Ignorant things people have said to you

[PrimeTimer]

Ignorant Things People Have Said:

Fresenius telling us we owe them for a year of dialysis. 

[Riki]

I like the look I get from people when I tell them that I haven't peed since 2007.  Even medical professionals that know I'm on dialysis give me that questioning look

[Charlie B53]

I've known there are times when you just have to wait and 'hold it', but this is stretching it a bit!

[freddagg]

i designed a t-shirt yesterday

[Riki]

I LOVE it!!

[coldhoist]

What's the most ignorant thing someone has said to you regarding dialysis?

My 'winner' was: "Boy, I wish someone would make ME sit in a recliner for four hours!"

If only they knew. Four hours in that chair is torture for me. Until they have experienced it, they will never know what it is like to have kidney failure.

[Riki]

What's the most ignorant thing someone has said to you regarding dialysis?

My 'winner' was: "Boy, I wish someone would make ME sit in a recliner for four hours!"

If only they knew. Four hours in that chair is torture for me. Until they have experienced it, they will never know what it is like to have kidney failure.

I had a nurse, who's since moved on to another job, who decided that we had it pretty good in those chairs, until she decided to try it out herself.  She didn't last 20 minutes.  Mind you, we don't have the lazy-boy type chairs.  What we have are glorified stretchers with arm rests, head rests, and foot rests.  We can move it up and down, and lay it back, along with raising and lowering the head and feet.  It also has an emergency button on the bottom that a nurse can hit with her foot that puts the head down and the feet up.  It's quite an experience when they hit that button

[GA_DAWG]

Actually, I doubt they could take just sitting in the worn out chairs for four hours, much less with a couple of inch long prongs shoved in the arm, Tape everywhere, and every time you move the machine rings its bell.

[okarol]

My sister was on dialysis for 7 years, got a transplant 8 weeks ago via paired exchange. While going to the hospital during her pre-surgery evaluations, nurses asked her at least 3 times, how often she checks her blood sugar. "Never." After getting shocked looks she would say, "I am not diabetic." It's presumptuous that a medical professional would think her ESRD is because of diabetes. Read the chart.

[Simon Dog]

Triage nurse at ER intake: "Which kidney did they transplant, left or right?".

[kristina]

Triage nurse at ER intake: "Which kidney did they transplant, left or right?".

Hello Simon, isn't there a valuable difference between a left- or a right-kidney-transplant, not only for the recipient (more physical difficulties, also more possible difficulties with anti-rejection-medication etc.) but also for the donor (possible chronic pain etc.) because each kidney functions physically a little different from the other with different "jobs" to do etc.? I have heard that a left kidney-transplant causes more future-medical-problems for the donor and also for the recipient?
Many thanks from Kristina.

[Simon Dog]

The kidneys do not have different jobs, but there are mechanical (not biological or filtration) differences.  The left is usually slightly larger.  This is similar to how the left testicle usually is slightly larger and hangs lower*, a man's Johnson generally goes down the left leg of pants**, left feet are often very slightly larger than the right, and in some women the left breast is slightly larger.   

Surgeons often prefer the left because the ureter is longer and makes for an easier install.   Living doners may be better giving the right, because the vasculature of the adrenal gland is better on the left.  This is consistent with more medical problems for the left donor.   I am not aware of the left presenting more problems for the recipient, however, forcing the surgeon to use a shorter ureter may be of some benefit to the recipient (just guessing on that one).

My MD was second in line for the corpse, and the right kidney was the only one available to him.    He seems to think that a bit odd because the left one had a big cyst on it, and the surgeon ahead of him in line chose that, but that just shows the prejudice towards taking the left one if you have a choice.

But, back on topic - it was clear the triage RN was asking me "which of your kidneys was replaced", not "did you receive a left or right kidney".

* - Ok, so how many of you reading this paused to check?
** - Tailors call this dressing to the left

[SooMK]

I thought most kidney transplant recipients didn't get replacements, just an additional one. I know I didn't lose either one. Technically I have three but I was told the original ones would gradually get smaller and smaller. Although I recently read about transplants where recipients received two kidneys. I hadn't heard about this. The surgeon for my live donor told her she had a small cyst on one of her kidneys so that's the one I would get. And I was honored to get it.

The questions and comments I have heard from medical professionals (not even getting into nonprofessionals who get a pass) regarding kidney transplants and kidney disease is unsettling. People need to get out more.

[Simon Dog]

I thought most kidney transplant recipients didn't get replacements, just an additional one. I know I didn't lose either one. Technically I have three but I was told the original ones would gradually get smaller and smaller. Although I recently read about transplants where recipients received two kidneys. I hadn't heard about this. The surgeon for my live donor told her she had a small cyst on one of her kidneys so that's the one I would get. And I was honored to get it.

The questions and comments I have heard from medical professionals (not even getting into nonprofessionals who get a pass) regarding kidney transplants and kidney disease is unsettling. People need to get out more.

The old kidneys are generally removed only if they cause a problem (like PKG kidneys getting to the size of basketballs).    Pre-xplant I had to fight off MDs trying to prescribe transfusions to anemia (borderline case) and had one actually ask "Why?".    I said "You know I am a transplant candidate and your asking why?" ..... "Yes" ..... "Alloimmunization" .... "Ok, I understand now".  I watched a great teaching moment when the chief hemo guy a the hospital schooled a resident why the patient was refusing a transfusion, and why she should honor the request.

[SooMK]

Ah yes. This is what I thought.

[okarol]

Triage nurse at ER intake: "Which kidney did they transplant, left or right?".

lol