They said....Home dialysis

[Meinuk]

I'll add my 2 cents worth...

Kit - first let me chime in on how encouraging your 9 years have been.  I whole heartedly applaud your next step.  Now just getting there....

With my training, the time-line was like this:

1.  Learn how to self cannualte in unit 2 months before actual training. (with hopes of establishing buttonholes)

2.  Start in-center training - originally we had budgeted for two weeks but because of my access issues and the fact that I dialyze solo - we extended my training to a total of 16 business days.

first week - familiarity with system.  (I just watched)
second week - I did all of my set-up and run
third week - alone in room dialyzing.

My training started on a Tuesday at 9am.  Then the training was integrated into a dialysis run.  (I dialyze roughly 2:45) if you add 40 mins for my take off.  (I always had some sort of snafu)   That had me leaving the unit by 2pm on most days.  (By the end of the training period, I was out the door by 1:30pm)

So, yes, as a teacher your schedule would be screwed up.  Any chance that they can teach you over the x-mas holidays?  or maybe Easter Break?  I know the feeling of "I want it now." - (I am an instant gratification junkie) but for me, the months that I waited to start NxStage really flew by.  (in hindsight)

I think that where there is a will there is a way and you certainly have the will.  (just look at Epoman, Black and Adam W as examples - their proactive stance really worked out for them)

Best of luck and congrats on your Wedding Anniversary as well!

[kitkatz]

Of all people, the clinic dietician is going to look into home dialysis for me. There is light at the end of this long tunnel, and it may not be an oncoming train.  Fresenius is going to open a new center in Loma linda and will have home dialysis unit there.  I may be able to train there when it is ready to go. They will probably work with my weird schedule.  She is also going to see what the hell is going on!  Hurray!

[Romona]

  Good Luck!

[paris]

Finally, some good news.  I know you will find a way to do this, Kitkatz. You are such a fighter.  I am so glad someone is listening to you and trying to find a solution.

[Joe Paul]

Hoping you get the training you need on your time 

[Black]

Of all people, the clinic dietitian is going to look into home dialysis for me. There is light at the end of this long tunnel, and it may not be an oncoming train.  Fresenius is going to open a new center in Loma Linda and will have home dialysis unit there.  I may be able to train there when it is ready to go. They will probably work with my weird schedule.  She is also going to see what the hell is going on!  Hurray!

Be sure to learn all you can about the Fresenius machines which are used by their home dialysis patients.  You may want to try another clinic which will train on the NxStage.

[kitkatz]

They are planning to use NX stage I think with me.

[Earlinda]

Oh Katz Nxstage is wonderful!!  I am almost through my second month with it and it is like a miracle.  I feel so much better already.

Earlinda

[Sluff]

Holy moly it's great to see you Earlinda.

[JerseyGirl]

I threw that into the mix to open up a discussion  - glad to see it was civil!  Point is us dialysis providers have lives too - kids, etc.  It is not unreasonable to stay at work till 6PM - but evenings can be alittle hard on us.  It is a dilemma either way.  I wasn't trying to be mean either, just realistic.  Put the shoe on the other foot - how willing would you be to change your work schedule?  We have families too. 

[MEG]

It took us a bit longer to do the NxStage training as my hubby had surgery after the first week of training, then we were back for another week and the center changed ownership so we had to wait another week until all of the paperwork was done.  Think we actually took 16 days (from 10-1 each day).  When do you dialyze, we did the training as my hubby was dialyzing.

I would see if you could get the training book from NxStage (I think it is even posted somewhere on one of the users groups).  You could study the guide and get the procedures down before you even started 'training'.  If you learn the cannulation techniques from your techs or nurses at your center now,  you will be way ahead of the game.  That was the hardest part for us.  The machine isn't hard at all.  You can do it in you sleep once you get used to it. 

Have read your posts, wishing you the very best in your pursuit!!  Keep up the faith!  You can do it...

[glitter]

I threw that into the mix to open up a discussion  - glad to see it was civil!  Point is us dialysis providers have lives too - kids, etc.  It is not unreasonable to stay at work till 6PM - but evenings can be alittle hard on us.  It is a dilemma either way.  I wasn't trying to be mean either, just realistic.  Put the shoe on the other foot - how willing would you be to change your work schedule?  We have families too. 

