Is there anything you LIKE about dialysis?

[effinxmandy]

So, I was talking about how I used to be a dialysis tech at work the other day (I don't know if I mentioned it before, but I'm a waitress now, talk about a career change!  ) And was explaining what I did, and a quite a few people said "Ugh! I don't think I could do that! Didn't you hate it?"

 And yes, there where some things I hated about the job, but there were also some thing I loved about it. I was just wondering if there was anything you enjoyed about going? A sweet nurse? Other patients? This is just out of curiosity!

I personally enjoyed hearing patients life stories. Some of them were amazing and unexpected and truly inspirational!

[RichardMEL]

I enjoy the community/social aspects of my unit. I like that the nurses actually CARE about us (well most of us anyway) and when you see each other 3 times a week they do become like a second family. You notice when people are sick/missing, and you worry, and for me.. most of them I consider more friends than "those nurses" - We get on well. I buy them coffee or whatever, and we chat about stuff outside of "work" - dream travel spots, what we want to do. Not to give the impression that the staff are not professional - of course they absolutely are - but there is also a very personal side to it.

I think there is something about medical care in these really serious areas like renal, cancer, heart etc that these guys are super good/caring. Before I started dialysis my mother was dying in a ward. The best nurse that looked after her was named Chris. She was an absolute sweetheart. she brought in pictures of her cats and put them up on the room wall for my mum to enjoy, and she often stayed after her shift and spent time with us and our mum. She totally supported me taking in my cat to spend time with mum. It later transpired that she had moved to that ward from renal. When I look back now it is so clearly obvious because she shared a lot of traits in common with the folks I see in renal all the time.

They are like family.

Oh and sometimes it is a good excuse to leave work "Oh sorry can't attend that (boring) meeting. Have to go to Dialysis. See ya!" 

[effinxmandy]

I'm so glad to hear that the staff is something you find enjoyable! I've seen "traveling techs" come and go throughout my old dialysis clinic when we were short, and some of them where very experienced and personable, and very knowledgeable about dialysis from bouncing around from clinic to clinic. Others where a nightmare! I sometimes worry about the hands I left my old patients in. 

[Chris]

At the time I was going, I didn't like going due to other patients nowhere near my age and either complaining or not following what they where suppose to do and argue about it. Then they want to talk your ear off. I just wanted to be by myself, mind my own business and have nothing to do with them. Thank goodnes for portable stereo headphones and homework to do. However, I did like most of the staff who helped answer some of the biology questions I had or helpe me refresh for a test when they could.

[Wattle]

Being alive to see the smiles on my children's faces was always a positive.   

[billybags]

Wattle, what a lovely thing to say. You sound very positive, keeps those kids smiling.

[RichardMEL]

Like Chris I am usually, and by far, the youngest patient in my clinc. Most days I'll be surrounded by 4 or 5 old gents in their 70's (and one woman) - all Greek. Sometimes it does feel a bit like I am the odd one out, but most patients that come through are pretty nice (my unit is hospital attached, so we usually get people starting out come in, or if they have access problems, or even the odd transplant trying to wake up the kidney etc)... Some are young, but most are older. In a way I feel when someone younger does come through because I think it's another life drastically affected by this whole thing - like the 20 year old woman we had about six months back - before she found out she had serious renal damage she was actually training to be a nurse. When I saw her she was still pretty much in shock over her situation (she had pretty acute kidney failure) and my heart went out to her in a big way.

On the surface I guess I don't have that much to do with the other patients but everyone is pretty friendly in the way they can be. Specially when there is limited English ability that makes it harder but we have a lot of fun with eachother's languages.. so I can say a bit in Greek, and a bit in Mandarin - even if it's hello, goodbye, have a good night, etc... I think people enjoy that you make the effort and care enough to do so.

Every so often we have a few crazy patients come through - like the guy in his late 40's who propisitions marriage to EVERYONE he meets - male, female.... doesn't matter!!! He's got some real issues, but he's also pretty harmless. There was another woman who was suffering quite bad dementia and she would swear horribly at everyone - the things she called nurses trying to help her were unbelieveable - a lot of them didn't want to work with her. Strangely enough one time she looked at me and called me "darling" (?!!  ). I got a lot of stick for that. Still after awhile she refused dialysis and was aparently deemed mentally competent to make the choice so... well.. we didn't see her again(the staff were relieved).

