How I Spend Time Doing Dialysis

[LarryG]

I am not sure how other in centers work but I forgot my headphones for the TV. Our center prevents audio on the televisions and they have disabled the TVs audio. They didn't have any back up head phones and I was s**t out of luck and I was pissed off. I know it was my fault for not checking my bag but I feel like we get punished for not following their rules. Not that it is all that important but it makes time go by faster. Does all in centers do this?

[Riki]

No, in my unit there are a lot of broken remotes, so the tvs volume is used, and some of them, the nurses have to change the channel for the patients.  I don't watch tv when I'm in dialysis, so if I have a working remote, I tend to give it to someone else who likes to watch tv.

I think the reason they're not bothering to fix the broken stuff is because they're building us a new unit in a new wing of the hospital (we're in the basement of a nursing home right now) and it's supposed to be ready for us sometime next year, next spring, I think.  So, since we're getting all new, they're not fixing the old.

[casper2636]

Funny you should ask how I spend my days at D. Well, every day is a new day. At D. I never know what to expect, ....a broken remote, no volume, no picture, only captioned picture that I can't see 'cause I'm blind as a bat. The most interesting is the people! I have the Oyster man who sits across from me...He hacks up Flem like no ones business...and throws the tissues on the floor.Thus the oyster man...Then, we can always watch the mice run across the floor (healthy, fat ones)...the cat...the one that scratches like a cat from head to toe....then the two techs that can't stand each other and fight the whole time we are on. None the less, the insecet water alarms that go off at least once a week telling us that the water is unsterilel for usage. Never a dull moment!!!

[rsudock]

Things I do...surf the web, make phone calls, read books/magazines, play on my nintendo DS, chat on facebook, post on IHD, talk with my tech Michelle, chat with other patients, and now Aaron comes and sits with me on Fridays nights. We talked last week that I was feeling like he didn't support me and this dialysis stuff and he said, "Well what do you need me to do?" and I was like, "Well I know you can't come every time to sit with me but can you come at least on Friday nights and sit with me?'' "of course" he said....guess what he came twice this week! Love my Aaron bear!

[LarryG]

It would seem each Dialysis In Center is different. I wonder if being in an up-scaled neighborhood is different than a poor neighborhood. Are there different rule on what you have and what you can do form center to center. I had better treatment in the hospital. They would dim the lights, tuck you in with warm blankets and even fed you. My center, food is banned, can't cover your face. I mean does every center treat you like a juvenile?

[Riki]

we weren't supposed to have cell phones in the centre when I first started going, but I brought mine anyway.  The rule was bent, mostly for me cuz they knew I was sneaking it in anyway.  If our fluid allows it, we can have a drink. Tea, coffee, juice, or ginger ale is available and they have cookies if we ask.  Some people bring their own.  A friend came in to visit once and she brought me an ice cap from Tim Horton's.  The nurse adjusted my goal so I could have it.  I don't know if there's a picture policy or not.  They know that I like to take "surveillance photos" when I get bored and post them on facebook.  I have a couple of my nurses on facebook, one of them is a neighbor who lives up the street from me.  There's about 10 nurses working there, and they all get along really well.  There are 2, though, who when they're together, they are so funny.  They are really close friends outside of work, and they're able to play off each other.  The patients are the audience in their improv show.  It's hilarious

[Des]

Our unit is actual devided in 3, One small isolation unit for Hep B, One smaller room (the later addition) with 5 beds and then the big unit with 14 beds.

Well lately I have been put in the smaller unit and when I arive my machine is ready (gosh!) My doc arranged this as I told him I will cut time off for every minute that I am put on late. Needless to say this hasn't happened in a while. On time (gosh!) So this just shows it can be done.

So what I really wanted to say is I am relatively alone in my 5 bed unit and I have the lights put on dim (I do D at night) and I watch tv and rest. IT IS FANTASTIC. Now that I have them trained the way I want them, I am getting a transplant. 

So D is getting to be ok. (for now) No one knows how long this is going to last. But here's hoping.

[LarryG]

Des, you have beds not chairs? It sounds like yours is set up as a hospital unit would be. My in center only caters to walk ins and no beds. When I was at the hospital and I walked in I had to wait long periods of time to get a chair because people in the hospital had priority. Was pretty nice there since they pulled curtains and had heated blankets. They did have isolation rooms for people with special needs.

[lola]

Otto watches netfix, he has gotten into documentaries, he also just got himself an IPAD so he plays around with that.

[Riki]

I want an ipad for that very reason.  My unit doesn't have wifi, and I don't see them getting it, so I have to get the more expensive 3g one, and I can't afford it.. so.. I'm not getting one.. *L*

I used to play with my DS when I still had a line, but since I fistula, I can't use both my hands, so that's out.  I mastered texting with one hand on my blackberry, which is cool.  I recently upgraded my pearl to a torch.  My hands are small, and the torch is wider than the pearl, but I practiced, and I do ok with it, even though sometimes I drop it in my lap while typing because of my little hands.. *L*

[nycrtst85]

Beautiful.I draw and paint at dialysis too:)

[Des]

Funny you should ask how I spend my days at D. Well, every day is a new day. At D. I never know what to expect, ....a broken remote, no volume, no picture, only captioned picture that I can't see 'cause I'm blind as a bat. The most interesting is the people! I have the Oyster man who sits across from me...He hacks up Flem like no ones business...and throws the tissues on the floor.Thus the oyster man...Then, we can always watch the mice run across the floor (healthy, fat ones)...the cat...the one that scratches like a cat from head to toe....then the two techs that can't stand each other and fight the whole time we are on. None the less, the insecet water alarms that go off at least once a week telling us that the water is unsterilel for usage. Never a dull moment!!!

Where the heck do you do dialysis? At least our water and our unit is clean. We only have guy snoring the roof off. 

[pdpatty]

Watch tv and nap. Woman on right watches tv without earphones and woman behind does same. I sit in corner(like my place so no switching ) and I hear them both ABOVE my earphones which cover both ears.

Someday I hope to have the courage to ask them if there is a medical reason they can't use earphones.

OH yes,fistula is in right arm and I am totally right handed and am legally blind ,so reading is out.
Wish they would get the music channels. Love 80s rock and classical music.

[Stoday]

We only have a snoring man. 

We only have one too.

Doesn't bother me one iota.

Because it's me! 

[LarryG]

I had a guy who snore so bad I ask the social worker at the unit to move him. I was happy after that because the guy that was moved next to me became a really good friend and we converse every dialysis and it make the time go by really fast.