I have become Dialysis "Destroyer of Lives"

[talon999]

Rerun,

A regular cruise with a few chairs and a doc might be nice. I will look into that. I did check out your link and laughed my a$$ off. I could relate to more than I care to think about. I am amazed at the level of humor on the site.

stauffenberg,

The title seemed to "fit". I was sure that anyone on Dialysis would understand the feeling behind it. I was hoping that these same people could help dispel this same feeling.

TheTake Care

Mark

[pdpatty]

Dialysis can take over. I get up 3:00am M,W,F. Want to shower and eat first. Husband always took me and we were never late but he is down with his back and was hospitalized today for it. Now I have to stress out finding a ride to center and back home. We live in country 15 miles from center.
I don't drive,lost eyesight a few years back and can't see enough to drive.

Found out medicare will not lhelp get me there cause I don't need a gurney. Other places in our county can't help because we aren't below poverty level ,yet not wealthy enough to hire a private transport.

Yes,dialysis can take over your life!

[flip]

I've never really considered myself a dialysis patient. I prefer to think of myself as just someone who has to dialyze three times a week. I never really think about it until I look at the clock and see that it's time to go. I refuse to let it take control of me. I have too many other things to do.

[talon999]

That is Great Flip !! I hope I can get there someday. I've got a ways to go.

Mark

[RichardMEL]

I understand the cruises are regular cruises with a specific area and staff set aside for dialysis chairs/machines etc... so on a big ship with a few thousand people there would be definitely a spread of ages so the 15 year old should be fine I would imagine.. but you'd need to look at specific cruises and companies to see if that was for you I guess. I know they only do them out of oz once a year (November I think) because of the logistics... the nurses in my unit wanted to get me to go with a fellow (female hehe) patient but that didn't quite work out unfortunately....

[talon999]

RichardMEL,

Yeah, I am going to have to do my homework. I have a credit at Carnival. I will have to see what they can offer.


Mark

[flip]

I know a couple of nurses who do the cruises from time to time. They don't get paid anything, they just get a free cruise.

www.dialysisatsea.com

[Zach]

Talon,

You should check out Bill Peckham's travels:
http://www.speakeasy.org/~bpeckham/

You should PM Bill for more info.

I've also traveled all over the world. With the right planning, it can be quiet a wonderful experience.
 

[talon999]

Thanks Zach,

That is good to hear. At this point you are much braver than I. Travelling all over the world would make me nervous. A cruise I might be able to handle.

Mark

[Loretta]

I have had a hard time with my life being dialysis.  I haven't left this city in the 18 months I have been on dialysis.  I am now wanting to move.  I want to be closer to family.  I will live with my mother and brother who is also disabled due to cerbal palsey.  I have a couple of siblings moving out of my Mom's home so their now is room.  The problem is it is about 700 miles away.  Too far for me to drive in one day.  I have a sister that lives half way but there is not a dialysis unit in her small town.  I am thinking about hiring a moving service but don't know if I could afford it.  I just got a new car because my old one died, and I like it, so I have to get that moved too.  Some people ask my why I don't just fly, but I have the car, a large dog and all my stuff.
Loretta

[twirl]

RichardMel       SOBS     

[RichardMEL]

I have had a hard time with my life being dialysis.  I haven't left this city in the 18 months I have been on dialysis.  I am now wanting to move.  I want to be closer to family.  I will live with my mother and brother who is also disabled due to cerbal palsey.  I have a couple of siblings moving out of my Mom's home so their now is room.  The problem is it is about 700 miles away.  Too far for me to drive in one day.  I have a sister that lives half way but there is not a dialysis unit in her small town.  I am thinking about hiring a moving service but don't know if I could afford it.  I just got a new car because my old one died, and I like it, so I have to get that moved too.  Some people ask my why I don't just fly, but I have the car, a large dog and all my stuff.
Loretta

Forgive me Loretta, but can't you move you and your stuff over your dialysis "weekend" (the 2 days off between sessions - presuming you are doing 3x/week in center, which I assume you are due to your comment about there not being a dialysis center in your sister's small town)? With the right sort of planning I am sure you could do an "extra" session, or an earlier one (eg: morning instead of afternoon) at your destination - presuming you can get a spot somewhere there.

I am sure this is something you could organise with the help of your unit/center's social worker?