Post pictures here of your Home Dialysis setup. ***NOW WITH PICS***

[rimbo74]

Thanks to everyone for posting pictures, it helps those like me who have yet to get all my stuff.  Also wonder, what does your storage closet look like?

I will post another picture when I receive my monthly shipment on Monday, closet is pretty cleaned out now.

[MiSSis]

This is my 2nd time on PD and I've never before taken pictures of my setup.  Wish I had pictures from the first time.  It was back in the 80's (Nov 83-Dec87) and was that machine ever a monster!  Sure makes my Cycler look small in comparison. 

Well, here goes.  I followed EPOMAN's instructions but if I messed up the picture sizes, I apologize and hope someone else can come to my rescue.  I'm not what you'd call especially computer savvy.

If this goes right, Picture 1 is "Cy", set up and ready to go for tonight.

Picture2 is Cy again.  Not sure that it shows up well but my husband had a piece of Plexiglas cut to size for the floor.  It makes moving the cycler around so easy.  Also we had the small dresser on the right built to match the rest of our bedroom set and it contains all of my smaller supplies, like for dressing changes and such.

Picture 3 is approximately 1 month's supply of fluid which we have stored in a spare bedroom closet.  I'm lucky in that my kidney center will deliver our supplies monthly as opposed to a two month supply at a time.  I don't know what I'd do with that much to store.

My husband and I travel quite a bit and while my favorite method is to have Fresenius ship a cycler and all the fluid directly to whichever resort we might be staying at, we have also repacked the cycler in it's original box and taken it along with us that way.  I'm pretty sure we've been able to travel much more on PD than I would have been able to with Hemo.


Well, I didn't get them attached in quite the order I wanted to but I think you'll get the idea.  Maybe someday I'll learn this stuff!

[MyssAnne]

MiSSis, that looks just like my cycler! I like your idea of the closet totally for the supplies, so it is kept out of the way.

Nice setup!

[MiSSis]

Thanks, MyssAnne,

I kind of like to be able to hide most of the evidence of my dialysis.  Except for the machine which fits pretty nicely back into the corner during the day, everything else is out of sight and mostly (but never completely) out of mind.  It works for me at least.

[melshell]

I think I posted a pic of my set-up somewhere??....but here it is again in the correct place! lol!! I use a modified small computer table on casters. The slide out keyboard shelf makes a great work area, and it only cost me $39.00. (Beware though, it was soooo cheap because it is made of particle board and doesn't handle stress well.) I use a 25ft heavy duty extension cord with my cycler, and with the ability to roll the table from room to room, as well as with the 25ft patient extension line, I can pretty much go anywhere I want around the house while connected-even outside on the porch. My supplies are stored in the bedroom closet. Thankfully 35 cases of solution and cases of all my other supplies, as well as my cycler table fit nicely inside and can be tucked away out of sight during the day when not in use. Browsing through the pics of other folks' setups really helped me to visualize how I was going to set up my cycler before I got started-this thread was a great idea!!!

[kitkatz]

Boxes, boxes, everywhere!

[melshell]

LOL!!! yup!! u should see delivery day!! ughhhhhhh!! But I love being able to shove it all in the closet--atleast I don't have to see it until it's time to get connected. I think someone else mentioned how they didn't like evidence of dialysis all around the house, I feel the same way. I was greatful that everything fit so compactly into one closet! I did have to remove the closet doors, and the cycler table sticks out just a bit, but I replaced the door with a curtain so everything is outta sight, but like someone else said as well, outta sight, but never outta mind! *sigh*

[MyssAnne]

OH man. I have one closet in my house. That holds my clothes!! That means the boxes are out in the front room for all to see and enjoy. Thank goodness it's just me now. It is depressing to see them out there though. It's a constant reminder. Ugh.

[Chicken Little]

OH man. I have one closet in my house. That holds my clothes!! That means the boxes are out in the front room for all to see and enjoy. Thank goodness it's just me now. It is depressing to see them out there though. It's a constant reminder. Ugh.

I just gave away all my clothes to make room.   

I actually did give away all of my work clothes & shoes, so I'd have a closet to put the supplies in.  I can't wear anything but sweat/yoga pants with my PD belly anyway.     

[Adam_W]

Here's my NxStage/Pureflow setup. I'm also going to be getting a dialysis chair (I prefer sitting up during my treatments so I don't fall asleep and miss entering my treatment data), and when that arrives, I'll move the machine over and put the chair between the bed and the machine. I also don't have my full supply of cartridges and SAKs (I have enough for only six treatments right now), and when they arrive, I'll be kissing what little space I have right now goodbye. I do my first treatment at home tomorrow.

Adam

[Sluff]

Great pics Adam , looks like you really have things in order. 

[Wattle]

   Welcome home Adam! I know you waited a while but its all upto you now. Well done.

We don't have NxStage down here in    It is always great to see how others set up their supplies. Thanks.

[Jaybird]

Wow, there are so many different setups. I really thought about putting mine in my bedroom, but I'm glad I didn't, because of the noise the pureflow makes all the damn time. Its kinda a white noise, so I don't notice it when I'm watchin tv, but I think it would drive me crazy if I had it right next to my bed.

