Dialysis Update- Derrick

[Guest guest]

Cy and everyone,

It seems the Ayes have it, we talk about dialysis with

consideration. I have been on dialysis six months now. It is not the

dreaded thing I feared now that I am comfortable with it. I do not

feel tired as I certainly did pre dialysis. I eat as much protein as

I need, and enjoy it, the only thing I watch is the volume of liquid

intake in a day, but that is not difficult. I am learning about the

intricacies of dialysis and enjoying it, it is a facinating science.

My fistula is performing well, it is in my interests to look after

it, hence I have started putting in my own needles without even a

local anasthetic. If you had asked me to do that three months ago, I

would have run out of the room. By putting my own needles in, I can

expect my fistula to last much longer, since I get to know my own

artery and vein positions, and hopefully I will make less errors than

someone who may only see me once every week as some nurses do. I was

lucky in having a good nurse to tutor me, because the first time was

scary for me.

I did request my neph to put me on dialysis, rather than wait for

him to give me the nod, but knowing what I know now, I would have

gone onto dialysis even earlier, rather than later.

My urea reduction rate is 73%. That indicates a good dialysis and

I feel extremely well most of the time, certainly much better than I

did 2 years before dialysis and up to dialysis. I take a very active

interest in my blood analysis results, they are almost back to normal

now with the exception of urea and creatinine which fluctuate up and

down pre and post dialysis.

Derrick

Sydney Australia

> ,

>

> I laughed out loud at your " toaster understanding " line. I'd hate

to call

> someone toast tho!

>

> Cy

>

> Re: Dialysis-Pierre

>

>

> > Pierre,

> >

> > I agree with . Although I haven't reached the point where

dialysis

> is a

> > certainty, it helps keep things in perspective. When I first

heard what

> > dialysis was, through my own research, I was appalled and said I

would

> never do

> > that. But after realizing that life does go on and that you can

live

> > fulfilling lives even on dialysis, I have changed my thinking.

> >

> > It's comical what I thought dialysis was before. I though they

simply

> > plugged you in, like you would a toaster. I had no clue. Now I

know

> what a

> > fistula is.

> >

> > Reading about dialysis familiarizes me with the terms I will need

to know

> if

> > that stage ever occurs. Being able to understand what the

doctors and

> nurses

> > are talking about takes a lot of fear out of the equation. When

I first

> came

> > to this website I didn't know what numbers where significant on a

lab

> report.

> >

> >

> > We appreciate the work you do here,

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >