Introduction

[Donn]

Hello All, I just viewed this site the other night and have learned so much already.  First I am not a Dialysis patient, but my wife of 47 years is.  I am her care giver 100% of the time as well as chief cook and bottle washer.  She has a number of other health issues rendering her almost sedentary.  She was diagnosed with renal failure approximately 15 years ago and started Hemodialysis until the port was heeled and switched to PD until she received a transplant.  The transplant worked very well for 5 years until a Dr. misdiagnosed an infection and the medicine ruined her kidney.  She has been on  Hemodialysis for about two years.  If I am not allowed as I am not a patient, that's OK and I am sorry for taking up your time.  If I can join then I look forward to learning and becoming more aware of things so that I may be of more help to my wife Elaine.  If anyone can answer one of my many questions, it would be a big help.  We are looking at the Home Hemodialysis Next Stage System and I am wonder what is the approximate time required to manage supplies, set up the machine, and make dialysate, and keep everything disinfected.  As I said earlier, I am the Chief cook and bottle washer for her and the house as well as meal preparation and shopping and I am concerned of the added time.  Any ideas?

[Michael Murphy]

You are not the first care giver to join and hopefully not the last.  ESRD effects the entire family and often the bigger burden is on the care giver.  Feel welcome you are as involved as anyone and the insights of a care giver are particularly useful.

[cassandra]

Welcome to the site Donn

   


We have lots of caregivers and spouses on the site and include a 'special' section 

I'm very impressed and happy with caregivers and spouses. I am the patient, do nearly all myself, but it's nice I don't have to carry the boxes.

I am on Nxstage System 1. Setting up takes aprox 20 mins (that's cleaning the cycler, loading a cartridge, hanging saline, putting the cycler on prime) the prime takes 15 mins (the machine does that it self) in that time you can set out the needling stuffs.
The Pureflow makes the dialysate. Loading a Sak after cleaning that part takes about 5-10 mins depending on how smoothly it all goes. The Pureflow takes about 7 hours to make a batch. But that's the machine not you.
If you put all the boxes that come with a delivery with the date/content to the front it takes about 10 mins a month to take stock and order the next delivery.

As always nothing is perfect as either machine or Sak or cartridge might be playing up. For that we have Tech Support (very nice people (mostly)) who help you out (24/7) over the phone. And you want to make sure you have some pre mixed bags in case the Pureflow is very annoying (like 5 mins before finishing deciding to empty)

Take care, Cas

[OldKritter]

welcome Donn

[iolaire]

Welcome to the group, we have quite a few care givers that are active on the forum. 

[smartcookie]

Welcome, Donn!     Thank you for taking such good care of your wife!  It sounds like you guys have things figured out.  I hope you find what you are looking for here!

[Charlie B53]

Hi Donn,

Welcome to our IHD FAMILY.

Many of us would be lost without our Caregivers.  And by lost I mean buried. Period.  You are VERY Important, Essential.  There is no way we could ever exclude any Caregiver.

If there is any way we can assist you we would do so immediately.

Just like our Veterans,  THANK You for your Service!

Take Care,

Charlie B53