First Day - Update

[tiredandthirsty]

sorry for the delay on the first day update.  i have been trying to play catch up at work now that i am behind thanks to all these new dialysis related appointments. 

so first day was not as bad as i had expected.  just LONG and boring.  i got to the clinic and checked in and the social worker came and took me to her office.  and then the barrage of paperwork started.  sign here, initial there, read this, check that.  that was more tiring than the actual dialysis. 

after death by paperwork, i was taken into the room and weighed.  132.2 lbs.  after the weight, i was shown to my chair and the procedure started.  the nurse started doing all kinds of things to the machine (i have no idea what) and she said a few numbers.  running at 200, take off a pound since i didn't have edema or shortness of breath etc.  running time 3 hours.  and then the damn needles came out.  and yes they do sting.  they DO sting.  but it does settle down after a few minutes.  and for me, it hurt a little every now and then.  i tried to do some work with one hand, but my mifi card was not working properly.  so internet connectivity was shoddy.  so i basically watched TV most of the time.  food network.  dreaming about the days when i will eat all that stuff once again.  about hour and a half in, my left leg started getting restless.  i had to keep it moving.  so i started massaging it every now and then with my right hand.  that went on the rest of the time.  the unit does allow food and drinks but you have to bring your own.  so i will take some snacks today.  i also forgot to take a blanket, and boy i regret it.  they did provide me with a temporary blanket but said next time please bring your own.  at the end, when they took out the needles, i think it hurt more than when they actually put them in.  for some reason, the nurse took the needles out really slowly.  and that hurt.  oh and halfway through the treatment, the power of the facility went out!!! i asked how often does this happen and the nurse said never.  this is the first time in years!  i said it's me then :-).

so overall, it was not AS bad as i had thought.  except for a little pain and boredom, so far so good.  today i am prepared with the EMLA cream and i will test it out to see if that helps any.  and i will provide an update on that as well.  let's see how well it goes.  one thing this dialysis has messed up is i have no time to do other stuff.  i have had to move my other appointments around so much now it's already becoming frustrating.  plus the table they provide to put my stuff on is not big enough so i can't put my computer on it.  so working while hooked is a bit challenging as well.  especially when only one hand is available to type.  but i will continue to do it since i need that paycheck and the insurance. 

i will provide another update with the EMLA cream once i can after today.  apologies once again for the late update.  take care everyone and may God be with each and everyone of you. 

PS:  btw, i didn't feel any different before and after the treatment.  i wonder how long it takes to actually feel better.  plus, dialysis cannot help me with the ascites which is my biggest problem.  i seem to retain fluid only in my belly and the nurse said she can't pull that out.  sucks. 

[cariad]

You made it! Congrats on having a not-too-traumatizing introduction to dialysis.

I looked up ascites and it seems it can be drained manually. Have your doctors discussed your options?

Also, just a suggestion, but I think you'll have the best possible in-center experience if you try to learn exactly what all those numbers are telling you. That way, you can suggest changes should you start experiencing problems and you won't have to just blindly accept what they are telling you and hope that they are right.

I guess it's good on the one hand that you don't feel any different after treatment, because I always felt like death warmed up after a run. I have heard people say it can take a few months to start getting into your dialysis groove and feeling some of the benefits.

I was once told needles were pulled slowly (this was for a blood draw) because otherwise they could stick to your skin and tear at it. I have never found this to be a problem and vastly prefer a quick pull, but then I never used needles for dialysis, so I wouldn't know if there are other issues there.

[Restorer]

Dialysis itself can't pull out the ascites fluid, but over time, as the dialysis keeps your blood cleaner than it was and keeps your fluid balance down, your body might reabsorb that fluid into your bloodstream, and then it can be removed by dialysis.

They're starting you off slow - 200 is a slow blood flow. You might start to feel the difference before and after once they get you running at full speed and they figure out your dry weight.

[MooseMom]

Thank you so much for taking the time to report on your first day, and I look forward to another report.

What I would find helpful, if you don't mind (and I know this might be burdensome, so just ignore me if you'd prefer!)...I'd love to hear about how you overcome the various little obstacles you come up against.  Like the Emla cream...let us know if you find it helpful.  And how will you cope with the boredom?  Which kinds of entertainment will you find to be most, well, entertaining!  LOL!  Which snacks will you decide are the easiest to manage while on D?  That sort of thing.

Thanks again for posting, and thanks for any of your future reports!

[Traveller1947]

Welcome home from your SECOND day of dialysis!  I hope it went better than the first and that things will look up for you from here on.  As always, all the best.

[willowtreewren]

Great report!

And I totally agree with Cariad. Learn what those numbers mean! That could make a tremendous difference later on.

Aleta

[lmunchkin]

Great report!

And I totally agree with Cariad. Learn what those numbers mean! That could make a tremendous difference later on.

Aleta

Yes indeed!!!  Learn all you can and ask lots of questions too!  Glad to hear it wasn't so bad for you.

God Bless,
lmunchkin
 

[tiredandthirsty]

Thank you so much for taking the time to report on your first day, and I look forward to another report.

What I would find helpful, if you don't mind (and I know this might be burdensome, so just ignore me if you'd prefer!)...I'd love to hear about how you overcome the various little obstacles you come up against.  Like the Emla cream...let us know if you find it helpful.  And how will you cope with the boredom?  Which kinds of entertainment will you find to be most, well, entertaining!  LOL!  Which snacks will you decide are the easiest to manage while on D?  That sort of thing.

Thanks again for posting, and thanks for any of your future reports!

Hi MooseMom,

i am about to post my second day update.  but i would like to answer your questions here first.  and it's not a big deal, you can ask me anything and i will answer.  except for the winning lottery numbers :-). 

i had an appointment with my nephrologist the very next day after the first day of dialysis.  so i went to his office and asked him directly the needles hurt and give me some numbing cream.  and he wrote me a prescription for EMLA.  for boredom, the second day i took my work with me again and this time the internet worked well.  so work and conference calls took up most of my time.  the rest of the time i watched "kitchen nightmares" on youtube.  i love gordon ramsay haha.  found a user who has a lot of episodes and just started watching one after another.  i didn't take any snacks with me this time either.  didn't feel much hungry although after the treatment, i did eat a nice dinner.  i took a bottle of water but they keep it chilly in the clinic so i didn't feel like drinking at all.  i didn't drink even a sip of water the whole time.  i'll put the entire story on the update thread. 

[Riverwhispering]

Thanks for the post.  I'm so close to my first time it helps hearing that it wasn't horrible pain as I imagine all the time.

[tiredandthirsty]

riverwhispering:  it is completely understandable to be anxious.  i was petrified as well.  trust me.  i was flipping out at small things i was so scared.  but stay strong and hang in there.  the sting simply lasts for the first 4-5 minutes.  the big part weens off after that.  if i can do it, trust me, any damn body can. 

[houndawg]

   Hang in there girl.  Sounds like you are doing great.  I'm not sure I could be as brave as all you folks.  Houndawg

[tiredandthirsty]

sorry mate, but i am a guy