Skipping a session

[jambo101]

 Looks like dialysis is in my very near future and was wondering about the consequences of skipping a session every once in a while. My Dad was going 3X a week and every once in a while he would skip a session with apparently no ill effects.
Any one skip a session?

[Michael Murphy]

The biggest reason not to skip is that the transplant centers check to see if you are compliant with your dialysis treatments.  Plus in 6 years of dialysis the people I’ve seen regularly skipping have passed on.  When I need a day off I go and deny I am there.  If I need  to be else where I reschedule my treatment.  Remember you are replacing 168 hours a week of kidney function with 12 hours of treatment.

[Simon Dog]

Actually, the biggest reason is to end up not dead.

When I was on in center D, the local clinic was great about rescheduling appointments (usually moving the time around keeping the same day) so I could meet other less important obligations.

[GA_DAWG]

While the temptation is certainly understandable, remmeber that fluid continues to build up when you do. It is not like fluid decides to take the day off along with you. That means much more fluid removed at your next session, and the more fluid the harder it is on your heart and other systems, to say nothing of the possiblity of developing congestive heart failure in the meantime. The people I see skipping or shortening treatments spend much more time hospitalized and have more issues during dialysis.

[Simon Dog]

If you skip a Tuesday session you will not have your next one until Saturday (unless you make arrangements to make up the session).

This makes for bad karma.  Really bad karma.  Don't do it.   

If you unavoidably miss a session (have diarrhea, very sick, stuck in a holding cell, etc.) call your clinic ASAP to see if you can get a makeup session.  If the clinic says no, contact your neph for instructions.

[jambo101]

Thanks guys great info .

[mholiver]

I have 10-15% kidney function left and m[/size]y treatment is at home PD.
At the chagrin of my docs, I insist of doing treatment every other night.
So far, it's worked out fine and I'm prepared to increase if necessary.
I've been on dialysis 1.5 years.

[Simon Dog]

At least you have a doc who is willing to let you make your own choice on the risk/benefit curve, rather than just saying "no PD for you".

[mholiver]

I said nothing & It was months before discovered by them actually reading my log with dates of treatment. 

[mholiver]

I said nothing & It was months before discovered by them actually reading my log with dates of treatment.  Because my labs stayed good they didn’t fight me.   

[kristina]

In "my" dialysis center there was a young man who regularly "skipped" a session or two. The strain on his body was too difficult to handle and he is not with us any longer ...

[Michael Murphy]

I have a tee shirt that sums it up, “Dialysis Damned if you do, Dead if you don’t.”

[kristina]

Thank you Michael for sharing this text with us, it certainly sums it all up without any question and leaves no doubt about the options ! ! ! 

[Mr Ken]

If you skip a Tuesday session you will not have your next one until Saturday (unless you make arrangements to make up the session).

If on Tuesday the previous session would have been Saturday so the next session would be Thursday. Skipping Tuesday you would go Sun, Mon, Tues, Wed with no D.  That is a stretch with no D. 

[Simon Dog]

If you skip a Tuesday session you will not have your next one until Saturday (unless you make arrangements to make up the session).

If on Tuesday the previous session would have been Saturday so the next session would be Thursday. Skipping Tuesday you would go Sun, Mon, Tues, Wed with no D.  That is a stretch with no D.

Good catch - I should have said if you skip a Thursday session.

You would be better equipped to skip a session - or rather reschedule it to a better day/time with home hemo on NxStage which is recommended for 5-6 treatments a week, though some MDs let patients get away with 4.

[cassandra]

While in clinic D, I used to skip a monthly Wednesday on a M,W,F schedule. If you don't eat, and drink much it's not death inducing. Residial kidney function would certainly be beneficial, but I never had any, so that's not the reason I'm still on this planet.


   

[Michael Murphy]

Last year my normal schedule is MWF when I went to the lake I was scheduled for TTS which would mean 3 days in between  treatments.  SSM then go Tuesday. To avoid this I rescheduled my Friday to a Saturday.

[kitkatz]

It is never a good idea to skip dialysis sessions.  You toxins build up according to what you eat and are exposed to throughout your day.  Treat  your dialysis sessions like they are a part time job.

[Mr Ken]

It is never a good idea to skip dialysis sessions.  You toxins build up according to what you eat and are exposed to throughout your day.  Treat  your dialysis sessions like they are a part time job.

 I would say more closer to full time job........... Come January I am putting in changes...... Still trying to get use to this mess..... Going to two month delivery schedule and going back and forth with the total session time....
 

[Riki]

I have a hard time getting through the break between my Friday and Monday treatments, so skipping is not an option.  A transplant really isn't on my radar, so I'm not worried about compliancy issues, but I do hate the tired and puffy feeling I have come Sunday evening and Monday morning.  Getting to dialysis Monday evening is always a bit of a relief.  I even told my instructors not to worry too much if I am irritable or overly emotional on Mondays, as that is another of the lovely side effects caused by toxin buildup

[Simon Dog]

It is never a good idea to skip dialysis sessions.  You toxins build up according to what you eat and are exposed to throughout your day.  Treat  your dialysis sessions like they are a part time job.

Not really .... you can take an occasional day off from a part time job.

[jambo101]

Weather played a role in my missing my wednesday session, the city was shut down due to 40cm of snow leaving me no way to get to the dialysis center. hopefully things will go better today.

[cassandra]

I have a hard time getting through the break between my Friday and Monday treatments, so skipping is not an option.  A transplant really isn't on my radar, so I'm not worried about compliancy issues, but I do hate the tired and puffy feeling I have come Sunday evening and Monday morning.  Getting to dialysis Monday evening is always a bit of a relief.  I even told my instructors not to worry too much if I am irritable or overly emotional on Mondays, as that is another of the lovely side effects caused by toxin buildup

Hi Riki I keep forgetting to ask what the reason is for not doing home-hemo?


Love,Cas

[jambo101]

Have a 4 day road trip upcoming this summer,it will mean i have to skip one session, is it better to skip the Friday or the Monday?
Thanks

[iolaire]

Have a 4 day road trip upcoming this summer,it will mean i have to skip one session, is it better to skip the Friday or the Monday?
Thanks

When I would be missing a session I always asked for an extra treatment the day before so I would go into the gap with extra clean blood.  So I'd due Wednesday/Thursday AM (depart right after the Thursday treatment) and then catch back up on Monday.  Or just schedule treatment on Saturday at the destination.