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Wed 22 Mar, 2006 04:42 pm
It's been a few days (weeks actually) since it began..the nightmare, that is. It started off with a simple accident which led to one thing after another and now I have been introduced to dialysis. My late brother-in-law went through a number of years with dialysis and steady decline in physical energy and more and more health issues. I figured I would toss the question out here to see if anybody has ideas on what the real story is. The nephrologist is more than qualified at his job when it comes to the medical aspect; however he has no real emotional connection to the nervousness I am having.
Some might say it would be wise to check on forums directly related to this matter and in time I will. For now, I just need a start off spot.
Thanks in advance for any information.
There you are!
We've been worried.
And with good reason, looks like.
I have no good advice, I'm afraid, but glad to see you and sorry you've had such a rough few weeks.
Sturgis, first let me say that I am really sorry that you are having this problem. I have known two people who have undergone dialysis, but one was diabetic. The other was a woman who we met while camping, and she explained that this was one treatment that the Frederal gov't would pay for.
Here is a link that I think you might find informative:
http://www.fda.gov/FDAC/features/1998/198_dial.html
Wow ... glad you're back, sorry to hear about your troubles. Can't offer you anything more concrete than sincerest good wishes, but you sure got those.
I hope things are nowhere near as scary as you suspect .. please keep us posted as your convenience permits.
Prayers and good wishes for you, Sturgis.
Take care!
Really glad to have you here posting with us again, Sturgis.
There's a fella at work who's on <in?> dialysis. I'll ask him a bit more about it when he's back in on Friday.
Re: Dialysis...What's the real story.
Hi Sturgis,
I know nothing much about dialysis
but I do wish you all the very best indeed. What was the simple accident?
Glad to see you here, Sturgis, and I don't know a whole lot about dialysis, either, but you're in my thoughts.
We've missed you. Be strong and take care.
As the others before me, I want to say it's good to see you back. And, like many of them, I have no help to offer.... will keep listening.
Wow, sorry to hear this sturgis. I've wondered where you'd disappeared to. I know a couple folks who underwent dialysis. One was on lifetime support due to progressive renal disease, the other's was temporary while she recovered from a serious infection that caused everything to shut down. I think the prognosis for the dialysis depends on what the reason was to begin with.
Hang in there, Sturgis. I hope you're up and unplugged soon.
Sturgis--
Hold your dominion.
I just wanted to let you know that my thoughts and prayers are with you Sturgis.
I agree with J-B, the reason makes all the difference in the outcome. I had a cousin who contracted an infection when she was in her teens and was on diaysis for a few months. She recovered, has three kids and lives a normal life. Good luck to you - perhaps the worst is already over.
Sturgis, I wish I had some information for you that would ease your nervousness. It sounds like a pretty big deal even if modern medicine makes it appear not to be. I'm glad you're back, though, and I hope it all turns out ok.
I found this while googling -- you probably already know all about it.
Quote:Dialysis can be performed using several different methods.
PERITONEAL DIALYSIS
Peritoneal dialysis works by using the body's peritoneal membrane, which is inside the abdomen, as a semi-permeable membrane. Special solutions that help remove toxins are infused in, remain in the abdomen for a time, and then are drained out. This form of dialysis can be performed at home, but must be done every day.
HEMODIALYSIS
Hemodialysis works by circulating the blood through special filters outside the body. The blood flows across a semi-permeable membrane (the dialyzer or filter), along with solutions that help remove toxins.
Hemodialysis requires a blood flow of 400-500 milliliters per minute (ml/min). A normal IV tube in an arm or leg will not support that volume of blood flow, so dialysis uses special ways of accessing the blood in the blood vessels.
The access can be temporary or permanent. Temporary access takes the form of dialysis catheters. These are large-size catheters (hollow medical tubing) placed in large veins that can support acceptable blood flows. Most catheters are used in emergency situations, for short periods of time. However, catheters called tunneled catheters can be used for prolonged periods of time, often weeks to months.
Permanent access is created by surgically joining an artery to a vein. This allows the vein to receive blood at high pressure, leading to thickening of the vein's wall. Now this "arterialized vein" can sustain repeated puncture and also provides excellent blood flow rates. The connection between an artery and a vein can be made using blood vessels (an arteriovenous fistula, or AVF) or a synthetic bridge (arteriovenous graft, or AVG).
The AVF is more desirable, because rates of infection are very low and it is quite durable. It may take many months for the AVF to mature, so careful planning is required.
The AVG can be accessed a few weeks after creation. It provides good flows but has a high complication rate. It should be attempted only if the AVF is not feasible.
Blood is diverted from the access point in the patient's body to a dialysis machine. Here, the blood flows counter-current to a special solution called the dialysate. The chemical imbalances and impurities of the blood are corrected and the blood is then returned to the body. Typically, most patients undergo hemodialysis for three sessions every week. Each session lasts 3-4 hours.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003421.htm
Hi, Stugis, I'm glad to see you post. I don't know enough to be helpful, except for the obvious about checking key websites, but those can be scary to navigate when it is you with the problem, whatever the med diagnosis. Hang in there, buddy.
Nice to see you back, Sturgis. Hope you get back to good health soon.
hey sturgis, Years ago, I went through a few months of dialysis from a bad gunshot and explosion injury and it was a resultant renal tube infection that gave me a kidney shut down I was on the original hemodyalysis and I had to do it about 3 times a week. When my kidneys kicked back in , I was peeing for days as the body tried to excrete any residual salts. I remember having a thing called hypokalemia, which was even more dangerous. Iwas taking metered potassium suppliments and eating all kinds of high K foods. To this day I have some heart arrythmias due, they say, to the residual effect of the hypokalemia. Other than that , you can live through it and function quite well. I ws all ready for a lifetime of dialysis and was resigned to the inconvenience. You can do a lot of reading while on the haemo machine. Mine would take a few hours .
You can handle it either way, short term is good, doing it for a lifetime is a relatively mild inconvenience. I understand that, with the newer methods of measuring your blood titer, the dialysis can be speeded up and not take the standard time it used to take. I recall that I used to get chills as the only thing that was really noticeable and uncomfortable. Im not sure why and Ive never looked back on it.
Hope its a short duration and r4emeber, if its not, just learn your diet and liquid intake tricks and get an MP3 for recorded books.
welcome back to the fold, Sturgis...
Good to see you again, Sturgis. <gentle hugs>
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