Dialyzing in CANADA

[carson]

Del, the machine that Jb and I use is the Bellco formula. It takes me 30 minutes to set up and about 30 to undo in the am (only because it takes that long to disinfect) All the while I do other things - get ready for bed or make my breakfast. I have yet to see a dialysis machine that doesn't require some time to get set up. Even when I was in hospital a month ago it took the techs longer to set up the fresenius machine than it does for me to set up my machine at home.
My neph told me the Nxstage machine is not very good for what programs we offer here in Canada. In the US it's different because of their health care system. Anyway, that's my take on things

[mogee]

I noticed thread on the website where people mention in center nocturnal hemo.
I have never heard of this in Canada.
Does anyone know if this is available in Canada?

Also, I like some other posters use the Bellco Formula Home Care for home nocturnal hemo.
I find it time consuming and not user friendly.
It there a better machine for nocturnal?
What about the nxstage machine?

In-centre nocturnal is available in Toronto at the St. Micheal's hospital.  I use a Bellco Formula and have several years experience with the Gambro Integra.  The sad truth is that there are no more user friendly or time-effective machines available in Canada for home dialysis.  The NxStage machine, I've been told, is not approved for use by Health Canada and there seems to be little motivation on the part of the machine's manufacturer to get it approved. 

[jg]

Everyone:
I thought I would pass on some Dialysis related info.

1. There is a Canadian group of educators, patients etc. called IMPACKD. From googling, they seem to
focus on the build up of calcium related to binders.

2. In 2006 when I was in Kelowna, an American named Shad Ireland gave a talk. He is on hemo and
does Ironman competitions. He also gives grants to patients for exercise equipment, sports equipment
etc. His Canadian website is shadirelandfoundation.ca

3. The Kidney Foundation of Canada has a peer to peer phone buddy system (free). I was hooked up to
get support from a pd patient in Medicine Hat, Alberta for a few years.

Has anyone heard of a product called RedSense that is a blood detection alarm? According to their website,
it is available in Canada.         Jeff             

[del]

Not sure what our blood detector alarm is called. Hubby puts it on his arm next to his needles every night.  Think it is the same type of alarm systm they use for bedwetters!!

[Riki]

I'm a member of IMPACKD.  One of the things that they are working on new is a regulation for food manufacturers to put phosphorus and potassium content on the label as part of the nutrition facts

[mogee]

I'm a member of IMPACKD.  One of the things that they are working on new is a regulation for food manufacturers to put phosphorus and potassium content on the label as part of the nutrition facts

I hope for your success.  It is usually impossible to tell unless you've memorized a huge list, it would help people avoid many high k and ph foods.

[Dex]

I'm also in Calgary, but on PD, the clinic i've been treated at for the last few years now is health on 12th, or the Sheldon Chumir building, absolutely fantastic staff, very personal and always remeber my name even though i'm only in once every 3 months or so.

[murf]

I think Canadians are so mature when It comes with dealing with their British background. In Australia, we still have the Union Jack on our flag and the Queen is still the head of state. She could still dismiss the government if she so desires. Just love the Canadian flag and their system of government. 

[Henry P Snicklesnorter]

.

[mogee]

I think Canadians are so mature when It comes with dealing with their British background. In Australia, we still have the Union Jack on our flag and the Queen is still the head of state. She could still dismiss the government if she so desires. Just love the Canadian flag and their system of government.

Our system of government is barely different from yours.  Our head of state is the Queen, represented by a Governor General federally, and Lieutenants Governor in the several provinces.  The GG was recently called upon by the P.M. to disperse parliament early.  She did, in accordance with constitutional custom.  Our flag was created in 1966, over great fury with some who wanted the union jack to be part of Canada's flag.

[huldafolk]

HI all,  Dialysis in Manitoba here, Winnipeg to be exact.  We have many centers in hospitals around the city, but only one separate self standing one. I go there. I can't stand it when I travel and have to go to isolation at CENTRAL HSC until the swabs results come back. How stupid. I can go to a hospital within Manitoba/way up to Thompson or Churchill and no isolation or swabs, but if I cross into NW Ontario and go to the hospital in Kenora for treatment when on holiday all the isolation crap starts up going both ways.  What is this stupidity??  More chance it would seem to me to get a MERSA exposure in northern Manitoba hospital.  I dialyze  in a teaching hospital, we seem to have training RN's all the time coming thru. They rotate which patient they send them to, but I will tell you there are good ones and useless ones. My fistula angles as it goes up to my shoulder and some needle in straight even if I point it out to them, then blow out the back of the vessel.  Not pleased. Don't like being a guinea pig for the process, but I understand they have to start somewhere, by why me??  Happy I don't pay cash out of pocket for all of this/ I am a multi-million dollar man at this point after all the operations/complications/test/scans/dialysis/consults etc/. Just paid thru the nose at TAX time!!!!

[Riki]

We're swabbed here whenever we travel too, before we leave, and after we get back, or if we've been in hospital outside of the province.  That happens a lot, because if anything happens with our kidney disease that isn't easily treated, we have to go to Halifax. All the dialysis units on PEI are satellites of the main unit in Halifax

[jg]

Huldafolk:
Perhaps by talking to a supervisor, they would let you put the needles in yourself.
You could "train" the nurses by showing them how to successfully  do it.     

I do home nocturnal hemo. Does anyone know of in centers that allow
patients to self needle?

Jeff         

[Riki]

I don't know of any centres that don't allow people to self needle.  I know one guy in my unit does. He has buttonholes. There's a girl with a liine who connects herself and does her own dressings as well.

[lorna]

any bad experiences in the calgary area?

[jg]

Today is Thanksgiving in Canada.
So happy Thanksgiving Day to everyone.   
It is not easy to have kidney failure, be on dialysis, waiting for a transplant and be thankful.
But the sun is shining here in Calgary. There is a big football game - Calgary vs Montreal.
And a low sodium meal to look forward to.   
 
Jeff

[Bruno]

Sorry to butt in, but this thread is really interesting. I am astonished that nobody self needles...here in Sydney you can't do home dialysis unless you learn to. We use the button hole technique that makes it reasonably easy.

[RenalSurvivorDotCA]

I do home nocturnal hemo. Does anyone know of in centers that allow
patients to self needle?

Jeff         

I don't know of any centres that don't allow people to self needle.  I know one guy in my unit does. He has buttonholes. There's a girl with a liine who connects herself and does her own dressings as well.

My unit allows self needling. I do it but I use sharps rather than buttonholes/blunts. I just rotate my sites. I am currently waiting for a spot in Dialysis Teaching to do nocturnal home hemo. I plan to do 8hrs/night x 6 nights a week. Can't wait for no fluid restrictions and no food restrictions.  Woohoo!   

[del]

Hubby can self needle. He has buttonholes.  I have made him lazy though by doing the needles for him!!