Nocturnal

[kitkatz]

Use the stick well on stupid people. 

[kellyt]

Good Luck tonight, Kit.  I can't wait to hear about your first night.   

[del]

Good luck , Kit 

[okarol]

I hope it works out. I cannot imagine getting any sleep at 7PM - or driving home at 3 AM - but if it makes you feel better then it's gonna be worth it!    Good Luck!

[Zach]

All the best!

 

[jbeany]

We need a crossed fingers icon.  Hope it goes well for you!

[flip]

I may try some nocturnal when I get my NxStage but I still worry about tossing and turning with needles in my arm.

[MIbarra]

Hope nocturnal works out better for you. I'm curious to hear about it.

[Rerun]

Crossed fingers!   


                                 

[kitkatz]

I had about four hours sleep in addition to the two at home this morning. When I got off the machine I did not feel as rugged as I usually do.  A little headache and I was down to dry weight first time in a month!  No pressure drops, no cramping, just gentle cleaning.  We shall see how this sleeping thing works out.  I need to bring a large pillow to wrap my arm around when I turn in the chair to sleep and maybe one for my back.  I shall end up looking like to goodyear guy all pillows.  Hehehehe.

[lola]

  so glad it's working for you kit

[Rerun]

Glad the first night went pretty well.  You can ask them for something to sleep, but only take a half dose.  Just enough to get you to sleep.

I'm glad you are down on your dry weight.  Don't be thinking you can drink all you want.  The huge fluid shifts are very hard on your heart.

               

[okarol]

Too bad you can't borrow Rerun's inflatable mattress. She looks so comfy in it. 

[kellyt]

   I glad it went well.

I had my doctor visit today and apparently my creatinine came down a little (from 8.32 to 7.71 or something like that) and he says I don't have to start dialysis yet.  I have another blood draw on the 21st and a doctor visit on the 27th.  Hopefully my creatinine will not be back up.

So I dodged the bullet once more!        

[flip]

Consider yourself lucky, Kelly. Mine was much lower than that when I started dialysis.

[kellyt]

You know, I've read on here where people were starting dialysis when their creatinine hit 6+ and/or their GFR was 10.  My GFR is at 6.6.  Other than fatigue and muscle weakness I feel fine.  My ammonia breath has gone away and I have never had nausea or vomiting.  I consider my self real lucky!  He said if my creatinine had stayed at 8 he would have started me even though I feel okay.  But now that's it's lowered a bit he said he will wait until I want to start.  Hell no!

I feel like the "Boy Who Called Wolf".  I keep telling everyone that I may start in the next week or so and then I don't.  I've been saying this since April!  I'm happy about it, but I think my friends and family are getting bored with my excuses for not wanting to commit to anything like babysitting.  My brother had his kids the entire month of July and he went ahead and hired a daytime babysitter because I told him I'd probably be on dialysis.  Oops.  I'll hang on as long as I can!

[Lucinda]

Hi Kellyt.  I had my graft put in nearly two years ago and they told me then I would be on dialysis within a couple of months.  I went to my neph and she said my creatnine is slowly creeping up but it is still only 5.5.  She wants me to start regardless by September.  I have been unwell but since I started exercising I am feeling really well and have no nausea, itching or any symptoms really whatsoever at the moment - but I have had in the past.  I am not going to start on dialysis prematurely if I don't need to.  We are just lucky that we have had some notice so we can get organised.  I feel really sorry for those who have had to start without any preparation.  My sister and husband are thrilled when I tell them I don't need to start after an appointment with the neph.  I am ready to start but I am certainly not worried about what my family or friends think if I don't start.  You are allowed to be selfish right now.  Think about yourself first.  Your friends and family are not the ones who are going to be living with this the rest of their lives.

Hey Kit......Well done with your first night of nocturnal.  My neph told me that starting nocturnal whether at home or in the clinic is like having a new baby in the house.  It is an adjustment with your sleep pattern but you do get use to it.  I hope it all goes well for you. xxx

[kitkatz]

I figure the body will begin to associate the chair at dialysis with night night time, sleeping time and I will adjust.  I made it to work today and stayed on my feet and even went to the chiropractor after work. Then came home and crashed until the phone woke me up about an hour. I feel okay today.

I need a book light to read by when the lights go out and pillows.

[kellyt]

When I do start I'm going to do in-center nocturnal.  My neph it's the best he can do for me until transplant.  He said (and I don't really know how to take it, but it sounded good) that with nocturnal dialysis he is losing more patients to "transplant" than to "death".  Sounds good to me.

I want to get a sleeping mask and ear plugs.  The ear plugs really just muffle the sound, but if someone comes to talk to me I will hear them.  I love watching TV in bed, so I plan on doing just that.

How far is your clinic from your home, kitkatz?  Mine will be roughly 20-25 minutes.  However, it's near the city jail.  I hope they have someone walk us to our cars.  There's usually a bunch of degenerates that hang out near the jail.  It's also  near a few hospitals.  I think that's why they hang out there - they're near a hospital.

[kitkatz]

The dialysis clinic is 24 miles from the house.  Not bad, but still... I am off to get my stuff together.  I bought a king size pillow to hold onto and a small one for my back. I also bought covers for them and pillow cases.  I will see what happens tonight.  Got to sleep tonight. I have inservice at work tomorrow.

[flip]

get a good night's sleep and make sure the lines are taped securely.

[Rerun]

I'm only 5 minutes from my clinic.  When I decided to move from Sacramento back to Spokane to be closer to family and start in center Nocturnal, I just went on line and found an apartment close to the clinic that accepted pets. 

Good Night Kit and sleep tight don't let the bed bugs bite your lines.




                                                       

[Lucinda]

Hi Kit.....did yoiu manage to sleep better??

[kitkatz]

Holey moley!  I had little sleep last night.  It is going to take a little while to get used to a new place and new sleeping arrangements.  I came home and slept 4 to 11 this morning.  At least it is Saturday and I can do it.   Unfortunately I did not make the school's inservice today.

[pelagia]

Wow, I was gone for a week and so much has happened for you Kit.  Here's hoping the nocturnal will bring you to a new level of well-being  .  I am a big fan of earplugs and eye masks.  I can sleep in any hotel if I have those.  Might be worth a try.