Dar's Guide To Dialysis Nurses

[Epoman]

She this is why this site is so GREAT, even after a member dies their posts live on and people remember them. LifeOnHold was the first member here to help me post when this site was a ghost town we had MAYBE 2 posts a day.  Hard to imagine huh? now that we average 75+ new posts a day AND 1 new member a day for the last 4 months in a row. 

See Darlene (LifeOnHold) I told you the site would take off and grow. Rest in Peace, but every once in a while go tickle "Reruns" and "goofynina" toes while they are laying in bed" 

- Epoman

[goofynina]

OMG,  i have nightmares of that happening, but instead they are CLOWNS....hey, just thought of a good thread,  Thanks Epoman

[Bajanne]

I am just being thankful that he didn't include Bajanne's toes!!   That post of Life on Hold's was a real classic.  that lady had a biting way with words!!

[Travincal]

I agree with BlackJack about this so called guide. I have been on Dialysis for quite some time now as well as having a number of other problems. I think that for the most part this site is composed of people who are on dialysis and expect everyone to feel sorry for them because they donate 4 hours of their life 3 times a week to a machine. On the other hand the nurses are there everyday and sometimes even on the weekends working longer then your 4 hour dialysis. Granted its there job and they are getting paid for it. I don’t think that they like stabbing people that have a crapload of medical conditions day in and day out and furthermore I am quite sure that they get just as tired of all of you complaining about "life’s hard" "what would you do if you could only drink a liter of liquid a day" "Owe your hurting me with the needle" "can I get a blanket" "I’m getting crampy" "I’m tired of my diet" and everything else. Even for those of you that don’t complain you think that your nurse cant see on your face when your in pain and that he/she is F**king up. I think most everyone on this site needs to stop their complaining which is covered up with a " " or an "lol" every so often and just realize that their are people out there that have medical conditions that make dialysis look like a walk in the park. No matter how hard things are for you there is always someone worse off. I think you all need to look around a minute and see that your nurses have just as much a right to dislike you as you have a right to dislike them. I’m pretty sure that if any of you met someone with a medical condition worse then yours and they told you how bad things were and how hard their life was that you wouldn’t want to be around them because you would feel like you don’t have the right to complain anymore. Well the same goes for your nurses because when they are having tough times in their life they have no one to complain to because all of you expect so much sympathy for yourselves that you have none left for anyone else.

[kitkatz]

Ummmmmm. Are we having a bad day? You do realize you just told us all to quit being negative and move on?   I thought we were a support group here.  So what if we grunt and groan and complain. Some of us have nowhere else to go.  Some of us complaining dialysis patients have other things going on in our lives and find dialysis to be a pain in the butt most days!  Epoman says we can use this site to let it out and rant and carry on.  I happen to agree with him.

[Bajanne]

Maybe you didn't see the name of this website, Travincal.  If you are looking for just denial, then you should go to some other site.  I had a second look at your introductory post, and what I saw there was someone who had been through the wringer,because of renal failure.  Why are you now making it seem that we should ignore what we are going through and just see life through rose-coloured spectacles?
Of course if we had something worse, we would complain about that.  This is what we have and what we have to live with.  Knowing that there is a place where people are not going to sugarcoat, but are going to tell it like it is, has helped many.  This was the purpose of creating this site.  Sorry if it doesn't cut it for you.
The person who started this thread has now passed on -  a young extremely interesting person taken away because of the complications of dialysis.  I can't tell you how much we miss her.

[Rerun]

Suffering is relevant.  If it is happening to you then it is the worst that you know of from your experience.

When a 5 year old wrecks on her bike for the first time and is screaming bloody murder are you going to go up to her and say "Shut up you whinny bitch there are people way worse off than you....."  NO, because it is her suffering in that moment that she is experiencing.

  So, you take a step back and let us have our site to vent and complain all we want.  Maybe if we get it out here we won't take it out in the unit workers.

