Just wanted to say----

[Mizar]

I just wanted to say, how this Board, has helped me so much, these last few Months. Last Christmas, my Husband had a Seizure and was in full blown Kidney Failure. This was all new to us. We knew nothing about Dialysis, or anyone with this Disease. We are Retired an live Hundreds of Miles, from any of our Children or Grandchildren.
I found this Site by Accident, just surfing the Web. I'm not on to often and try to keep thngs on the upbeat. I tried to explain this Site to my Children and they said, " Why would People want to Talk about Dialysis? It's Depressing "  I told them, " On Days, I feel down and things are not so great with Him, I go to this Site and I know
that there are a lot of other People out there, Laughing and Chatting and getting on with Their Lives and not getting Bogged down in all this." Thanks to the Administrators for keeping this Site up. Life goes on.

[peleroja]

I agree that this board helps an incredible amount.  If you're not going through a particular disease, you really don't have a clue.  Even my neph and the renal nurses really don't have a clue.  Everyone here knows exactly how I feel when I say this, that or the other thing about renal failure.  Keep on coming back; it sure makes me feel better!

[paris]

Mizar, this is your other family and we all understand exactly what you are going through.  Keep coming back, we need you here.  It is a great support system for me and I have wonderful friends here.  This site has been the best thing for me.   Please feel free to complain, rant, vent---we are all here to listen.  You need somewhere to scream. Your life has changed so much and it is hard to see your spouse dealing with kidney failure.  You've got lots of shoulders to lean on here

[flip]

You know, I've never found dialysis to be depressing. It's just something to endure to maintain our quality of life, much like the diabetic who has daily insulin shots. It's just a few pricks and a couple of movies. The rest is good.

[Sluff]

You are very welcome Mizar. 

[donnia]

I also never found dialysis to be depressing.  It isn't something I wanted to do for the rest of my life, but it wasn't depressing.  I guess the great nurses and techs made it that way.

This place has helped me soooo much too!    It is nice to know that your feelings... your fears..... your concerns.... they are all normal... they are all validated here.

People who have never been through it can not fully understand.... honestly,  our caregivers can not fully understand what we go through... and we can not understand what our caregivers go through.  This is a great place for patients, caregivers, family, friends, nurses, techs, etc....  

Thank God for Epoman for creating this site..... thank God for all the mods who keep it going.... thank God for all the members who come and share their experiences to educate the rest of us.

  ----> for all the caregivers out there..... I know we put you through hell sometimes.

[Rerun]

I find it depressing that I had to quit a great job and move a thousand miles back home with family.  I find it depressing that I can't eat what I want or drink what I want.  YEAH, HELL YEAH I find it depressing!!  What is this post about?  Oh, yes, I do love this site and the man who created IHD found dialysis hella depressing.  It sure as hell isn't uplifting!

I guess it depends on where you are at in life when you get the disease!   

[flip]

I guess I must be at the right place in life.

[kitkatz]

I hate dialysis. I have hated it for years. I will always hate it.  I don't care what it is it is damned annoying to go get your arm stuck with two needles, have your blood sucked out of your body and have it given back.
And to sit for hours.  Blah!


But then here is this site.... with a  for everyone.

[kellyt]

(speaking as someone who is still pre-dialysis, but could be starting as early as next week).   

You know, I really want to be that person who will spin and twirl and say "I love my dialysis because it keeps me alive".   Go!  Fight!  Win!   But to be honest, I'm feeling I might be more along the lines of Rerun and Kitkatz.  I haven't even started and I hate it!  I can't imagine being frozen in time for any length of time with two huge needles sticking my arm and my blood leaving and re-entering my body.   Everytime I read a post where someone says "I started dialysis in 19xx and I transplanted in 20xx and I add up the years and it's more than 5, sometimes 7, 10 or longer,  I get sick to my stomach and want to cry.  I wonder if my time on dialysis will be as lengthy, or will I be one of the lucky ones who is off in a matter of months?  I mean, I can sit/lay on my couch for hours watching TV, but I know that I can get up at any time and use the restroom, get a drink, play with my dogs, etc.  I can even change positions so that my back doesn't hurt.

I'm grateful for this site because I don't "fear" dialysis anymore, but I do "dread" it.  And on the other hand I'm tired of being tired.  I'm hoping that dialysis will give me my energy and libido back.   

[twirl]

I don't like the 4 hours+
my back gets so tired
and I do not like to depend on people to let me off in enough time to use the bathroom, especially if they are slow
or will they put me on quickly or take me off when my bell rings
or even care about any of those things
or care about only who is ordering lunch and from where
I had to wait one day for about 15 minutes while my tech wrote down the lunch orders and it was 10am

[Rerun]

Lunch orders??  Where the heck are you from again?

[flip]

I always take my lunch to dialysis. That's the first item on my agenda after I get hooked up.

[twirl]

lunch orders were not for patients
they were for the staff
they don't give a flip if we eat or not

[paris]

kellyt,  great post   I feel exactly the same way. You put it into words very well.