You lot have been quiet !

[KICKSTART]

Blimey ive not been on here for a few days and thought i would have had loads to read ! but everyone has been quiet ! Am i the only big gob on here ?  I havent been posting because ,a) ive felt quite rough off the new tablets , b) ive got bloody ice on my bedroom windows , on the inside !!!! and c) there is no heating ! So ive been downstairs huddled in front of the fire. Anyway it seems our dialysis unit has moved on , i am now dialysis patient/cleaner !!!! Yup not only do i have to go through my dialysis , i  have to start cleaning when im done !  I borrowed an over the bed table , something i do most sessions but this time was told to clean it all down when i got off dialysis ! I know for a fact this is not my job , its the cleaners or the nurses who do this. I wouldnt normally mind, but after dialysis bending down and starting to clean would not seem to be the wisest move to me ! Ive told them if they take the brakes off my machine , i will go round with the tea trolley as well ( i left out that bit about sticking a brush up my **** and i would sweep the floor at the same time ! ) On a bit brighter note , one of our chappies has gone off for his transplant today ....right about now !  I saw him yesterday and sent him off with a big hug and a good luck card . How is everyone in the UK dealing with this weather ? Hope you are keeping warm ?   

[billybags]

I can not believe they have got you cleaning. What about elf and safety. They are having a laugh. We are coping well with the weather, well just about. I feel for people who live in out lying districts and there are many around us who are on hemo, how are they getting to the unit? I had a moan beginning of last week about the over load of fluids we are being delivered, I think I will keep my mouth shut they must have known about the white stuff coming, or not. Al  has just took the grand kids out sledging, I've told him not to pull the sledge because of his heart, but aye I don't think he will listen. Sounds like you are coping OK, what has happened to your heating? I suppose we can now call you a scrubber, keep it up and give them a bill.

[MooseMom]

My son keeps calling me because he is bored because he can't get to college because of the snow because of climate change because of I'm not quite sure.  During the 18 years I lived in the UK, we had a big snow only two or three times, and yes, the country does shut down completely.  I had quite a few Scandinavian clients who would just laugh at us.

Are you feeling better, RickyG?  Over here, you can actually buy slippers that are actually floor rags, so you can clean the floor without stooping over...you just sort of shimmy around the room.  I suspect that this might work better than a buttmop...  More comfy, too!

[Poppylicious]

I was wondering where you'd got to Kickie.  No heating?  Yikes! We've had barely any snow but what we have had isn't melting because of the sub-zero temperatures so it's now just nasty compacted slippy stuff.  My part of the country is therefore running quite smoothly, apart from a couple of broken down buses and students falling over and breaking leg bones.

Don't forget to take your Marigolds to your next dialysis session ...

 

[jbeany]

Snow and cold here, too.  Not a big surprise in mid-Michigan at the beginning of December, of course.  It happens every year.  I'm always amazed that so many idiots forget that snow makes the driving conditions worse.  But every year, the first snow is a driving disaster.  Idiots sliding into the ditches and each other every other block.  Every idiot with 4 wheel drive and a good score on Grand Theft Auto thinks they are invincible on ice. 

KS, I'd tell them I want I rebate on my bill if I'm going to have to use the self-service lane....

[Riki]

I think it's weird... snowing in the UK, and raining here.. and it's not even cold... although, other parts of Canada are under snow and sub-zero temperatures

[Bruno]

Gee, KickStart I've been slaving away working at this forum and you haven't noticed. Christmas in Australia is always hot, our Summer offically started 1st December and the weather has been extremely pleasant although there is a thunder storm about to hit as I'm sitting here at my hot keyboard. I don't know why you object to cleaning up after dialysis...we strip the machine, wipe it down, clean the bench and get the next session's supplies from the store room before we leave...they get you started on this as soon as you start dialysis.
Are you telling me I don't have to do it?
And what about that fellow who I don't know but seems very friendly and turns up every other day and sits and talks to me? I always thought he was a patient from another ward with nothing to do but somebody told me he was a volunteer.
Helping out without being asked? What next?

[Stoday]

What on earth do you do with your overbed table for it to need cleaning KS?

Everyone in my unit has one; I use mine for DVD player DVDs holds a cup of tes and biscuits. Only needs an elbow wipe at the most.

[billybags]

Hi KS, dialysis to-day have you done any scrubbing. I think this is so funny.

[Jean]

Somehow I just know this is another "blonde" joke. Tell me it is. Tell me that you do not have to clean things up after you. Or are these people insane? Aren't we the PATIENTS? What kind of a deal is this??

[KICKSTART]

Gee, KickStart I've been slaving away working at this forum and you haven't noticed. Christmas in Australia is always hot, our Summer offically started 1st December and the weather has been extremely pleasant although there is a thunder storm about to hit as I'm sitting here at my hot keyboard. I don't know why you object to cleaning up after dialysis...we strip the machine, wipe it down, clean the bench and get the next session's supplies from the store room before we leave...they get you started on this as soon as you start dialysis.
Are you telling me I don't have to do it?
And what about that fellow who I don't know but seems very friendly and turns up every other day and sits and talks to me? I always thought he was a patient from another ward with nothing to do but somebody told me he was a volunteer.
Helping out without being asked? What next?

Bruno ..you being sarcastic? about cleaning up after dialysis ? Strip down a machine ? set up? good god we would be strung up ! Besides i wouldnt want the patient before me setting up my machine ! As for your weather , yes im aware of what its like , my brother lives out there !

[KICKSTART]

What on earth do you do with your overbed table for it to need cleaning KS?

Everyone in my unit has one; I use mine for DVD player DVDs holds a cup of tes and biscuits. Only needs an elbow wipe at the most.