I hate it when people try to tell me to deny my feelings.  "Oh, it doesn't hurt"  (How the F'*** do you know) !

I'm not saying we have to start comparing wounds.  But, that is what this site is for.  It is an outlet for frustrations.  I think I would have "quit" dialysis by now if I couldn't find anyone else who hated it.  If I thought everyone else liked it but me I think I would have said "the hell with this."  But, knowing I'm not alone makes me hang on.

[Epoman]

I agree with BlackJack about this so called guide. I have been on Dialysis for quite some time now as well as having a number of other problems. I think that for the most part this site is composed of people who are on dialysis and expect everyone to feel sorry for them because they donate 4 hours of their life 3 times a week to a machine. On the other hand the nurses are there everyday and sometimes even on the weekends working longer then your 4 hour dialysis. Granted its there job and they are getting paid for it. I don’t think that they like stabbing people that have a crapload of medical conditions day in and day out and furthermore I am quite sure that they get just as tired of all of you complaining about "life’s hard" "what would you do if you could only drink a liter of liquid a day" "Owe your hurting me with the needle" "can I get a blanket" "I’m getting crampy" "I’m tired of my diet" and everything else. Even for those of you that don’t complain you think that your nurse cant see on your face when your in pain and that he/she is F**king up. I think most everyone on this site needs to stop their complaining which is covered up with a " " or an "lol" every so often and just realize that their are people out there that have medical conditions that make dialysis look like a walk in the park. No matter how hard things are for you there is always someone worse off. I think you all need to look around a minute and see that your nurses have just as much a right to dislike you as you have a right to dislike them. I’m pretty sure that if any of you met someone with a medical condition worse then yours and they told you how bad things were and how hard their life was that you wouldn’t want to be around them because you would feel like you don’t have the right to complain anymore. Well the same goes for your nurses because when they are having tough times in their life they have no one to complain to because all of you expect so much sympathy for yourselves that you have none left for anyone else.

I think you have NO idea what this site is even about. But I also think you have no right to talk shit to the members here who have been on dialysis 5, 10, 15, 20+ years. according to your "intro" post you have been on for 8 months. So do me favor since you want to come on to this site and talk down to my members, kindly go and start your own site and call it www.ilovedialysis.com or come back when kidney disease has kicked your ass a few times. Why are you here if you think this site is all about negativity and feeling sorry for yourself? If you wish to remain a member here do not try to "change" people on this site. Your post disgusted and literally sickened me. You are welcome to post here but do not ever talk to my members like that again or you are history. Damn I am so tempted to ban you but I will give you a chance to reply first. Oh and do me a favor and show me ONE post where a member is asking for pity or feeling sorry for themselves.

Oh and one more thing the member who created this thread DIED from complications of kidney disease several months ago.

- Epoman
Owner/Admin

[Bajanne]

By the way, Travincal, did you read all the posts in the thread and notice that Blackjack ended up understanding what was going on?
Maybe if you did, you would have reacted differently.

[mallory]

Travincal, your post ticked me off and I'm not even on dialysis yet.  But, I do have some pretty serious medical issues, and I will be on dialysis soon.  When I found out my kidneys were failing and I would need dialysis, it happened very, very fast.  I was so overwhelmed and I didn't know anything about kidney failure, ESRD or dialysis.  I'd never known anyone who had this type of problems and I didn't know where to look for information.  Everyone at my doctor's office and in the hospital acted like it was no big deal, happens every day, but it was a big deal to ME.  I started doing research on the internet, and it seemed like most of the websites said things like "This isn't so bad, it's really great, it's not a bad way to live the rest of your life, which will probably be brief, anyway."  I felt like I couldn't find any REAL information.  This is the first website I found that has info I can actually use.  Sometimes the information isn't cheerful, but, sometimes I don't feel cheerful about all of this, either. 

