to be a side table, then throw a big, pretty scarf over them. 

I do have to admit though, one morning when I was not at work, one of my interns stacked about 20 boxes for an event in my office.  When I got in, it was the first time I ever screamed at an intern. That was when I knew that the boxes had gotten the best of me and I needed to take a step back and look at the big picture.

NB: The intern survived and was perfectly trained for his new job as a police dispatcher... (Ok, maybe he is a lawyer now... but doesn't police dispatcher sound better???)

[boswife]

lol Meinuk, it was YOU that gave me that picture first......in my head..lol  Its one of those..."You know your a caregiver" to a (home) dialysis person when.....you see a truck full of boxes and figure they B doen home dialysis too!!  hehe  This box thing im afraid is going to bug me so gonna have to get that figured out.  What do you do??  Have someone come pick them up or they get sent to the recicle dump??  hum

And,,,i too love our hardwood floors.  Gues they'll be comming in handy but it is great to know that other things can get all cleaned up with a little peroxide..  always learning..

[Meinuk]

Hah! Boxes!!!  I was lucky.  I lived in NYC, and recycling was picked up every Monday.  I just needed to flatten them and put them by the curb.  I wrote a post about recycling on DSEN (it is pretty boring) http://www.billpeckham.com/from_the_sharp_end_of_the/2008/08/home-hemo---tra.html

When I would put out the Pure Pak (water purifier) every 90 days or so, because it looks vaguely like computer equipment (but REALLY HEAVY) people would take it before the garbage men came! I felt sorry for them after they lugged it home when they opened it up and saw that it was just a used water purifier.  (but they do cost $700.00 each!)

I've read that some people list them on Craigslist, and people do come and get them.  If I had lived in Maine (where I grew-up) I would have burned them in the woodstove during the cold months, and had a massive bonfire in the warm months, but that is just me, I am a pyromaniac.

Here is a picture of my attempt at turning a dialysate box into a solar oven while camping.  It failed only because I didn't have glass to trap the heat inside.  It was me being bored in the desert armed with tinfoil, duct tape, dialysate boxes, firewood and a garbage bag. I just wish it had worked.... sigh.

[boswife]

Well  Meinuk, that wasnt boring at all... It all has to be considered when taking this on.. At our class it was good to hear we get ALL the supplies including wipes and those little things that add up.  Right now, it seems sooooo much to take care of much less learn.. Its all worth it though if it keeps hubby around that much longer and feeling good.  Also, very interesting about 'assist' dogs.  (it was on the same page) Im fortunate to be partnered with an assist dog myself (different reasons of course) so i know what greatness they do.  '

[dialysismomma]

Hi there I am a care giver and one of the pain in the ass dialysis techs that works in the clinic. My fiance has done home hemo for a little over a year and he feels a ton better now than when he was in- center. Before he did home he was wipped out and then his body would not (as he calls it) shut down. He could not sleep at night and then the next day he would sleep all day. He had no life he was either sick or sleeping all the time when on in center. Now it is so nice to have the man i love in my bed asleep with me every night. It is nice to have him wake up and be happy and not sick 99% of the time. As I have said many times before I never knew how the patients felt when they went home and now I do. Now I know all aspects of it and as much as I love the job I recommend home hemo do everyone and anyone just because I know how much better my fiance feels. I hope that you look into it and see the freedom it will give your husband. Good Luck. I hope I have helped you and if you have any questions feel free to drop me a line!

[boswife]

thanks a bunch dialysismoma .. You surly are helping.. All the encouragement is welcomed!!  Hubby is well on his way to home D we just have to finish up his buttonholes, and then we start training... Well, actually, we dont get to start till November i think but that will be ok too.. I want to get the 'show on the road' as soon as possible while im still pumped up..  I 'was' very needle shy, but am getting a grip on that so that is a huge step for us... Thanks for your info.. So glad your hubby to be is doing sooooo much better at home.. Makes life good :-)

[donster]

We've been doing NxStage since August. Other than the work that inevitably comes along with doing home hemo, the only downside is her getting used to a 6 day treatment regimen; she was doing 4 in-center. I know my wife has never been more active and engaged with life in any time she's been dialyizing.

[boswife]

im/we're  sure hoping for the same good results donster.  Hubby does feel good most of the time now 'in center' so we sometimes wonder why we're putting this upon ourselfs.......but!!!!!!!!!!!!  I think the long term outcome is better doing at home,and feel that we want to be more in control of this whole thing.  Im really looking forward to getting started.. I think we have to wait till november now which makes me sort of sad because that means different techs in his center will be using his buttonholes and that bugs me..  We've tried to work around it, but it seems that this is the way they do it and their going to stick to it... boo!!! 

[silverhead]

Tell your center that YOU want to do his sticks from now on, Sharon had her Neph write specific orders that I was the only one to do hers, including the hospital and so forth, no one gave us any trouble about it.......

[boswife]

Thank you Silverhead..  Heres where i may not have the leverage "YET".  We are having bo's (hubbys name) buttonholes established right now.  On saturday, he starts with the blunt needles. Now, what's a possible issue is that my center sais they will not train me to canulate him  (though they will train him) as they are not covered for family members ,and, we cant go strait to classes as theirs no opening yet. :-(     I am going to go to the 'training' center and practice on the 'dummy' but no matter what, my center said that EVEN if i was trained elsewhere, they are not covered for "family etc" to canulate.  I even asked that if i get a note (i probably shouldnt have mentioned this to her, just done it dang it) from his neph, would that clear them, and again she said no. I only wanted/needed it for temporary until we could get to class so i would be the only one using it and keeping it safe.  Do you think that i should still try for the Neph aproval or will that be pushing buttons??   I did get to wear the 'tech' coat and face shield today though..but i think thats some new laws that have come out for observers..lol  I was quite proud of myself though, as i have become the 'gofer' coffie, burritos, etc for some of the patients :-) , and now look like i have two jobs..  helper, and tech..lol

[lillinny]

That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard!     I was trained to do hubby's access once the buttonholes were established.  he did not want to do it.  Since we have been home he has done it several times but prefers me doing it.  That is just plain crazy that they won't train you.  Could you offer to sign a release?

[boswife]

I asked about the reliese as well but i think she was on a roll for "NO's"!!! <--- (really i do) Im trying to figure out besides the charge nurse, who would i ask about this.  It sort of boiled down that the 'center' were we're going for training eventually, is the only one cleared to train.. They're happy with my motivation, but between me and them, we dont seem to get our center to budge.  Im so POed but dont know for sure how to handle it diplomaticaly and get what i want.
hum,, just got to thinking... geesh, since it's RAI i should go directly to the head office and see where i get.. dang to late tonight, but on schedule for tomorrow...

[tyefly]

  I also do Nxstage at home..... and do everything my self.....   no problems...... I like doing my 4 hours  when I go to sleep.....  makes the time pass quickly..... I am still working on Nocturnal......     that will help alot....

   lots of good info here....   this site has been a great support for me and a great learning place.......

                   Do what you want  when you want.........  I like life that way....