First few nights of Peritoneal Dialysis.....

     Three evenings of dialysis under my belt. As each night comes, the process gets easier and easier. I am not following a list, but going by memory of my steps. I have to start about three hours a head, about 7pm to make sure I'm in bed by 10pm. Prior I could get everything done in a half an hour.

        I start out with weighing myself, taking my blood pressure and taking my temperature. All things that need to be recorded daily. I do my first hand washing and I get my back of fluids and cassette to put on a table freshly bleached. I make sure I have two mini-cups (caps), two alcohol wipes, my alcohol sanitizing gel, paper towels, mask, and clamp on the table. i will do other things around the house.

         I wash my hands again, I turn on my machine, open the solution bag and place the solution on top of the machine. I then open the cassette, and insert the cassette in the machine. I let the machine prime and wash my hands again. I put on my mask and then connect the solution bag to the tubes in the cassette. The long tube goes to my toilet for excess drain. I let the machine prime. I usually will go away for about an hour. when I come back, I thoroughly wash my hands, with having a mask on. Alcohol my hands and now I connect myself to the machine. Now I'm hooked up for the night.

        The first two nights the drain was painful. Last night there was no drain, so no pain. The first drain I felt it a little but not painful. The last two drains I slept in. I'm hoping tonight I can sleep all the way through without any issues.

            During the day i am feeling with a little better energy. I don't feel as heavy and I notice i am not dragging as much when I work. It is easier to keep on focus while I work. I don't have bundles of energy, but i can tell my energy is more. I am curious after a week and when I'm sleeping through the night, how I will feel.

                Everything is actually looking good. This is the start of my new life. 

My first night ofdialysis

     I was anious as I started gathering my supplies to get ready for dialysis. Will it work this time? what happens if it doesn't? I can always call the on-call nurse at the dialysis center. I get going, I first bleach my table, wash my hands and gather my supplies. Put everything in its place on the table and get everything set up on the machine. When done, I wash my h ands again to clean my transfer set which is attached to my body. Then the final washing of my hands with mask on face. This is the step where I open the cap that goes to my inside and hook up to the machine. I pressed go and we started.

      A little bit of blood came out. Not a lot. The draining was a little discomfort, but not as much as yesterday. I decided to go forward and not call the nurse. Then about thirty minutes later I went to the bathroom and discovered, I started my period. This is why I had the blood the night before. I actually was relieved because I was worried I was constipated or I lifted something heavy, which is not a good thing. But it has only been 3 1/2 weeks since my last period. My last period was very unusual and happened a week after surgery. the same thing happened in January when i had the first surgery, a week later, I had such horrible bleeding, I had to go to the emergency room. I was close to getting a transfusion, which really creates issues with trying to get a transplant. So there is something about this  process of peritoneal dialysis that is really causing issues with my menstruation. I was so delighted when my last period was July 1st and for three months nothing. I was elated that menopause is coming and I will be over this mess! sadly surgery did something to get me to menstruate again. I then thought that is it, my body won't do anymore, and here it is 3 1/2 weeks later and i started again.

       I am a little tender in the area, but it isn't bad. The nurse said it is safe to do dialysis while menstruating.

       While I drained for the night, a little discomfort, but I was able to survive the full dialysis cycle for the night. I woke up, disconnected, and finally could say, I completed my first dialysis. Wasn't so bad. Once you get over the sight of blood. Let's hope as time goes on, my periods will get light and start skipping more months. Believe me, life had been bliss those months I skipped. I hope they come again soon.

Leaping over another hurdle to dialysis.......

     With the set back of needing another catheter surgery, and needing an electrician to put in a ground for the cycler machine for dialysis. I thought for sure we would be all set. Finally the first night to try out dialysis. Two months of training.

      The two nurses came to my house about 6PM to get me set up. They were confident that I had a handle on everything. We got the fluids on the cycler, the cassette in the cycler, the fluids connected to the cassette, all that was left was for me to connect to my catheter. I kept washing my hands between steps as I was trained and connected to the machine. Then the moment to press "Go" and start the dialysis process.

