Missing dialysis treatments

[Southpaw]

I was wondering what everyone thought about missing a treatment about once every 2 months.  My kidney function is still at 10% and my doctor told me to miss last month cause the tech infiltrated me.  This month my wife had surgery and I had no one to watch my son, so I had to miss a treatment.  I don't feel any worse when I miss treatments but the techs say it will catch up to me and I will suffer later.  My dr was even contemplating letting me go only twice a week.  I just started dialysis 2 months ago so I am new at it.

Also, I am on a transplant list and I don't want anything to jepardize that.   Please let me know if missing a treatment once every month or two is a big deal.

[jeannea]

If you have the approval of your doc, missing a treatment will not affect your transplant status. If you have a bad problem come up like missing a day for your wife's surgery, make sure you communicate with them so they don't waste time and money setting up your machine. Health wise, I guess it's your decision. Missing, even for a good reason, always made me feel like crap.

[boswife]

Im not the D person, my hubby is, but heres one example.  He got the flu and was having stuff comming from both ends     Though of course it's best to keep your treatments, they were understanding of this and should be of your missing for other reasons.  Correct in saying to let them know as soon as possible.  Makes for happier staff   He also is one who didnt feel bad AT ALL when missing treatments.  Once he wasnt dialysised for 5 days and felt great.      someone else, on their one day off may feel like crap.  He was peeing quite a bit then so that helped and would surly make a difference i would think for you too.  An important factor though for being on 'the list' IS *compliance* so you are under their thumb for that i believe.  Be very carful about that. 

[Riki]

If your doctor is cool with it, then there shouldn't be any problems transplant wise, just be sure that you can tolerate it.  I've missed due to infiltration, and I really can't tolerate it at all.  I'm glad that that has only happened twice in the last 4 years.

[BattleScars]

Wow, I wish I had 10% function lol. I'm about 5% but I still urinate quite a bit so I skip treatments every once in a while but my situation is a bit different as I'm doing PD 4 times a day. Sometimes I get busy and I can only do 3 but that doesn't make me feel too bad. It's when I skip an entire day that I start to notice things. On Sunday I had the day from Hell. My father in law is out to make my life miserable and he used Father's Day to mess with me. Anyways, because of all the drama that day I didn't do PD at all. I noticed a little fluid retention and I felt like crap but that could have been from all the stress too. I did feel better when I hooked up Monday morning and did my first exchange.   

I like to take day trips to NYC but we usually take a bus or train there instead of driving. I can't do my exchanges without a private sanitary place to do them. My doctor said I could miss a few treatments for the day as long as I watched my fluid and sodium intake really closely. I guess doing PD gives you the freedom to skip without the doctors knowing but the drawback is having to do treatments so often. You might not want to skip a few days before labs though cause just missing one exchange changes your labs and they can tell.

[Southpaw]

I'm on Hemodialysis and 3 days a week but the doctors were very close to letting me go 2 days a week.  Thats why I don't feel sick at all when I miss. I think I could get away with 2 days but the doctors are playing it safe.  I work 40 hours a week, I have a 7yr old son and my wife is dealing with breast cancer so i miss here and there.  I would hope the dr and the techs would understand.

[ChrisEtc]

I miss every month or two just because I get tired of going.  I wouldn't sweat it.  You have to live your life.

[amanda100wilson]

Have you considered switching to PD?  given that you are new to dialysis and that you still have residual renal function, PD with a cycler, would give you much more flexibility.  What was your rationale for choosing in-center?  I am wondering if you were properly advised of all your options.