Does everyone have to be on Davita

[Angel1954]

What happens if theres no Davita around where you live at for dialyists cause i know i had to type in where the closer centers are and where i live at in Wv theres none close to me the ones they have are in Va and Md i dont know of any Davita centers in Wv does anyone know if there is or not im not on dialyss but i want to know in case some where down the road i have to be.
                                    Kathy

Title to Thread Corrected on all posts - Rerun - Moderator

[bioya]

There are DaVita in center locations in Logan, WV,  Lewisburg, WV, and Parkersburg, WV.

FMC has most of the clinics in WV up through I79, Morgantown, Clarksburg, Charleston, Huntington, etc.

Good luck in finding a unit.  May I ask, do you think your going to need dialysis? If so, hasn't your doctor gave you the closest locations?

[Angel1954]

No i am just finding out in case i do need it cause its better be safe then sorry all the ones that u have for Davita are far from me i am close to Md.

                    Thank you Kathy

[BigSky]

The doctor should recommend a units that are close to you.

Here our unit is run by the local hospital.

[angieskidney]

Do you have private insurance? Why do you want a DaVita unit?

[sandman]

Actually, I have noticed that just about every major hospital in my area ( Phila, PA ) has a dialysis clinic with in the hospital.  You may want to look there as well.

[Angel1954]

All i have is the Medical Card from the State of WV I'm on Disability so i don't know if or if i ever have to go on Dialysis if it will pay for it or not i really don't know.

                                           Kathy

[Joe Paul]

Funny, but here in and around Pittsburgh PA., most of the clinics are  either DCI or American Renal centers. With all Ive read about Davita, I guess I'm lucky I don't have to deal with that organization. Ive been really happy with the care I receive from American Renal. So far,most of the Nurses and Techs seem to care for the patients.

[angieskidney]

hmm... is there American Renal in Philadelphia?

[sandman]

hmm... is there American Renal in Philadelphia?

Apparently not.  At least according to this site.  http://www.americanrenal.com/facilities/index.html

[angieskidney]

hmm... is there American Renal in Philadelphia?

Apparently not.  At least according to this site.  http://www.americanrenal.com/facilities/index.html

Ah ok .. well don't want to take this thread off topic anymore than it is. But ya .. DaVita .. don't have to be on that.

[kitkatz]

      I would really look around the area YOU are in and see what facilities are available. I know it sounds like as a site we are really ragging on Davita, but it is a large company and a lot of dialysis patients on this site are treated there.  I would tour the facilities and find one you like. Talk to the patients,patients wives, husbands, nurses and techs.  If a center will not let you talk to people, walk out of there.  Look around, be sure it is a place you want to be.  After all you will be there THREE days a WEEK, for three to four hours each time.
      There are other center besides Davita run centers. Look around and check.  If you have no other choice than a Davita Center, go in with your eyes open and be sure you get the treatment you think you should have and deserve.

[Angel1954]

Thank you all for your comments i will look around for a center if i have to be on dialysis.It seems like Davita is a good center i don't know of anyone on Dialysis so it will be hard for me to ask anyone.Again thank you all for the comments here.

                                                   Your all in my thoughts
                                                                 Kathy

[Bajanne]

It seems like Davita is a good center.

Interesting.  You came to this conclusion on this message board?

[alaskagirl]

I've been on in-center dialysis for only a year, but I didn't have a lot of choice as to which center I went to.  My nephrologist goes to two FMC centers, so my choice was limited to one of those and further limited by my need for a late chair time due to working full time.  Luckily, the center I go to is excellent (I should have guessed, as I don't think my neph would associate with one that wasn't).  My guess is that, like everything else, quality varies from center to center even in clinics run by the same organizations.  It would be best if you checked them out before you need one - ask questions and visit before deciding.

[Angel1954]

What i meant about Davita is that what i had Read on their site they seem good but what i read on here its different. I would have to go to the one if i ever have to go on Dialysis i would have to go where my Dr is on call all the time.

                               Kathy

[livecam]

In reality you are probably going to want to use the center that is closest to home.  Just after treatment you are going to want to drive as short a distance as possible if you drive at all.  I know that I didn't feel all that super after dialysis and sometimes even a bit dizzy.  I was only driven once and that was for my first in-center treatment.  After that I did all the driving for the remainder of the 2 yrs and 9 months I was on dialysis.  I never had an accident of any sort but then again God was my copilot back then.  Thats the only way I can explain getting through all of that in the first place.

[angieskidney]

I myself didn't have much choice. My city only has 2 dialysis units and both are through the same hospital so pretty much the same rules and options.