       The first thing the cycler will do is drain. It drains any fluids that is within side my peritoneal cavity. All of a sudden a sharp pain in my groin area happened. I flinched. I haven't felt any pain with this much intensity since the surgeon took my first catheter to the surface and flushed it out. As I looked down at my transfer set, I saw blood. Crap! Not the first time! Inside me said, you better turn the machine off, but instead, i called the on-call nurse. I told her what happened and while we were talking the cycler was putting 1,000ml in my peritoneal cavity. The nurse said to stop the machine. I did. Fortunately i didn't have to worry about draining the fluids that went in because I still pee. My body would pee this all out, and last night, yep, about 1,000ml peed out of my body!  If I had zero kidney function and did not pee, I would have had to drain myself manually.

         Because I was a little frazzled with the blood, I had a hard time disconnecting. As I disconnected, my cap fell on the floor. I can't use it because it is contaminated. Fortunately my nurse trained me well to have a second cap on the table, but I had my catheter open. i was nervous having it exposed to the air that long in one hand, trying to open the sterile package of the cap in the other. Oh gosh, please don't contaminate anything, especially my transfer set! got the mini-cup (cap) package open and put it on my open transfer set that is connected to my body. Whew. Ok. got that done. Now lie on my bed for a few minutes to get collected.I cried, mostly from the stress.

         So, why was there blood? Three reasons for blood. 1. Menstruation. which I wasn't. 2. picking up heavy objects or rigorously cleaning house (which I was), and 3. Constipation. The nurse considers not going number 2 for one day is constipation. That area down there needs to be cleared out. Possibly I had a mixture of the latter two. I don't know. I already take stool softeners to keep this regular, but tonight I took some Miralax to make sure. Being on dialysis, this is all really touchy!!!! fortunately, the Miralax worked today, so I'm back to business.

         My nurse wasn't in today, she is on her day off, but one of her co-nurses said I should try again tonight. Tomorrow is a holiday and I don't have any obligations tomorrow morning so no rush to be anywhere. I can take my time to disconnect from the machine. I think I like this option better.

        We will try again tonight.

         I was upset last night so when I realized I wasn't "on the machine" or "connected" I let Divine and Duffy come in my bedroom. Oh having their comfort was just wonderful. But if I get connected tonight, They will be locked out of my bedroom. My bedroom is closed now to keep the fur and dander down.

         Another try, a few steps further, we will do this again tonight. Let's hope no blood this time.

         

Put off again......

      September 1st i started the journey to start Peritoneal Dialysis (PD). The surgeon pulled my catheter to the surface and about 5-6 weeks I was supposed to start dialysis. Five weeks later my PD tube started leaking. I had surgery October 7th to have the first catheter removed, and a new one inserted on the other side of my abdomen. This was done under general anesthesia using Laparoscopic Techniques. Three incision, one for the air to extend the abdomen, one for the laparascopic tool and one for the surgeon to insert the catheter. 

        It has taken double time for me to start PD. The build up of getting everything ready, trying to get mentally prepared lead to quite anticipation. Today we were supposed to start. I was supposed to do my first treatment tonight. But due to a small little set back, we will have to wait until Monday, five days from today. 

         I don't know if I'm upset or relieved. It is hard to know what emotion I feel. The build up of anticipation was intense and I was getting stressed. I wanted everything to work out well. I had a cleaning lady coming in for about a month, helping me getting everything clean and ready. PD you must have a clean area. I can't have dog hair drifting by. We need to keep particles in my bedroom to a minimum. Getting Peritonitis, inflammation of the peritoneal cavity (infection), is serious. It creates a lot of problems. So it is important that I keep my area clean. When my cleaning lady quit the day before we were going to start dialysis, and my house wasn't quite ready yet, that really added to the stress and the less time for me to get everything in order. Cleaning all day, I was on edge. 

          But deep down inside me when I found out I was not going to start dialysis, a little bit of me went "YAY!". I just knew i was stressed and not realized. If you are stressed you will make more mistakes. I think bumping to Monday relieved some of my stress. I have part of the weekend to get my place even cleaner and my area ready. It is for the better, but the let down with all those stress hormones just takes awhile to adjust. 

          i will be just fine. And in this case, the better thing did happen.