I put a laptop on it or dvd player ....wouldnt dare put a cup of tea on it !

[looneytunes]

KS...I was just wondering about you and there you are!  Cleaning a dialysis machine!  That's got to be one for the record books.

[Des]

KS . good to here from you.

 

We both need to come to our units with the freeking health police. It seems that I hate my unit as much as you hate yours. But at least I am not cleaning mine. WTH?

I just want to kill the staff......  They don't care a darn thing about any of us.

I have seen the snow on TV and it looks VERY COLD  their by you guys. I am sending hugs and wood and I almost forgot the broom   

[Bruno]

It's not hard to clean a dialysis machine, on mine I press a button with Hot Rinse written alongside it. Setting up consists of getting out the gear for the next dialysis: saline bags, bibag, dialysate, tubing, filter and cannulation kit.
It's not everybody who objects to helping out. our hospital would not be the place it is without volunteers nor would society in general.
Just because I'm on dialysis doesn't mean I'm helpless nor does it mean my nurses don't work their guts out and don't mind a bit of help now and then.

[Des]

Bruno,

I agree with you that people must be helpful. We are not allowed to do anything for ourselves ie. switch off alarms, fetch packs, needles blankets or anything else. They dont' want to get into trouble if we do something wrong.

I asked them once what "something" was for on the machine and I got the reply : " do you want the manual? That is my job not yours"
SO in my case.......I am the pasient and I refuse to do anything.

Glad your unit is ok.

ps I am not helpless either.

[Bruno]

Des, when I asked they gave me a manual...most helpful, it's odd but the part I enjoyed most was learning to use a needle. I just loved filling it and pressing it to get the bubbles out. Over here they have us injecting our Aranesp ourselves. When they said I needed it I thought It a good idea because I was really aneamic (spelling?) but then they said I could stick the needle in because it would save me coming in to hospital, I still said no way, Jose, but they showed me anyway and I did it anyway.
It's strange the way different countries and people approach things.

[KICKSTART]

Bruno..you do hd in a unit? For a start our units over here have nurses ! that is what they are there for !!! In all my working life i never had someone come in and do my job for me! Our unit has it pretty easy, only 12 patients per shift , so if a team of 5 or 6 nurses cannot do their jobs then something is wrong. Its policy anyway not to let us touch set up equipment or machines in the clean cycle. If you are on hd , why do you inject yourself? why is it not put directly into your lines while on hemo? seems a bit pointless to me to inject as well!

[rsudock]

Yeah everyone deserves a little helping hand but I don't want a patient cleaning and setting up my machine. The techs and nurses are trained....I mean patient just have had fluid taking off of them what if they forget something....I don't know I got a bill accidently from my unit and it was around $35,000 bucks...they can clean the machine.    I like to bring in treats to show my appreciation. I gave michelle some chinese food for saving me last wednesday.

[kevno]

Yeah, I have been a bit quiet over the past few years. To many hits over the head by old  OUCH!

joking  apart. I have had a bit going on in my life these last couple of months, but all us patient have a lot going on. New tesio lines in my neck. Gone deaf in my right ear, had steroid injections through the ear drum (which hurt a TINY bit), Pneumonia and conjunctivitis got put in isolation for two weeks. Well fed UP Now my thumb and three fingers keep going numb and sore. found out I now need a opp on my wrist for carpol tunnel. Told it could have been caused by to much snooker  as if, its the three failed fistula's in that arm, plus the 44 staples to try to restart one fistula. How dare they blame snooker 

On the unit I am on. They used to let us set up the machines, plus the packs and needles to put us on. But now we do nothing plus they will not let us touch the machine.

When i was on dialysis in the 70's only ten, I had my own socket set do make my keel kidney up, ready for my 6 hour dialysis.

Renal patients never give up!!!!! JUST VISIT HELL AND HOPEFULLY COME BACK!!  KEVNO 


 

[Bruno]

It's my impression from this site that different places approach things very differently, over my time here I've noticed...
1) the attitude to family being present...sometimes at our clinic its hard to pick out the staff from family, I think our view is that if family presence helps the patient, well come in (within limits of course)
2) the use of people other than nurses to treat dialysis patients...here techs look after the machines, nurses look after the patient
3) the separation of dialysis patients into two streams...those willing to care for themselves including cannulation, preparation of machine and cleaning (I'm one) and those who for many reasons can't (or won't)
4) the facility for those who want to dialyse at home which include the supply of a free machine and supplies
5) the ability to discuss your condition in depth with experienced nurses who are goldmines of information and share it freely
6) the use of volunteers through out the hospital...often people who share your experience and who can be helpful
70 the general absence of rants against staff and doctors which I find puzzling on this site. Don't mistake me, I can clearly see what provokes it, but it still puzzles me all the same.
I know this post will provoke comment, but please bear in mind I am one happy little vegemite with the treatment of my particular dialysis problem and feel deeply in the debt of nurses and doctors who made it possible. 
 

[KICKSTART]

I could pick up on several points you have made here, but to be honest i CBA. The only one i will point out is number 3 , cant & wont ..try replacing it with are NOT allowed ! After many years on PD , i am neither lazy or reluctant to manage my own treatment or machine, but PROTOCOL does not allow it.

[monrein]

As I understood Bruno's post, he's commenting on the different approaches to treating patients BY the facilities in different places.  Some are caring, reasonable and respectful, others aren't.  I didn't understand him to be commenting on patient approaches or being critical of patients.  My experiences are very similar to his and I'm super grateful that my units and staff have been the kind he describes rather than the kind you have experienced Kickstart.  It's simply not right that some patients are made to feel like adversaries of the people that are supposed to be "helpful" to them.