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.