A newbies thoughts

[Hopefulheir]

I seem so down all the time not perky after treatments and then want to sleep in between.
Things seem to be piling up on me anymore. I can barely pay bills may have to go bankrupt as co-pays and Dr visits along with gas to and from dialysis are eating us alive.
My body constantly hurts and just yesterday I fell off the back porch hurting my left arm and leg (my right arm has a 5 day old fistula growing). What more can go wrong?
Coming here, I know I am not alone. May peace at the end of the day always be with you folks.

[peleroja]

Yeah, I know what you mean.  Some days you step in it and some days you walk around it.  You never know from one day to the next whether to make plans or not.  If I make plans, I wake up feeling lousy.  So I get sneaky and don't make plans, and all of a sudden (like today) I feel great, so I'm cutting up peppers and steak to make fajitas.  I guess what I'm saying is you just have to trick life!  Hang in there and remember we're always here for you!

[boswife]

Im sorry for your feelings these days.  I know we've been there and seem somehow to come back up.  Im wondering if your getting efficient treatments?  Hubby started out a ball of fire after treatments for the first 5-6 months.  When things started to change for him and he didnt feel so good, we started thinking about doing home D.  Partly for the fact that we didnt like the seperation, and partly because we were hoping for slower treatment.  Well, we now have been home for 9 treatments and he's feeling much better..................and im all worn out..lol  (not really on the 'me' part, just was kinda tough emotionaly for me to get through my fears)  So, mostly, i want to wish you well, and send some happy thoughts.  I have been reading Bible vs to help me through my tough times.. Seems to do the trick for me   Blessings to you

ps... while i was posting this, i saw 'peleroja's' post.... Loved it!!

[KICKSTART]

Welcome to the wonderful rollercoaster ride that is dialysis ! Enjoy the good days (you will have them) Sleep through the bad days if thats what you feel you need to do.

[kitkatz]

It IS a rollercoaster ride.  Take it easy on the days you need to. Look into the NKF funding if you need help with doctor copays or dialysis copays.  There may be help there.

[RightSide]

It IS a rollercoaster ride.  Take it easy on the days you need to. Look into the NKF funding if you need help with doctor copays or dialysis copays.  There may be help there.

Hopefulheir,

I empathize with what you're going thru.  Health insurance doesn't pay for everything, and kidney failure (like any other serious chronic illness) can be a major strain on the household budget.  In America, chronic illness is one of the most frequent causes of personal bankruptcies.

There is an entire section of IHD devoted to insurance issues.  Please check it out.

Dialysis as a rollercoaster ride?  Yes, but there are other analogies.

For my kidney transplant evaluation, I had to go for a psychiatric interview.  The psychiatrist who interviewed me, compared dealing with kidney failure to riding on a surfboard:  You are surfing the Wave of Life; and you have to constantly keep your balance, swaying this way and that, so as not to fall off.  If you do fall off, try to get back on the surfboard and surf some more.

[Gandalf]

My thoughts are so very much with you.  I think unless one has gone through it, no one can understand the enormous trauma of having to adjust ones life to the Big D, and all that it entails.  This forum is truly alive with a community of people who really do know and really do care.  As you can see from the posts, it has become a home to so many of us, both on the good days, and on the not-so-good ones.
 If its any assistance at all, one really does seem to get used to it (well, most of the time anyway!) and to create something of a normal life around it.  For me, the issue has been to not let renal failure become all that I am and do, and to find something beyond that.  have been been able to?  MM sometimes yes, and other times it is REALLY difficult. 
Please take care, and be kind to yourself

[karrye]

My prayers are with you on this.  As we all are on this same rollercoaster, there is the good as well as the bad.  I know all to well the financial strain and it does takes it toll.  Just keep hanging in there and take it one second at a time.   

[Genlando]

In addition to all the good advice that others have given so far, understand that it's going to take some time getting used to dialysis.  Also, you'll gradually start feeling better as your blood gets cleaner.  I don't think that anyone is ever going to say that they LOVE dialysis; however, it should get better before too long.