I Hate Dialysis Message Board

Dialysis Discussion => Dialysis: General Discussion => Topic started by: lynnrlpd1 on June 28, 2012, 06:18:30 PM

Title: Does anyone dialysize two times a week
Post by: lynnrlpd1 on June 28, 2012, 06:18:30 PM
Is anyone Albe to do this and what would be the reasoning  - a persons weight, what they eat.  Because once when I went to tour a facility the nurses thought just by looking at me I could do less they said you are not very big but now that I have started I see thin little people and they do 3-4 hours
Title: Re: Does anyone dialysize two times a week
Post by: wvgirl on June 28, 2012, 06:34:38 PM
I am new to this, well the actual dialysis part anyway but I do 2 times per week. I started dialysis on May 2nd 3 times a week. After about 5 weeks my doctor felt 2 times a week would be enough for me. My numbers were all great once I started, and I felt great too!  :bandance; I didn't even realize I was as sick as I was till I started dialysis and felt better.
I still have some kidney function. My gfr was 9 when I started. I would think that would make more of a difference than the weight, although I am fairly small, 5'5 and about 118 pounds. I don't gain alot between treatments, 2.2 k is the most I have gained. So I would also think that not swelling has alot to do with it.
Right now though, I am arguing with them because they want to increase my blood flow over 400 and I don't want to. My numbers are fine, and I think it would be better to do 3 days a week if it comes to that than to try and get as much as they can in the 2 days I am there, if that makes any sense at all?
Good luck to you!
Title: Re: Does anyone dialysize two times a week
Post by: jbeany on June 28, 2012, 06:36:42 PM
Those who are able to do it generally have higher levels of kidney function remaining.  If you have minimal function, your size isn't going to matter much.

Personally, I'm an advocate for as much time as possible on the machine.  I never felt better with less time, and I couldn't eat as much of the foods I wanted when my time was shorter.  When I had to go back to in-center from home hemo, I refused to drop from the maximum 4 hours when the choice was offered to me.   For me, shorter runs on lower pump speed meant more fatigue, more metal-mouth, and labs that stayed just "adequate."  I didn't want adequate, I wanted to feel semi-normal on the days I was not at D.

 If you are given a choice of less time, or even fewer days, you have to decide for yourself which works best for you.  Some people feel fine with shorter run times.  Some don't. 
Title: Re: Does anyone dialysize two times a week
Post by: Hazmat35 on June 29, 2012, 04:19:07 AM
I personally know of 3 people who Dialyse only 2 x per week.  One of them is an older man probablly in his late 70's, and the other is a man, in his mid 50's.  They are both tall and skinny.  I don't about their blood work or what their numbers are.