Dashing through the snow

[RightSide]

Newbie question:

I'm going to be starting dialysis thrice weekly at a center soon.  What's scaring me is that the nearest dialysis center is 10 miles away from me.  And here in upper New England, we get socked with huge snowstorms in the winter, making travel nearly impossible at times.  Last winter, we had fifteen or twenty snowstorms, the most snowfall ever.  On occasion, my apartment building parking lot was completely buried in snow.  I had to wait for the manager's snowplows to clear the lot before I could even think of moving my car.

What happens if travel becomes impossible due to a blizzard?  Can my dialysis session be safely postponed one day, or must I drag myself to the dialysis center no matter how awful the weather is outside?

Could I call 911 and have the cops take me to the dialysis center?  Or will they consider that a frivolous call?

[okarol]

This thread "Missing Dialysis" might be helpful http://ihatedialysis.com/forum/index.php?topic=4847.0

[devon]

Thanks for bringing this up again.  It's an important issue.  With Hurricane Ike on its way toward Texas, it may be something we'll be dealing with this week!

-Devon

[boxman55]

Thank god for global warming hey. Seriously RightSide, I live in Wisconsin and we get some snow also, what I have found is the clinics are always open. So calling them and letting them know your situation is best. There advice could be alot of things but if your run time is early they might be able to fit you in late. And vice versa. In snow emergencies I would also ask what the unit's policy is. Good Luck.

Boxman

[paris]

In the south, when we get our random snow or ice storm, the centers are closed.  We have little snow removal equipment, so our streets aren't cleared and a 2 inch snow fall becomes a major weather event.    Talk to your center and see what their storm plans are.  I am sure they can give you the information you need. 

[Lori1851]

Have you ever thought about in home dialysis??? Maybe once you get going you might always keep that an option.

Lori/Indiana

[twirl]

your 911 call is serious and would be taken that way
call them
this is your life line - dailysis

[twirl]

your 911 call is serious and would be taken that way
call them
this is your life line - dailysis
or ask your center - bet they have had that happen before

[Meinuk]

The social worker at your dialysis center should be able to talk you through the "What If there is a snowstorm" scenario. 

I grew up in Maine, and remember snowstorms, chains on tires,and lugging wood.  Yes folks, I used to have to lug wood for the wood stove.  Once we had our driveway plowed by the tiown idiot, and he pushed 8 feet of snow up against our front door.  We ended up tunneling out of the front door.

There are days when I am walking though Times Square on my way to the movies, and I remember living on the end of a dirt road in Maine. I've traded barn rats for subway rats, and out houses for crackhouses.  (seriously, one of my best friends still had an out house in the 1980's - they were green before it was cool to be so eco concious)

Home hemo would be a great solution to the commute problem.  But like I said in the first paragraph, you center should be totally up on New England stowstorms and how to take care of their patients.

[Robby712]

Lot's of snowfall here in Missouri the last few years.  Suggestion...make sure you get a car or truck that handles well in the snow.  Something with front wheel or 4 wheel drive.  Maybe look into an apartment or duplex with covered parking or a garage...so you don't have to dig out your car.   

...all that and of course check with your center to see what their plan is for folks that can't make it in.

[del]

Rightside,  we live in Newfoundland and we were about an hr and 15 minutes away from the unit.  103 km to be exact!!!  It would have been a blessing for us to have a dialysis unit 10 miles away.  We have lots of snow and snow storms. Hubby never missed a treatment in 6 years. He did go off the road one morning when the road was slushy but no damage to him or the car!! We did watch the weather though and if we were going to have a lot of snow we would go the night before and stay with a friend.  We bought a 4 wheel drive when hubby started hemo.There were times he was on the road when it was not good driving conditions. I think the worse was one morning when we had 70 cm of snow the night before.  We were 5 hrs getting to the unit. spent 3 hrs waiting for a snow plow because the snow drifts were too high for the 4 wheel drive pickup to go through. It was like a tunnel when we fnally followed the snow plow through.  Hubby's unit was really good. They did suggest that if you knew a storm was coming to travel the night before and stay with somebody.  That's part of the reason we chose home hemo because of the winter driving.  It came down to a choice between moving so that we were closer to the unit or doing home hemo. If we hadn't been able to get home hemo we would have been moved by now. We were told that if it was too bad and you really had to get there to cal the ambulance or police sort of as a last resort. You do have to have dialysis.  Hopefully the weather won't be too bad for you to get to your treatments.  

[skyedogrocks]

Hi RightSide - I just looked at your profile and you aren't too far from us, about 20 miles (we are in Merrimack Valley too), do you go to DCI Billerica?  When my husband Rob did in-center hemo, his Center would call and have him come in early if there was a projected snow storm.  The centers around here are great for doing that.  They know how bad it can snow up here so they have many action plans on what to do.  I would definitely check with your center to see what their protocol is, but I wouldn't be too worried.  Rob does home hemo (NxStage) now through DCI Billerica and it has been awesome for him.  They are moving the Home Hemo center from Billerica to Methuen in October.

Good Luck!

[dkerr]

I was speaking with the Davita registration nurse today and she said that they were all scrambling this week because of Ike evacuees - trying to find them places here in Dallas.

[okarol]

 

[boxman55]

I would call your local police and discuss the what if's see what they say. We get snow here in WI and last year was a big snow year but my clinic never closed and I did not miss a treatment. I get rides from the county paratransit system...Boxman