Thanks for all the great pic's. By the way, I got a nice lazyboy type recline that is made out of stain resistant stuff. I spilled blood on it before and it came right out with alcohol. I can't count how many pens I've leaked on the chair, alcohol again to the rescue.

keep the pic's coming,
Jaybird

[Aldente]

Here are some pictures of my home NxStage setup.  Our dialysis unit discontinued use of the pureflo unit so I hang bags of dialysate every day.  When I was training the biggest problem I had was finding things so one goal I had for home hemo was to be organized.  I bought a rolling Project Center from Sears.  It looks like a toolbox but the top has a plastic tray with a fiberboard insert an handy compartments.  When I placed the NxStage  on the cabinet the top sagged and after a day I could not get the top drawer open.  I went to my local lumber yard and purchased a 3/4 inch piece of plywood, cut it to size and placed it under the fiberboard insert.  This solved the weight problem.

All of the supplies I need, other than dialysate and saline, fit nicely into the drawers.  When I dialyze I keep a spare bag of dialysate and saline nearby.  To avoid fumbling for telephone numbers I placed the number of dialysis center on the side of the cart.  Frequently used items like tape, alcohol and Betadine wipes are kept in small open compartments on the top of the unit.

When the unit is not in use I roll everything into a spare bathroom.

I still need to make a few adjustments to make using this setup a little easier.  The pole for hanging the dialysate bags is a little high for my wife to reach.  A shorter pipe should solve that problem.  While I don't have a problem in my environment, raised door thresholds might present a problem for others.  The wheels on this unit are hard plastic, softer vinyl or rubber wheels would make it easier to roll the unit over bumps.

[angela515]

Nice setup, and that chair looks very comfy!

[goofynina]

Wow Aldente, you really got your "stuff" together my friend, verrry nice, thanks for sharing 

[kidney4traci]

Nice set up.  Very manly with the craftman drawers!! AArr AArr AArr!

[kimcanada]

I have an appointment next Thursday in Halifax to start the process of doing PD!!!

I am very excited, but I do have abit of a problem with space.  I wold love to see somemore pictures of some home set-ups so that I can figure out how I will set up mine

Kim

[MyssAnne]

Kim, I don't have pictures, but it does depend, is this manual, or the cycler?  If manual, you'll get a pole that you can move around with you
wherever you go, quite literally! Yes, I have gone potty while on the manual!!

If it's the cycler, you gotta decide where it's gonna STAY, either by your bed, or by a couch/recliner, wherever you sleep.  It's gotta be close enough you can punch the stupid machine when it wakes you with its alarm. Trust me, it will. You also want the supplies close enough at hand so that you can set it up every day without too much effort.  The Fresenius cycler is on a stand, so a night table is good for smaller supplies to have at hand.  I have a shelf in the bedroom that holds the bags needed, cycler set, drain set, etc.  I hope you get some pictures, and more ideas, so you can decide how it's best for you!!

[kimcanada]

I belve that its going to be the cycler... I want the one that you do overnight

[MyssAnne]

then I would start looking at my bedroom, next to the bed, if you sleep there (hey, some people sleep on the couch or a recliner!). you need an outlet, you'll need access to the bathroom, if it is close enough. If not, you'll need a 5 gallon gas jug. VERY handy, I use one for my house.  The smaller supplies can go in a plastic file type shelving uint, I have a 3 drawer unit next to the bed that holds my supplies (small ones!), with personal stuff on top. Including drinks  I always have a bottle of gatorade, and about 2 bottles of water. Plan to have your tylenol/pain killer there as well. If you eat, plan to have a drawer for foods that can stay in packages without spoiling 

If you can, go with 2 week delivery of supplies. Try to be about 2 days ahead, for instance, if you know you use greens and yellows every day, I would ask for 9 boxes of each plus 2 of reds. Never hurts to have extras, nor does it hurt to have reds, just in case. The same with the supplies.

As for storing the boxes of bags (2 per box), If you have a corner in the bedroom, all the better. If not, just make sure it's accessible to you, you'll have to carry it to the bedroom every day. Gets boring after a while, but the alternative is NOT better!

[kimcanada]

Well the only thing that I know forsure is that I get 3 months of supplies at a time.

[MyssAnne]

AAAARGH!!!!! THREE months??!!!!!

Kim, You will not have a house. YOu will have a medical storage unit!!! Do you KNOW how many boxes that will be?? WAY  lots!!

Okay. best way to stack them. Long way facing you, so you can see the color as well as the date.
have them stacked by color, so you would have a stack of all yellows, a stack of all greens, etc.

Another thing I do is pair the bags. I do green/yellow so when I open the two boxes to get one of each out, I take the remaining two out and pair them, either put them in a box, or put them loose on top of their stack so they can be opened the next day. At that time you could put a cycler set with them as well. Handy dandy!

I use the drain set for a week, change it Sundays.  I was told that it was okay to use more than once, and it helps with the ordering too!

whoo. Three monthe???

[petey]

Marvin is very proud of his home "clinic."  We knew about a month in advance that we were going to start home hemo training, and Marvin went to work on his clinic.  We emptied a spare bedroom, and he set it up like he wanted.  Marvin has a recliner and a tv, plus we also have lots of storage bins and cabinets.  Here are some pics from his clinic:
1 -- Marvin during treatment
2 -- charts on the wall to remind us of the steps
3 -- counter (Marvin built the cabinets and bought the top for $12) for blood work
4 -- cabinet Marvin made
5 -- Marvin's tv and our dry erase board for figuring how much to take off and other notes
6 -- the small corner sink we had installed for the clinic (too bad Marvin's not a plumber)


In Marvin's clininc, everything has a place, and every storage place is labeled.  He made a really cool clinic, and we love it!  He set it up like he wanted it, and he insists on cleaning it and organizing it!

[petey]

One more pic of Marvin during treatment in his clinic