Dialysis isn't great, ESRD isn't great, this is a hard way to live.  For me, knowing I have somewhere I can vent and people will understand makes it a little easier to get through each day.  It isn't whining, it's SUPPORT.

[Hawkeye]

Travincal, I'm a dialysis employee and not on dialysis. I have to say that I found your post sickening and rude.  The people on this site have every right to complain about their hardships from dialysis, but this site is so much more than just that.  This is a place of valuable information to an otherwise uneducated community of people.  This site has helped everyone here in one way or another in a way that they would not have received elsewhere.  Yes there is ranting by the patients, but if you look Epoman has even provided a place for the staff to rant right back.  You really seem to have no clue as to what this site and this family of people are are all about.  Please try reading more of the posts on this site before you judge the people here.

[Travincal]

Hawkeye maybe you are right and maybe you are wrong. All I know is that I made 1 post and because it was different then all the other peoples feelings around here they all took it to be offensive. It was like I dropped a mouse into a bucket of snakes. Im sure that I wont be on this site for much longer from the sounds of it but I think you should read and take a deep look into this quote...."You can't expect to prevent negative feelings altogether. And you can't expect to experience positive feelings all the time...The Law of Emotional Choice directs us to acknowledge our feelings but also to refuse to get stuck in the negative ones." I guess I must have gotten carried away but my intention was to defend the Nurses. I have become very close to all of mine even the ones that dont do a good job and I would not wish the loss of their career that they worked so hard for just because Im uncomfertable. Im quite sure if a nurse went into the so called imployees section and wrote a "Dar's Guide To Dialysis Patients" you would not think it so funny......but then again I guess its not about them now is it.  All I was saying is that there is another way and its not ignoring your condition but realizing that it will never change. Yes a 5 year old will cry when he first wrecks his bike but he will not carry on about how much it hurts for weeks on a time. Realizing what we have and how it will affect our lives is the crash and now we must find a way to get up and continue on with our lives. Anyhow for those of you that thought I was right or even semi correct I appreciate not expect your agreement. I think Ive pissed of too many people with 1 post to come around this part of town anymore because it seems like every post from here on just might be prejudged. I did mean for the best and was not trying to "sicken" "piss-off" "talk shit to" or "deny your feelings" to any of you. Take care and I wish you all luck.

[Zach]

I did mean for the best and was not trying to "sicken" "piss-off" "talk shit to" or "deny your feelings" to any of you. Take care and I wish you all luck.

Hey, don't give up on us that fast!

[Zach]

No matter how hard things are for you there is always someone worse off.

I think what "saved" me when I first learned about my kidney failure was what I saw across the street from my Nephrologist's office -- Memorial-Sloan Kettering Hospital (cancer care).  I knew some folks there with cancer would not be living out the day.

[Hawkeye]

I guess I must have gotten carried away but my intention was to defend the Nurses. I have become very close to all of mine even the ones that don't do a good job and I would not wish the loss of their career that they worked so hard for just because I'm uncomfortable.

Yeah I think you did get a little carried away, but no one here is trying to get anybody fired just venting their frustrations.  This is theirs lives the Nurses and PCT's are handling, they should be defense about it.  The original post was just a humorous look at the different styles nurses have of handling things.  It's a stereotypical thing like all blonde's are dumb.

I'm quite sure if a nurse went into the so called employees section and wrote a "Dar's Guide To Dialysis Patients" you would not think it so funny......but then again I guess its not about them now is it.  

I have been posting here for a few months now and feel as though I've gotten to know several of the people very well.  I would be willing to bet that they would find such a post humorous if it was written to be humorous.  I wouldn't even be surprised if they added to it.

All I was saying is that there is another way and its not ignoring your condition but realizing that it will never change.

No one here is ignoring their condition either, they come here to talk, rank, and find out information from other people in this same situation.  They all know there is no current cure.  If you read the posts you will also find it's place for them to socialize and talk about non-dialysis stuff to.