Infact, I was happy at the hospital one since I didn't mind all the sick people (since I was used to that scenario being sick since I was a kid), but the nurses pushed and pushed saying I would love Self Care.. .  I have since realized that the NURSES love the Self Care unit so they just assume the patients feel the same way.

Well, when you go to other units and talk to people .. talk to the patients if you can. They, like we do here, can tell you more about care from a patients point of view, better than any nurse can tell you

[Mom3]

We drive our son twenty miles to get to a "better" center--better in terms of mortality/morbidity statistics at least, and since he is so far from the center he no longer even tries to drive himself. Close is important, but not at the cost of quality of care. We learned that the hard way!

Mom 3

[livecam]

Speaking of hospitals. choosing a unit that is close to a hospital might be a good move.  As an example I was a renin responder and toward the end of my dialysis days a very severe one.  My blood pressure would start out essentially normal and from there climb during treatment.  One time it reached 210/103 with no medication in the unit able to bring it down.  I was walked by a unit nurse over to the ER of the hospital on whose grounds the dialysis unit is located.  My BP was then brought down over several hours.  Being that close to a hospital really helped in that case and it probably has in many others as well.     

[kitkatz]

I drive myself to dialysis treatments and back home.  I have been known to stop a few times and throw up in a parking lot when I was sick in 2004. That was pretty interesting.  You know if you can drive the car or not after treatment. I do NOT recommend driving if you are feeling weak or weird in any way.  I have driven home on autopilot a few times, praying the entire way.  One night almost had to stop and call someone to come get me and the car.  I have called home or my sister to come get me and the car at the center when I was so sick I could not think, much less drive.  I think you have to have wisdom in driving after dialysis.  If you feel awful call it off and get a ride.

[Epoman]

I drive myself to dialysis treatments and back home.  I have been known to stop a few times and throw up in a parking lot when I was sick in 2004. That was pretty interesting.  You know if you can drive the car or not after treatment. I do NOT recommend driving if you are feeling weak or weird in any way.  I have driven home on autopilot a few times, praying the entire way.  One night almost had to stop and call someone to come get me and the car.  I have called home or my sister to come get me and the car at the center when I was so sick I could not think, much less drive.  I think you have to have wisdom in driving after dialysis.  If you feel awful call it off and get a ride.

For many years I drove to and from, I did that for about 7 years. I still drive but we only have 1 car so I used to get a ride. But a few times I needed to just put my seat back and rest for 10 minutes whilre my body adjusted. But now I don't need a ride. 

[kitkatz]

YEah, Epoman, you just go from livingroom to dialysis room! Lucky you!

[Mom3]

My son drove when he was five miles from his clinic. It was close and I hoped he would call us if he got out and felt too bad to drive, but with it being so far and mostly interstate, I'm really afraid he'd drive when he wasn't able, rather than wait on us for 45 minutes and then have the problem of having to go back for the car the next day. ( OK, I KNOW he wouldn't call and seeing the shape he is usually in after dialysis I know he isn't up to 45 minutes of interstate driving. We'd have a tragedy or that's what I honestly believe.)

There are serious disadvantages to being so far from your clinic, but if there isn't anyplace with quality care with openings near you, I'd still say it is preferred to a place that doesn't care, like the clinic that didn't re-calculate his dry weight! With the cost of gas it is truly expensive to commute a long way to dialysis, and if someone was dependent on the transportation vans, it might not be an option.

Hopefully you are a long way from having to select a dialysis clinic. Might never have to face that! We all hope not!

Mom 3

[Ohio Buckeye]

I am on Davita (used to be Gambro).
When my neph. said I was going to be on dial. he sent me to a class there to learn about
dial. to help me decide which kind I wanted to do. So that is where I ended up.
I am new there and have nothing to compare it to. Don't know any of the other
patients yet. Mr neph is one of 5 who visit the clinic on a 3 mos. rotating basis. Sort of wish I had the
same neph all the time iso of changing them.  It is very close to the hospital where I had my
pd catheter surgery. There is a hospital close to home but I've been told they don't have
much experience there with pd.  My nurse seems caring. I do like her.  I have the same
nurse all the time at least so far. When I first started capd they had me with fluid in me all
the time and on the long dwells (like overnight) I was taking out less fluid than I was
putting in and gaining wt. and swelling worse than before I went on dial. I had to go
out and get new shoes and my legs were so heavy.  I saw on this site where someone said
(Goofynina I think) that they were absorbing fluid and I thought I must be doing that so
I started on my own going dry at night and the first wk. lost 11-12 lbs and more the
following week.  Now the swelling in my feet and legs is gone. But sometimes I wonder, I'm new at this and they do this for a living, didn't they know what was happening?  I changed my routine,
not them.  So I was concerned about that. Could have had chf.
I have my cycler training this Weds-Thurs so I surely hope it goes well.