How do you get comfortable?

[Bruno]

Fellow sufferers...forget about your fear of needles...don't worry if the sight of blood makes you feel faint...it's not really a problem if the nurse puts in 50 litres to come off instead of 5 and you immediately faint and go into convulsions...nor does it really matter if dialysis bores you witless...no siree!
I talking about the real problem with dialysis...the one we dare not speak of.
And the minor one that seems to follow so much so that I suspect they may be related.
Yes, numb ass is its name and it is too often accompanied by a sore back for this little black duck not to be very suspicious.
Am I the first on this site to have discovered this dialysis problem? Why was it never mentioned to me when they were sweet-talking me into dialysis?
More importantly, what are all you fellow sufferers doing about it?
And don't tell me you are jumping up and exercising or having a good stretch every now and then - because I've tried that and we had to call an Ambulance. And smoking pot is no good (even if you get a medical certificate) because whilst I've been OK my 3 cats have become addicted and now sleep on my machine making it extremely difficult to use.
So help me here, IHD veterans, how do you handle the NA sydrome and the strange SB phenomenon?

[Ken Shelmerdine]

Bruno did I read this right? Your cats are potheads? Did they smoke it or did you putit in their food??

In answer to your question about comfort, you can (in spite of what they might tell you) get out of your chair and step a few paces round as far as your lines wil allow you. Just make sure that if you are needled with a fistula (don't know about a graft so couldn't recomend it) that you don't do any sudden movements with your needled arm.

What you do is get a nurse to turn take your BP and turn  down your pump speed to about 150-200 and get up slowly out of the chair without putting any weight on your fistula arm. I do this anyway because after about 3 hours I have to get up to pee in a bottle. I then just stand up for about 5 minutes, move about a bit. When I get back in my chair I find I feel more comfortable just through having that short break. Hope this helps.

Oh and you could try getting the cats into rehab!!

[greg10]

Fellow sufferers...
Yes, numb ass is its name and it is too often accompanied by a sore back for this little black duck not to be very suspicious.
...
So help me here, IHD veterans, how do you handle the NA sydrome and the strange SB phenomenon?

You aussies sure have a way with words 
Do you have access to the great American invention called the Lazyboy?
http://ihatedialysis.com/forum/index.php?topic=17941.msg312176#msg312176

[jbeany]

I just kept readjusting the angle of the chair back.  The butt still goes numb, but at least the numb spot moves from place to place as you shift angles.  Standing up never worked for me - I either got dizzy or the movement wiggled the needles too much.

[KICKSTART]

Ken you talking about getting up on the unit ?  You must be joking! Its totally unheard of in mine ! I have a really bad neck and asked could i sit in a chair to make me more upright (instead of at a hideous angle that puts all the pressure on my neck to support my head) and was told certainly not, you need to remain on the chair/bed type thing at all times !

[needlephobic]

Ken you talking about getting up on the unit ?  You must be joking! Its totally unheard of in mine ! I have a really bad neck and asked could i sit in a chair to make me more upright (instead of at a hideous angle that puts all the pressure on my neck to support my head) and was told certainly not, you need to remain on the chair/bed type thing at all times !

Who ever said them things were confortable never set in them things long enough I hate them

[KICKSTART]

I totally agree ! We have one bed by a window (nice i know) but it blows a gale through it, everyone tells the staff about it and they just say 'yes it is draughty isnt it' then walk off !

[Phil]

In my unit there are 2 beds and 10 chairs with adjustable everything.....I'm on the bed.... A few weeks ago I did a session with the chair.....and the chair is WAY more comfortable than the bed in my opinion!

[sullidog]

We're suppose to get new charirs tmorrow, one thing that bothers me is when they stick you were you have a lot of scar tissue, god that hurts!

[RichardMEL]

wow that SO explains kitty's expression in the pic!!! 

Yeah, the chairs are SO uncomfortable.. though the worst part is the current batch we use (a couple of years old) are lightyears ahead of what they had when I started.. omg those things were like grey torture devices!!

I have found I just max up on pillows. I have a pillow for my backside, and a pillow for my back and most times I am OK. I have to shift positions during the 5 hour sessions, but in general apart from major relief to stand up when I get off the machine I don't feel any major back pain or other problems.