I think Ive pissed of too many people with 1 post to come around this part of town anymore because it seems like every post from here on just might be prejudged. I did mean for the best and was not trying to "sicken" "piss-off" "talk shit to" or "deny your feelings" to any of you. Take care and I wish you all luck.

The whole point of this site is to be able to come and find the reality of dialysis and chat with others that are either on dialysis or are affected by it somehow.  Just like any family we may have an argument from time to time, and we don't always agree.  It's these things that provide everyone with each side of the coin so they can decide for themselves what is right for them.  Please come back and post if you want, you have a different outlook than most people do and that outlook is important too.  I commend you for being in the Marines and protecting our freedom, but you have to realize that this isn't the Marines.  You just need to tone down the "gung-ho" attitude a little in your posts and I'm sure you will like it here.

[Epoman]

Hawkeye maybe you are right and maybe you are wrong. All I know is that I made 1 post and because it was different then all the other peoples feelings around here they all took it to be offensive. It was like I dropped a mouse into a bucket of snakes. Im sure that I wont be on this site for much longer from the sounds of it but I think you should read and take a deep look into this quote...."You can't expect to prevent negative feelings altogether. And you can't expect to experience positive feelings all the time...The Law of Emotional Choice directs us to acknowledge our feelings but also to refuse to get stuck in the negative ones." I guess I must have gotten carried away but my intention was to defend the Nurses. I have become very close to all of mine even the ones that dont do a good job and I would not wish the loss of their career that they worked so hard for just because Im uncomfertable. Im quite sure if a nurse went into the so called imployees section and wrote a "Dar's Guide To Dialysis Patients" you would not think it so funny......but then again I guess its not about them now is it.  All I was saying is that there is another way and its not ignoring your condition but realizing that it will never change. Yes a 5 year old will cry when he first wrecks his bike but he will not carry on about how much it hurts for weeks on a time. Realizing what we have and how it will affect our lives is the crash and now we must find a way to get up and continue on with our lives. Anyhow for those of you that thought I was right or even semi correct I appreciate not expect your agreement. I think Ive pissed of too many people with 1 post to come around this part of town anymore because it seems like every post from here on just might be prejudged. I did mean for the best and was not trying to "sicken" "piss-off" "talk shit to" or "deny your feelings" to any of you. Take care and I wish you all luck.

Im quite sure if a nurse went into the so called imployees section and wrote a "Dar's Guide To Dialysis Patients" you would not think it so funny......but then again I guess its not about them now is it.

See this is what I am talking about you have NO idea what we are about and you just assume, I would LOVE to see a nurse do a simlar guide and I would find it hilarious. In fact if you read my post when I created the "Employees" section you would have seen where I said:

Well after seeing a few of our members who are not patients but have become very active in our site and post on a regular basis, I decided to have a section for them. So if you work in the dialysis field, if your a tech, nurse, admin, doctor, physicians assistant, secretary, supplier, delivery person, what ever the case may be, if it's related to kidney failure, this is your section. Of course you are free to post in ALL of the other sections and the patients are to allowed to post here.  But maybe you want to rant or vent about a work environment, a co-worker, dialysis in general, a problem you see going on, or maybe you are sick of dialysis patients and want to rant about a certain patient who gets on your nerves at your center.

I hope having this section does not offend dialysis patients, I hope they understand that you don't have to actually be a patient to HATE dialysis, spouses, brothers, sisters, parents, children, family members, and yes even employees in the field can hate dialysis. Kidney disease affects many peoples live not just the patients, I know my son and wife hate dialysis, because they see what kidney failure has done to me.

Remember this section is open to ALL members, I just wanted to give a little something for the workers. especially the workers who take the time join and to post here regularly. This will give us patients a chance to see the other side of the coin. So let's hear some rants!

See what I mean? Maybe if you had read that you wouldn't have said:

Im quite sure if a nurse went into the so called imployees section and wrote a "Dar's Guide To Dialysis Patients" you would not think it so funny

Obviously you have not read ANY of the posts from some of our VERY Positive members, again you just assumed that we all are just a bunch of pissed off people, well I can't speak for everyone here is my take on this situation, I HATE DIALYSIS, BUT I accept my fate and I continue to fight the good fight, you have been very fortunate to have a good center with good nurses and techs OTHERS have not been so lucky, so if this site can teach a few patients to stand up for their rights and become informed, and provide a place where techs and nurses can see some of our frustrations and change their work ethic then we have succeeded. You see the dialysis nurses and techs have a CHOICE to change professions or to quit and LIVE, WE can not change professions and if we QUIT we DIE. So they have a choice and I will not feel sorry for them for having to put up with some patients who just want to be treated like a human being and not just some sick p*ck in a dialysis chair. Again I'll say you have not seen the "other" side of the coin, since as you put it, your center is great.

All I was saying is that there is another way and its not ignoring your condition but realizing that it will never change.

Yet another comment that assumes, do me a favor READ some posts before you reply to things which you do not know. You do not think WE ALL know no matter how much we hate kidney disease, we can not change our condition? And what do you mean by ignore? How can we ignore a condition that reminds us EVERYDAY. Some people here are in different stages of their condition and some are near death and some are still in that "honeymoon" period that thinks dialysis isn't that bad, YOU for example, again I will say lets see how you feel 10 years from now.

As to your leaving that is your call, you are welcome to stay. But after seeing first hand your style of posting, you are correct I myself may be bias toward you, as you know first impressions are lasting impressions. But you are welcome here.

You know what good "netiquette" is? To join a message board and get a feel of the site and get to know some members before making your first post, had you done that you would have saved yourself this drama. Relize what a great bunch of people we have here. Instead of me having to recieve many PM's about your post and how upset you made so many members.

So the ball is in your court but my previous reply to you still stands.

- Epoman
Owner/Admin

[kitkatz]

We can too poke fun at ourselves!

Katherine's Guide to Dialysis Patients

Grumpy Patient- the patient that comes in to the center grumpy.  Dialysis has interrupted their day and they are looking for the first tech or nurse to take it out on.  Beware: Talking to Grumpy can get your feelings hurt. Let Grumpy get on the machine in a timely manner and get a Benadryl and Tylenol cocktail and they will be fine.

I am So Happy to Be Here Patient: This patient makes everyone crazy. "Hi how are you? I am doing fine. Everything is great." They wander the unit looking for people to say hello to and then talk for half an hour to them.  Or they are talking to the nurse or tech in other area of the unit than where they will be sitting. They can be fairly loud.  They are usually the ones techs and nurses are looking for to put them on the machine on time.  They will often stay after treatment and talk to the nurses and techs.

Late Great Patient:  Arrives late to dialysis every treatment.  Complains about their time being cut short to the clinic director, so their time is not cut, even though they were late.  Backs up the entire unit because they are late. Blames everyone but themselves for being late.  They need to buy a watch that works.

The Burpers and Farters: These people get on the machine and their bodily functions go nuts.  Burping loudly without an excuse me or anything.  Farts are not covered up to dissapate into their own noses. Smells are left to run free around the unit. Just what is that smell?

Loud old People: Old people who cannot hear what is being said to them. They answer in a very loud voice all of the time.  Their TV is so loud you can hear it even if they are using headphones. Nurse and techs have to yell loudly while they are treating them. They do not bring their hearing aides because they think they center is too loud anyway.

Criers and Screamers:  These are the patients who cry or whine through the entire treatment. They are not happy and everyone knows it. Sitting next to a 4 hour crier will drive any sane person crazy!  The screamer are the ones who scream they want off now five minutes into the treatment.  Or they are senile and yell out they want a peanut butter sandwich. Or yell a tech's name over and over.  Bring on the sedatives!

