Dialysis -My Story & How Does Dialysis Work

What are the types of dialysis and which should I use? (Information taken from WebMD)

"Dialysis is a process that does the work for your kidneys when you have kidney failure. There are two types of dialysis: hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. You will need to decide what type of dialysis is best for you. Consider the following when making your decision:

• Each type of dialysis has pros and cons. By learning as much as you can about both types, you will be able to make the best decision for yourself.
• Dialysis can help you feel better and live longer, but it is not a cure for kidney failure. After you start dialysis, you will need to stay on it.
• If your needs change later, you can switch types of dialysis.
• Both types of dialysis can be expensive. But Medicare or insurance may cover most or all of the costs. The dialysis center or hospital can help you find the best way to pay for your treatment.
• It is hard to make decisions when you are very ill. Discuss your choices with your doctors and your loved ones so that you can know you are making the best decisions.

Whichever type you choose, it is very important that you go to the dialysis center or do the exchanges as often as your doctor tells you to. Following your treatment schedule will allow you to stay as healthy as possible and feel better. It will also help you avoid being in the hospital."

In my case I chose hemodialysis (Information taken from my article: Yea Though I Walk Through The Valley of Dialysis

"In hemodialysis, the patient's blood is pumped through the blood section of a dialyzer, exposing it to a semi-porous membrane. This cleans the blood, and the cleansed blood is then returned via the IV track back to the body. My nephrologist recommends this procedure to me. My other choice would have been another procedure called "peritoneal dialysis." In peritoneal dialysis, a sterile solution containing minerals and glucose is run through a tube into an abdominal body cavity around the intestine, where the peritoneal membrane acts as a semi-permeable membrane. The fluid is left there for a period of time to absorb waste products, and then it is drained out through the tube and discarded." Peritoneal dialysis is sometimes also known as 'home dialysis.'

Links:

Things that Happened to me on my first visit to dialysis!

1. I arrived @ the dialysis clinic.

2. I had a short wait in the waiting area. I was very nervous.

3. After my name was called I was escorted into a small office where insurance and payment details were discussed. Dialysis is very expensive.

Links: Dialysis costs

--Dialysis from the sharp end of the needle: Dialysis cost data ...

--Outcomes and Cost-effectiveness of Initiating Dialysis and ...

--Dialysis Advice: How much does dialysis cost? - Daily Strength

--American Association of Kidney Patients - Cost Associated with Home ...

--Lifetime Medical Cost of ESRD Dialysis Patients.

--Quality of dialysis care and providers' costs

--The Cost of Dialysis - New York Times

--Cost of acute renal failure requiring dialysis in the intensive ...

--A Simulation Model to Estimate the Cost and Effectiveness of ... --Frequent dialysis may benefit but at what cost?

4. I weighed to determine my "dry weight" - This is the weight I should weigh when I leave the clinic.

--Links: dry weight

--Eat Right to Feel Right on Hemodialysis %u2026Your dry weight is your weight after a dialysis session when all of the extra fluid in your body has been removed. If you let too much fluid build up ...

--How dry weight and fluid gain affect dialysis patients - DaVitaMay 9, 2008 ... Each hemodialysis treatment removes fluid gain from dialysis patients to get the person with end stage renal disease back to their dry ...

--National Kidney Foundation: A to Z Health Guide Item*Adjust your dry weight, or target weight. *Cool the dialysate a little. *Use a special medication to help prevent low blood pressure during dialysis. ...

5. The nurse checked my blood pressure sitting and standing.

6. My fistula was examined and prepped for the treatment. --

Fistula Links:

--VascularWeb: Dialysis Accessonce matured, a fistula should be large and strong enough for dialysis technicians and nurses to insert the large dialysis needles easily. ...

--Patient Education Sheet--AV Fistula for Dialysisfinally, while a good fistula can last for years, they never last forever. Creation and maintenance of reliable access for dialysis is an ongoing process ...

--Vascular Access for HemodialysisThe three basic kinds of vascular access for hemodialysis are an arteriovenous (AV) fistula, an AV graft, and a venous catheter. A fistula is an opening or ...

--Dialysis articlesA catheter or internal port device may be used when one must begin dialysis before a fistula or graft has time to mature.

--What is a dialysis fistula? - Kidney Disease, Dialysis and Renal ...If you have been told that you will require dialysis as a treatment for renal failure, your doctor will probably discuss the option of having a fistula...

7. Two large needles were inserted into the fistula area. One was to remove the blood for cleansing throuth the dialysis machine. The other was to return the cleansed blood. It was painful but bearable. After the blood began to flow, there was no pain.

--Dialysis needle links:

--Is Dialysis Painful? (Renalife)Now back to the dialysis needles. At the start of each dialysis treatment, patients need to have two dialysis needles placed into their dialysis fistula

--How to Stick Dialysis Needles | eHow.comHow to Stick Dialysis Needles. Dialysis is a treatment that rids the body of deadly toxins in persons whose kidneys are no longer functioning.

--Dialysis needle - Patent 4585446A dialysis needle or the like comprises a tube with a razor edged cutting blade extending diametrically across its forward end. - Dialysis needle - Patent EP1258261A dialysis needle (1A) having an end shaped as piercing tip generated by a cut (3) inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis of the needle and defining ... Venous dialysis needle - US Patent 5662619 AbstractPatent Abstract: A dialysis needle using lateral openings and diverters. The diverters increase the blood flow through the lateral openings in venous

8. Then there was a four hour wait. I prayed, napped, conversed with friends, and watched TV. This part was pleasant and relaxing. We were all in recliners.

9. After the four hours, the needles were removed, and the area was bandaged. I weighed once more and my blood pressure was checked. Everything was ok, so I left. I discovered it was not the end of the world.

10. The worse thing is that (if you don't get a kidney transplant, which I was fortunate) this is repeated for the rest of your life!