Dialysis workers -true- have families too- but you GET PAID MONEY to be there, and plenty of medical professionals work all kinds of evening and night shifts....Kitkatz, on the other hand- is the reason you have a JOB- you know- accommodating the CUSTOMER?

[angela515]

I threw that into the mix to open up a discussion  - glad to see it was civil!  Point is us dialysis providers have lives too - kids, etc.  It is not unreasonable to stay at work till 6PM - but evenings can be alittle hard on us.  It is a dilemma either way.  I wasn't trying to be mean either, just realistic.  Put the shoe on the other foot - how willing would you be to change your work schedule?  We have families too. 

Dialysis workers -true- have families too- but you GET PAID MONEY to be there, and plenty of medical professionals work all kinds of evening and night shifts....Kitkatz, on the other hand- is the reason you have a JOB- you know- accommodating the CUSTOMER?

I agree with glitter 110%. My mom for instance has to accomodate our lives and changer her ours at work during certain times of the month, to accomodate thr customer. My dad, he normally works at 7am, but because of Black Friday, he ha to be in at 4am... to accomodate the customer. Dialysis patients are YOUR customers... therefore, accomodation is part of your job.

[JerseyGirl]

No that is not true and I hate when I hear people say that regarding the customer and why I have a job.  That is a ridiculous statement.  Please!  Just what do you mean by that?  If you mean payment well guess what we all pay for Medicare so therefore I too want results for the money I pay - does that mean I get to chastise all the patients that take dialysis for granted because I am paying? NOT!  Believe me you don't go into health care for the salary and I have done my share of working evenings, nights, Holidays and having to get my butt in a car @ 4AM to drive to a dialysis clinic so patients can get treatment in snow and ice because they need an RN there to run when most people can take the day off and stay home.  It is quite presumptuous for you to make a statement like that.  There has to be a compromise between patient and staff and usually it all works out in the end.

[Romona]

I work in a state run mental retardation facility. One of the Doctors once said that the people that lived there were his bosses. They were the reason he had a job. Our individuals are funded by Medicare. I have worked mandated shifts, holidays, ect. It is my choice to work there. Working there is your choice. If you don't think of the people you provide a service to as a consumer or customer, what do you think they are?

[JerseyGirl]

What are "they"?  People that need tender loving care - I really don't think of them as "customers" neither.  I don't categorize at all.  We are not each others "bosses".  We are in this together - no compartmentalization needed.  I'm alittle old fashioned - customer is too PC. 

[Romona]

I just don't see why people aren't expected to have somewhat of a normal life on dialysis. After hours training for people that have full time jobs that mirror the hours of the training sessions doesn't seem so far fetched. Most of people can not afford to take the time off work that would be required to do it during the day. Kidney disease just like many other disease it can devastate a family's fiances.  When a person has an illness structure and routine is important . Being a productive member of society and contributing to the welfare of your family helps you feel "normal". I respect your views as a health care professional. The majority of health care professionals are over worked and under paid. One of your earlier statements was put the shoe on the other foot. Put yourself in the place of someone like Kitkatz who has been doing this for nine years. put yourself in the place of some of the others here. Kidney disease is like someone ripping you into shreds and putting you back together again. You may look whole on the outside, but emotionally, spiritually, and physically it changes your entire life. If you have experienced any kind of devastating illness, I apologize. I don't want seem cold hearted. I don't know you or your health history. You may know what I mean. Everyone has their own crosses to bear.

[cev]

Hi Kit
I've been off site for awhile.  Hope this isn't a "late" reply.   We trained on NxStage - My husband is on dialysis.  Our training was ~ 5 weeks, which was long and here is why.  1st we were the 2nd patient, so the nurse, the best every!, was still learning.  2nd  We had to establish the buttonholes and his veins are mischievous. and after the buttonholes were established they had to train me to stick him, that took a while.  Lucky for us he is retired and I have a job that I could be flexible with the hours.  every day we ran ~ 2 1/2 hrs.  there is ~ 30 min set up and 30 min cleanup (this is if everything goes right). We were there ~ 4 hrs each day.  Depending on your buttonhole situation and how fast you and your partner (I am assuming someone will learn with you) are able to learn the machine and sticking is how fast your training will go and you will be able to be home, home sweet home.  I hope your center will be flexible and work around your schedule, but keep in mind they are just a business. I am glad to see someone is going to look into the training time issue for you.    Keep fighting for what you need and good luck.

