The "Week 3 (Already!) of Home Hemodialysis Training", edition.

Still no music.  Still training. 3 weeks!! How intense is that?!  We're doing modules on the computer while in the center...me in the dialysis chair and Brian sitting next to me. Taking tests. So many manuals and quick help guides. Brian is now certified to take blood samples!! He also injects my meds...through the tubing. ;-)   Still can't get him to stick me...but then again I really don't want anyone to stick me anymore. Lol. Although he is the master at removing the needles.  We've got the aseptic technique down to a science. Lots of Purel and lots of disposable gloves! 

Last week the nurse trainer told us we'd be going home at the end of this week. Yikes!!!  So then it started. Last week we were given a box that had the hook up for the water source. We finally got that working with the help of Dad and the condo plumber. The next day we were given boxes with saline solution. By the time we got home on Friday, we received a call informing us that the dialysis machine and the Pureflow machine will be delivered and set up Wednesday (today). Monday we got sent home with another box. I saw the needles, but I don't know what else is in there....I needed to get a recliner. That will be delivered tomorrow. And I had to talk with the company (NxStage) to learn how to order supplies. So the supplies will be delivered on Friday. Enough supplies to last until March!!!!!  Whoa. We made storage space, but I dunno. Lol. We may be overrun with boxes very soon. 

We also need a cart to hold the supplies we will be using during treatment.  Supplies such as gauze, paper tape, disposable gloves , those pads they put between my arm and furniture, in case of spillage and stray blood drops. We also need a sharps container..to toss needles and other sharp things and we'll need to dispose of hazmat materials and will need to dispose of all of that tubing!!  The dialysis center will be supplying us with most of the things we need.  Even the Purel! 

We have to record data  before, during and after treatment. We also need to fax the reports to the nurse everyday. The data is my pre-treatment weight, standing and sitting blood pressure, body temperature, an inspection of my access.  It also includes readings on the machine every half hour and my blood pressure. Oh yeah, we also get an automatic blood pressure thingy. The challenge is make the bedroom not look like a clinic. I think with the really comfy recliner, it'll work!  Lol. 

Finally, I'm already feeling the benefits of daily dialysis. The fluid gain is much less...because I'm not going days between treatment. This means less toxins and fluids to take off and a much gentler and shorter run. My labs are already instantly better because ...  Daily dialysis. During training I still have the weekend off and my Monday's are devastating to me because I haven't dialyzed in almost 72 hours. Well maybe I'm being dramatic. But I got used to small amounts of fluid gains. Over the weekend I'm back to the gains I had in-center.  The good news is, once we're home, we set the schedule. It looks like we're going to dialyze Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Off Wednesday and Sunday. 

We'll probably have one more week of training because my labs came back showing my hemoglobin was low. This means Brian will have to inject something called Epogen during some of my treatments. And he'll have to inject me with iron. The nurse will be training him on that. But for the most part we're doing ok. We're learning error messages and now to deal with them. Like yesterday, my venous pressure was wonky, but it had to do with the stick and how the needle moved during the taping. Taping of the access.  That's an art unto itself.  It doesn't seem that way, does it?  

We've just moved into this. It was scary. Still is scary, but not as much. Think about this. My life is in Brian's hands. How much do I trust this man?  Obviously, with my life!  So much thanks for him. I can't even know where to start. Well, I'm signing out. Looking for a 70 degree day today!  Have a great day! Photo of Brian doing his thing. :-D.