Oh and the number one thing I like about Dialysis that I forgot to say first up? It keeps me living to live and enjoy life, and harass the women of IHD!!!! 

[sico]

My experience when i was going to the hospital out patients for HD was similar to yours RichardMEL. All the other patients spoke other languages and were real old characters. One old dude used to crack the shits if a male nurse would hook him up.
The only good thing from my time in there was all the good people i met, was totally blown away and will be forever gratefull for the care i received. So many gorgeous Doctors and Nurses too, i actually enjoy going in to see them.

[Rerun]

No!

[joyfulmother]

Well, I'm back to manual exchanged 4x day.  I use that time to play on the computer which I enjoy very much BUT that doesn't mean I wouldn't give it all up!  LOL!

[dwcrawford]

the actual  going, sitting and watching blood - no, but the opportunity to experience a new like,  meet  new people, and (as well may be the case),  find  new reason for  living  Yes.  And there is more to come.

[Zach]

Good food, good friends and excellent conversations.

[lola]

Yes, Otto is still alive!!!!!!!!!!!!

[dwcrawford]

Zach, Is that your new montra?

[willowtreewren]

I find that doing dialysis at home I have some valuable quality time with my husband (unless we both gt busy on our computers!)

Plus, he is alive and well. Without dialysis, I would be a widow, and that is not something I want to contemplate.

[silverhead]

Like Aleta, After 45 years together, we finally have real quality time to spend in each others company, thank God we really like each other. hate it that Dialysis has brought this on, but we just deal with it day to day......
Tom

[Zach]

Zach, Is that your new montra?

And don't forget, all the beer you can drink in the chat room!
 

[maritza0486]

I like the fact that it is keeping me alive and is not making me as sick as I would naturally be if I had no treatment at all. I like seeing the same friendly faces (patients and the nurses). I like a lot of it.

The only things I don't like about it is getting stuck with the needles, the low blood pressure problems that occur, and having to sit almost still for 3 hours. 

[twirl]

I like when my time is over.

[Brightsky69]

I do PD at night on the cycler. There is not much I really like about it....thinking...thinking...I do sometimes throw out the dialysis card when I need to get out of something I don't want to do. 

[okarol]

Hate dialysis but love life - so it's a good thing! 

[Stacy Without An E]

I'm like Chris above, I CAN'T STAND the patients, but I like most everyone on the staff.

If anything, I really enjoy the hilarious moments that arise from time to time at Dialysis.

Bi-yearly they do a safety presentation so patients know how to free themselves from the machine in case of an emergency.  The woman stands at one end of the clinic and is talking extremely loud about the safety procedures.  For whatever reason, no one bothered to do it in Spanish, so all of our Mexican patients are starting at her wondering why she's yelling at them.

I also find it extremely silly that when the nutritionist comes around with our lab reports, she gives everyone a couple Blow Pops.  Even to the diabetes patients!

And during my first few months at my present clinic, they would sit me next to Farting Snoring Guy.  He'd be snoring inredibly loud, then release a loud amount of gas, wake himself up and look around, then fall right back to sleep.

[effinxmandy]

I'm glad to hear some of you can at least get a laugh out of going to dialysis, even if it is far and in-between.

I know getting stuck with needles and complications that occur can get seriously frustrating and annoying, but I'm glad to hear there's a little silver lining!

Thanks for the posts!

[dwcrawford]

Stacey, here is my problem.  Hope someone can offer a suggestion.  In the last hour of D, I get a tremendous  amount of gas.  When I sat next to crazy Roy, I'd just  go ahead and do it then I'd glare at him casting the blame on him.  Now I sit all alone in the corner.  What am I going to  do?

[Zach]

Stacey, here is my problem.  Hope someone can offer a suggestion.  In the last hour of D, I get a tremendous  amount of gas.  When I sat next to crazy Roy, I'd just  go ahead and do it then I'd glare at him casting the blame on him.  Now I sit all alone in the corner.  What am I going to  do?

Better out than in.