[glitter]

No that is not true and I hate when I hear people say that regarding the customer and why I have a job.  That is a ridiculous statement.  Please!  Just what do you mean by that?  If you mean payment well guess what we all pay for Medicare so therefore I too want results for the money I pay - does that mean I get to chastise all the patients that take dialysis for granted because I am paying? NOT!  Believe me you don't go into health care for the salary and I have done my share of working evenings, nights, Holidays and having to get my butt in a car @ 4AM to drive to a dialysis clinic so patients can get treatment in snow and ice because they need an RN there to run when most people can take the day off and stay home.  It is quite presumptuous for you to make a statement like that.  There has to be a compromise between patient and staff and usually it all works out in the end.

BS- not all dialysis patients have just medicare-My husband worked to get his medicare and paid in for 30 years - so YOU DO NOT pay for HIS medicare, you pay for your own if/when you need it. we also have a choice to which center we use- 'you and your patient's are NOT 'in it together' and the idea that they (dialysis peoples) should have to accommodate staff is ludicrous!!!  They are your customers- or they could choose to be Davita's or whatever other companies are in their area- And surely if they paid you minimum wage you wouldn't stay.. I mean, you do make alot more then McDonald's- those are lexuses in the parking lot! not old Honda's!!  At the end of the day- you go home to a normal life- with a nice paycheck...my husband comes home and experiences vomiting and nausea, and deprivation of liquid-no salt almost no fruit- no ice cream or cheese....he is weak and tired when his dialysis is done. You get off work and go about your normal life..It is your JOB, it is his LIFE.  You can always go find another job- he can't quit or he DIES. I think its presumptous of you to even begin to think a patient should have to accommodate you.

[kidney4traci]

I agree, "WE" are not in this "TOGETHER" and you said it very well.  My question is why are there some clinics that say you need 2 weeks and others 4 or 6?  Mine said 4, and it was about 4 hours a day.   My husband works a lot and due to the distance the clinic was for me, he did not get trained, I am the one who does all the tx.  I think they should have the nurses trained before training the patient.  All they need to be trained on is the machine.  They already know how to stick and the buttonhole teqn. is not that hard, watch a 30 minute video.  I still don't think I even needed 4 weeks, 2 -3 is plenty.  Nxstage must have a training protocol that they made Davita agree to, maybe they are not sticking to it?
Kat, I am with you, and if there is anything I can do to help you - just let me know.  We can start at chain letter or something!

[JerseyGirl]

Touchy touchy there - I can see you are a bit angry - take a yoga breath!  It usually always works out in the end where a compromise can be reached.  Please don't fault me because I get a decent paycheck and am not on dialysis. I don't know what you expect of us!  Isn't working in dialysis as a career enough?  As for the Medicare that is a pretty low blow - I've been working since I was 15 and I'm 49 now.  Actually about 90% of patients ARE on Medicare, the commercial patients are few and far between.  I'm not looking to argue but you obviously are.  Whatever. Sorry if you can't see somebody elses point of view.

[glitter]

 my husband is 50 -he too worked his whole life- so why do you feel like YOUR paying for his medicare? the other 90% of people on medicare also worked for the benefit they get..Medicare is not a handout- how dare you act like it is!


Sorry Kit I didnt mean to hijack this thread- back to you........

[karen547]

I agree - medicare is not a hand out, stop talking down to ppl like you're so high and mighty!~

[George Jung]

Sorry if you can't see somebody elses point of view.

It seems to me from reading this thread that you, JerseyGirl, are not able to see things from another's point of view.  You work in the medical profession where peoples lives depend on receiving care, I mean we are not talking about dental work here.  There is no time off for the patients, and if we are in this together as YOU say we are. then there is NO time off for YOU.  You have the choice (unlike me) so if you don't like it ....well you know what you can do.

[JerseyGirl]

Myopic & predictable responses.  Fact is with my 21 years of dialysis experience you would WANT me to take care of you instead of the poorly trained RN's and PCTs  High and mighty maybe because I KNOW dialysis.  I can look at the entire picture of a patient's past medical history and coordinate care with the individual patient in mind. With knowledge comes power. And guess what, my patients LOVE me.  All I am offering is a different perspective.  I have always admired this group of patients and caregivers for your ability to discuss issues.  Fact is for 1 of you there are 10 that actually don't give a hoot about their care.