My husband clotted up the machine for the first time in dialysis

[smokinbeaver]

Knew the time would come when my husband had his first rough day at dialysis. He clotted up the machine some where. They got it fixed, but he was po'd because he knew it meant he would be there at dialysis longer then 4 hrs. He came home here and is laughing about the tittie fairy comments. He is also going to get a McDonalds drink and empty it and have it filled with a strawberry dacquri drink from the bar you pass in LA on the way to the dialysis center. Yes, in Louisiana you can drive up to a bar and buy a Daquiri drink, alcohol and all and drive off. They have a drive through window.

Last week he was in the hospital from Wed till he went home Fri afternoon. He was at work and felt like crap. Then he started the chills and was freezing. He came home and checked his temp. It was 103. Me and my daughter weren't back home yet from Jackson, MS, so he drove himmself to the ER. He had the fever and chest pains by then. By the time me and Laura got there, his blood pressure was up and he had tachicardia too. His sugars that morning were high as well. After a while the ER dr looked at his legs because he had a high white blood count. It looked like he had cellulitis on one of his legs and the redness was spreading above his knee. They gave him IV anitibiotics and kept him in the hospital. The family dr changed the IV antibiotics to Vancomycin because he has a chest catheter. They had a real hard time getting his fever down. He is doing better (till the clotting incident at dialysis) and he no longer has a fever. The dr and nephrologist decided he should have the vancomycin for the next 4 or 5 weeks at each dialysis session to keep the infection in check. The cultures they did never grew whatever it was that was causing the infection. I am much more relieved then I was when I saw him so sick in the ER.

Sharon

[Joe]

Sorry to hear he had such a tough week. Hope things settle down for you all.

[smokinbeaver]

thanks Joe. I was wondering how often this happens. He doing fine, but came home with a headache. He hated having to be there longer then usual, but he does stay for the 4 hrs. Apparently at this center, many people don't stay the whole time that they should.

Sharon

[Whamo]

If he follows the fluid restrictions and renal diet he will find the ordeal of dialysis a bit easier to take.   Things do go wrong with dialysis treatments. 

[msrosefromms]

SB, where in LA are you? I am in LA, too.

Msrosefromms (no longer)

[YellowRose]

Sharon,
I did clot the machine once or twice when I first started in-center dialysis. I believe they had to adjust the heparin ( or whatever anticoagulants they use ) dose to make it run better.
I remember the nurse asked me if I ate food with too much vitamin k ( such as kale, spinach,  seaweed, and so on ) as well and it will affect how blood clot.
I know it is hard to stay longer than it need to be but hang in there. they will find the adjustment soon.
Take care!
Rose

[malaka]

Word to the wise.  Ask H every time you see him how his hearing is.  Any ringing, buzzing, or loss of hearing?  In case your docs haven't told you. vancomycin is a great, but effectively last resort antibiotic.  The problem?  Its known to be ototoxic (destroys the nerves in the ear) at high doses.  See the following link.  http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/drug-information/DR601965.

I'm not a doctor, but my mom was on IV vancomycin for chronic cellulitis related to cancer surgery she'd had and I'm just repeating what the doc told me to the best of my ability to remember.

[smokinbeaver]

Msrosefromms, we are actually in Vicksburg, MS. The dialysis center my husband chose to go to is right across the Mississippi River in Delta, LA. His nephrologist suggested he would like that one better then the one in Vicksburg, MS.

[smokinbeaver]

malaka, I did read that vancomycin is ototoxic. Of course I went home and searched the internet for side effects since no one told us a thing. He has not complained about any ringing in his ears....yet. Of course the doctors, none of them have told him this can happen with this antibiotic. With his infection, and having the chest catheter access for dialysis, it is still the best one he can take just in case there was any infection trying to grow in the catheter to his heart. It is a risk, I agree.

Sharon