Gearing up for Dialysis~

        Today was an interesting day. I saw my Nephrologist at the dialysis center. I have seen him through the regular doctor appointments, but now he will see me at the dialysis center. We had a bunch of paper work to fill out. One paper, bright neon Red. My doctor asked, "Have you filled out one of these?" I shook my head no. He then asked "Have you ever seen one of these?" I shook my head again no. It was a form about how do I want to live at the end of my life. Do I want a DNR and those type of questions. Talk about being hit! I said I didn't want DNR, given that I'm healthy right now. He said we will change these later. Then the question came up of how long do I want to go on a feeding tube? I just grabbed a time in thin air and said 2 weeks. We can always change. He did write a notation I don't want prolonged life. Meaning if I had a serious stroke, and I have to have around the clock care and there is no prognosis I will get better, I want them to pull the plug.  Some of the questions I have never thought about and did get me thinking. it also asked me about who to put down to contact that will carry out my wishes. My mother is now 86 years old and getting of the age, I think this responsibility should go to someone else, and i will find someone local.

           After the heavy stuff, we filled out some easier forms and went over some blood work. It looks like in two weeks I will start dialysis in home. Next week I go for two more days of training.

             Then the great news! The doctor said it is ok to shower!! I will wash with anti-bacteria soap and when I bandage, I have a certain procedure that we will do. I did it again in the office.

               We are getting closer.

trying to rise above

     Most of today I have felt nauseous. It took me until nearly 4:00pm to eat lunch. I just didn't feel like making anything at lunch time. Food seemed repulsive. I don't feel like eating anything for dinner. I did take some Zofran to help with nausea. It is such a sweet tasting pill.

        This evening I did some nose work practice with my dogs. Afterwards I needed to rest for awhile. Any activity it seems i need to rest afterwards. My anemia is worse, so could be the cause of feeling with little energy.

          I have coming up three nose work trials. I'm getting a little worried that I won't have the energy to get through these trials. I need that fire in the belly to guide me and not let this take over me. As long as I can do nose work, I know I'm still alive and capable. This Sunday I have a mock trial with both Duffy and Divine. Hopefully I will be fine after that event. I'm going to push forward. They want me to start dialysis next week. just days before my first trial. Fortunately the trial is only a 2 hour drive. I will stay in a motel the following night and just volunteer the next morning for a short time. What is great about nose work, I can sit in my chair during the trial between wait times. I can be more mindful to rest. Normally I like to get up and socialize and meet people, but this time I will conserve energy. Two of my students will be in this trial.

            So much happening in my life. I'm going to keep going and keep succeeding. If I can't do Nose Work, it will be really bad for my psyche, so I better go.

Dialysis almost here!

      the past month i have been going to the dialysis center flushing out my catheter. Today we let some of the fluids sit for 20 minutes. My first mini-dialysis. I do feel better today, but have no idea if that is from the mini dialysis or some other changes that happened. We will know shortly when i start getting on a regular program with dialysis.

       Tomorrow my supplies will be delivered. I have my spare bedroom/office cleared so the boxes of solution and supplies will fit. It is a bit like a dream, a dream that isn't happening that I'm going on dialysis. I need to do this to stay alive. The amount of trash i will generate goes against all my environmental training as a park ranger. It is overwhelming. Just like my training the last month. So much information. Is this really happening? I just go through the motions and keep thinking my life is going to come back any day. But maybe going on dialysis I will get some of my life back. I want to stabolize for awhile. The past 3 years I have slowly and progressively slipped down, little by little. Adjusting, then get use to how I should live, and my disease gets worse. I slip, and have to learn new management again. So I hope dialysis will keep me stable enough that life will be the same for awhile.

      The past weekend i was very exhausted. i found out later that my hemoglobin and related Red Blood Cells has gone down. This means I will need to start injections of Procrit to generate red blood cell formations. I know I accidentally skipped some iron pills because you can't take them with certain foods. And I forgot to take them after two hours since I had the foods. Again, this is all so surreal and I'm becoming more and more nervous that I really am a sick person. I tried so hard to fight this and kept going. This mind game! The ante is always upped and I need to fight more and manage more. How do these folks on dialysis do it? They are all warriors!