A solution for being cold in treatments/cold hands

[raina]

A now-deceased fellow patient told me about this and hooked me up with my first fix and its really helped me.  I used to be really, really cold during treatments, especailly my hands, and quite miserable. 

They have these hand-warmers you can buy during the winter at 711 and Walgreens.  They are 2 for 99c.  In the winter you can only get them at outdoor stores and they jack up the price to 2/2.50 (for the exact same thing!)  If you really like them you can do like I did and get a case of 240 pairs for $156.  http://industrialsavings.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=1100-10R_CASE

Anywhoo they work on some kind of a chemical reaction when they are exposed to air and shaken lightly and get warm in about 15 minutes, REALLY warm in about a half hour.  They last for 6-10 hours.  Because they get allittle too hot sometimes I like to put them between small and large gloves.  My hands haven't turned blue since.  Sometimes if the rest of me is cold I throw one in my blankets.

I don't see why the centers don't buy these for us, I can get them wholesale for $0.31 so they can get them much cheaper than running to get gloves full of warm water. 

A few words of caution.. it says not to use them if you are diabetic.  I think this is because they can get a bit too hot and burn you, I have two permanent scars on my wrist from tying them to bone spurs.  It also says not to use them anywhere portable oxygen is used.. I didn't read this until I'd been using them in dialysis (with a half dozen people on oxygen) and have not yet, myself, caused any explosions.

Thats prolly why the centers wont buy them, laibility. 

Anywhoo I hope this helps someone.  It sure helped me!

[Sluff]

Yes they do get warm and may be a great solution. I'm glad you haven't blown up your center yet.

[angela515]

Homemade rice bags work too... and every dialysis center I been too, has a microwave, so they can easily throw it in for a few minutes when it needs reheating. They stay warm awhile, and feel good. 

[Zach]

These sound like great ideas.
 

[BigSky]

The only problem I have with cold is once in a while is my fistula hand gets cold, (steal syndrome).  Usually I just loop the  blood lines through that hand and hold them and that seems to work.

[Rerun]

Raina you said they last 6 to 10 hours.  If you are on first shift you could pass them on to someone and them to someone.   
Recycle, Recycle, Recycle.

When I cut off an arm of a sweatshirt that I plan on wearing to dialysis, I keep the sleeve to put over my lower arm to keep warm.  My fistula is in my upper left arm.

[Joe Paul]

Raina you said they last 6 to 10 hours.  If you are on first shift you could pass them on to someone and them to someone.   
Recycle, Recycle, Recycle.

When I cut off an arm of a sweatshirt that I plan on wearing to dialysis, I keep the sleeve to put over my lower arm to keep warm.  My fistula is in my upper left arm.

Ill be the stupid tech here...."We cannot reuse ANYTHING here in this unit, unless its been sterilized". Maybe put it in a baggie.

[raina]

The reaction that causes the heat needs oxygen. 

The staff in my unit have never had a problem with me handing them off.. they've actually helped when I was almost ready to get off the machine and needed my heat pack delivered across the aisle to someone shivering on the other side.

I have steele's syndrome too.  The heat encourages circulation and helps alot.

[goofynina]

Homemade rice bags work too... and every dialysis center I been too, has a microwave, so they can easily throw it in for a few minutes when it needs reheating. They stay warm awhile, and feel good. 

Hmmm, i wonder how a warm tortilla would be with that warmed rice bag?  lol, sorry, havent had dinner lunch yet    but a tortilla would be warm wouldnt it (just keepin' it on topic folks) 

[kitkatz]

Now just what do I ask for and where do I get these warm heat thingys?

[goofynina]

A now-deceased fellow patient told me about this and hooked me up with my first fix and its really helped me.  I used to be really, really cold during treatments, especailly my hands, and quite miserable. 

They have these hand-warmers you can buy during the winter at 711 and Walgreens.  They are 2 for 99c.  In the winter you can only get them at outdoor stores and they jack up the price to 2/2.50 (for the exact same thing!)  If you really like them you can do like I did and get a case of 240 pairs for $156.  http://industrialsavings.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=1100-10R_CASE

Anywhoo they work on some kind of a chemical reaction when they are exposed to air and shaken lightly and get warm in about 15 minutes, REALLY warm in about a half hour.  They last for 6-10 hours.  Because they get allittle too hot sometimes I like to put them between small and large gloves.  My hands haven't turned blue since.  Sometimes if the rest of me is cold I throw one in my blankets.

I don't see why the centers don't buy these for us, I can get them wholesale for $0.31 so they can get them much cheaper than running to get gloves full of warm water. 

A few words of caution.. it says not to use them if you are diabetic.  I think this is because they can get a bit too hot and burn you, I have two permanent scars on my wrist from tying them to bone spurs.  It also says not to use them anywhere portable oxygen is used.. I didn't read this until I'd been using them in dialysis (with a half dozen people on oxygen) and have not yet, myself, caused any explosions.

Thats prolly why the centers wont buy them, laibility. 

Anywhoo I hope this helps someone.  It sure helped me!

This is all she called them and i found her information given on how and when not to use them interesting too.   Let us know if you find them, k,  thanks Kit,

[raina]

Just google "disposable hand warmers" or check out the link.  Here where I live, in Oregon, 7-11 and Walgreens stocks them in the winter only and outdoor stores stock them year round but charge literally 3x as much.  Hope this helps.

[Triker]

These are fantastic. I used them when I used to bowhunt deer. I couldn't wear heavy gloves, and still shoot my bow. Sitting in a tree stand for hours in the cold was misery at times. Placing the handwarmer packs in my gloves let me stay all day if I wanted. There are also reuseable types that can be reactivated. They are a slightly larger heavy plastic bag with a small foil like button on the pouch.  You press hard on the button to activate it. The pouches have a liquid that crystallizes as they are used. To reactivate, you boil the pouches in water, and the crystals return to liquid. Just a one time expense! I don't the think the reuseable ones last as long as the disposable ones, but should last long enough for a dialysis session. Look for them in hunting suppliers.

[bluedove57]

I get to use a heating pad. That keeps my upper body warm because that's what freezes on me. I have bags of oats for my hand that can't be moved and it's warmed in the microwave. Works wonders for me.