Of course having written this tomorrow I'll probably have a shocker, and I'll know to blame the pothead kitty!

[Riki]

I just shift positions a lot. The chairs we have, have a head rest on the back of them that I have to get the nurses to removed, because I'm too short to benefit from it, and it actually causes neck pain.  My legs get sore too, so I move them around a lot.  I am forever moving the foot rest up so I can push myself up in the chair.  Getting up at the end of the run always feels good, with the full body stretch, and pulling my underwear out of my butt crack.  I"m told that I'm not the only one who does that.

[Bruno]

Thanks everyone...it's nice to know that I'm not paranoid and there are other numb ass sufferers out there...even a numb neck pioneer.
You'll all be happy to know I've solved the problem with the cats...yep, I've given up the pot and found whisky. The cats don't mind it but they won't help with the needles anymore.
I'm not sure I want to try a lazy boy...although it has been legalised in Australia I don't think it's been made compulsory yet?

[Ken Shelmerdine]

Ken you talking about getting up on the unit ?  You must be joking! Its totally unheard of in mine ! I have a really bad neck and asked could i sit in a chair to make me more upright (instead of at a hideous angle that puts all the pressure on my neck to support my head) and was told certainly not, you need to remain on the chair/bed type thing at all times !

Maybe it's because I'm the only one on the unit who can't go more than 3 hours without a pee. My BP stays round about the same whether on or off dialysis so i don't feel dizzy if I stand up. Although I did have to insist in the first place because like you Kickstart I call my own shots. (No pun intended ) There' no way I'm going to try peeing in one of those plastic bottles while lying down.

[Stoday]

Getting up at the end of the run always feels good, with the full body stretch, and pulling my underwear out of my butt crack.  I"m told that I'm not the only one who does that.

Think yourself lucky you're not a bloke. It's a ballsache when your dangly bits don't stay where they are supposed to be. 

[Mandyjane]

This is a great topic 

How many pillows do you guys take to dialysis? I'm up to three with my grandma now, but her tush still hurts after a couple hours.  I've tried regular pillows, and fancy wheelchair cushions, but her butt's still numb by the end of the day. 

Jeesh... I just Googled "dialysis chair cushion" and some of those things are really expensive! I bet they're not worth what they cost either. 

[kitkatz]

I found the egg crate mattress pads worked well on a dialysis chair.

[Stoday]

I googled "Pressure relief cushion" which threw up lots of cushions from affordable to sky high prices. Price depended to an extent on type, such as gel, foam etc.

Does anyone use a PR cushion and if so what type?

[KICKSTART]

No i just have a fat ass ! 

[billmoria]

I sit straight back with my feet on the foot rest. This allows me to control cramping. It does give me the numb ass!!!!! I try to shift positions on the chair.
Actually I find the best thing is to keep busy. I use my computer or my kindle and TRY NOT TO LOOK AT CLOCK!

[murf]

I used to use a lamb woolen throw over. It did help. Took ages to find the 'right' pillow.

[Riki]

I don't use any pillows, except for the one under my arm.. and sometimes I don't even bother with a blanket.. but others in the unit sit on pillows and have blankets behind their heads.. one lady takes in a neck pillow with her.  We have a couple of cushions, but I never use them.  The youngest in the unit uses it, though.. that could be because of her size, though.  Due to her various health issues, she never really grew much.  She's not a whole lot more than 3ft tall.

[Des]

Lately I take a "travel pillow" with. The one you use on a plane (U-shaped) This is very comfortable. At least when I fall asleep at least I won't be snoring.   

[casper2636]

I find it hard to get comfortable too, but I bend my knees and use the foot rest. The thing that bothers me the most is that my underwear ALWAYS gives me this massive wedgie! And there is only so much room to keep pulling it out...One handed!!

[Riki]

One thing about D.. you learn to do a lot of things one handed.  I've learned to untangle my earphones, text, and unwrap candies with one hand.  I'm actually quite proud of myself. *L*

[billmoria]

You are so right Riki - I had a friend who played golf with one hand. I marveled at the time but after trying to read in dialysis with one hand  (solved with kindle) I now understand how fantastic he was doing everything in everyday life. 

Now, Casper  - I know you are a female - so I don't know if this would work for you but:  The only way to go is commando!      I wear a track suit bottom and it is much more comfortable.