Okay that is all I can think of tonight....Feel free to add to it. ( This is posted in fun, just like Dar's was.)

[Sara]

even the ones that dont do a good job and I would not wish the loss of their career that they worked so hard for just because Im uncomfertable.

Great, so can everyone send all their bad nurses and techs to poke you?  I don't know about the rest of y'all, but if someone is not doing a good job, I don't think it's such a good thing to keep quiet just so they don't get in trouble or lose their job.

[Rerun]

Great, so can everyone send all their bad nurses and techs to poke you?  I don't know about the rest of y'all, but if someone is not doing a good job, I don't think it's such a good thing to keep quiet just so they don't get in trouble or lose their job.

Exactly Sara.  At what point is this employee a "safety" issue.......before or after you are in ER!


EDITED: Fixed quote tag error - Epoman, Owner/Admin

[Zach]

We can too poke fun at ourselves!

Katherine's Guide to Dialysis Patients

I am rolling on the floor in laughter!!!!!         

[Sara]

Katherine's Guide to Dialysis Patients

This is great, LOL.     We could have a Dialysis Spouse guide too.

Those who don't care.
Those who care too much.
Those who the staff dread to see walk into the center.
Those who the doctor runs and hides from.
Those who probably know more than the doctor ('Black' comes to mind for this one. She could probably teach them a thing or ten.  LOL)

[Rerun]

We could have a guide to Drivers.

Those who come early and then leave because you are not off the machine.

Those who come late and blame traffic when you smell pizza on his breath.

Those who Wait in the van and don't help you.

Those who smoke.

Those who complain about gas prices......AHHHHhhhhhhhhhh

[angieskidney]

We could have a guide to Drivers.

Those who come early and then leave because you are not off the machine.

Those who come late and blame traffic when you smell pizza on his breath.

Those who Wait in the van and don't help you.

Those who smoke.

Those who complain about gas prices......AHHHHhhhhhhhhhh

Oh hell ya!!! I nearly jumped outta my seat on this one since all this week the cab is driving me nuts with leaving on me! I have been yelling at him, "Do you want me to just bleed all over your cab?!?!?!?!!"  .. Or the other cabby who won't open the door for me and just yells, "Pull harder! Pull harder" and rolls his eyes at me 

I want to add more to that .. maybe you should start a new thread for it! That would be great! 

[Black]

Katherine's Guide to Dialysis Patients

This is great, LOL.     We could have a Dialysis Spouse guide too.

Those who don't care.
Those who care too much.
Those who the staff dread to see walk into the center.
Those who the doctor runs and hides from.
Those who probably know more than the doctor ('Black' comes to mind for this one. She could probably teach them a thing or ten.  LOL)

Oh, Sara, I am so flattered    -- I am so new to all of this; I have so much to learn.  But, on the other hand I've learned more on-line than from all of the medical professionals added together, so maybe it doesn't take much to know more than some of the docs

Actually, I probably qualify better for the other 4 categories.

Maybe some of the more experienced people here could write a complete description of the spouses in another thread in the spouse section.

[JerseyGirl]

Look I am a dialysis nurse and I think Dar's post was totally appropriate and actually very very funny!  Lighten up!  I've known quite a few nurses in the 20 years I've been in dialysis and her post is pretty well on the mark.  Noone's perfect but alittle humor goes a long way.  I really like the driver one too!  But I have to say from being in dialysis so long it is pretty hard for me to tolerate complaints from alot of people, husband, family and friends included.  My problems are small compared to my patients.  I'm not saying I feel sorry for dialysis patients but I empathize alot with them.  I really don't think dialysis patients WANT to be felt sorry for - well, not all of them, at least.  It is such a unique environment, I think.  Different from any other.  You become like family.  Both sides have seen each other in good and bad moods.  Enough psychobabble.  God Bless Life on Hold, I would have loved to had the chance to take care of her!