Almost 3 Years on Peritoneal Dialysis

 Now that it has been almost 3 years since I started dialysis, I have a better insight on how things work. I still do my treatments at home, and I still do 5 treatments a day, but now I understand better the hows and the whys of the system. Every step we take in life is "learn as we go", and it's the same with treating my kidney failure. Things that work well with one patient, may not have the same results with another. Our bodies are all basically the same, but rarely do you find 2 that are exactly the same. Therefore symptoms and treatments will vary between patients by different degrees. Last summer, the team at the dialysis unit tried a different treatment scheme. After 6 weeks on the new system, I had had enough and went back to the old way. Under the new system, I was tired, weak, and had no stamina at all. The dialysis team told me I couldn't do it the old way, but I said it was my life and if it killed me, it was my decision and they couldn't force me to do it if I close not too. That didn't sit too well with some, but I began to feel much better and stronger and over-all, I was much better than I was on the new system. It may work well for others but it didn't do anything for me. My kidney function is still where it was 3 years ago so why on earth should I not let my kidneys work as much as they can and use the dialysis to mop up the rest instead of the other way around. I'm just a dumb old farm boy but I don't see the need to "over fix" this problem. My kidneys need help but they can still do a little of the work.

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

I always have to laugh a little when I think about those "life and death" decisions we make as teenagers. Remember how you would just die if you made the wrong choice? We were sure that these decisions were the toughest we were ever going to have to face. Oh how little we knew about life when we were that age. And after-all, we were invincible and indestructible at that point in our lives. No adult could ever possibly understand what we were going through, that was un-thinkable.

I'm not sure that this upcoming decision about a kidney transplant is the toughest that I have ever had to make, but it ranks right up there. So much information to concider. So much risk involved. Will it work, how long will it last, will my life improve or will I just be pushing one thing aside to deal with something different? Is all of this real or am I just having a really bad dream?

Un fortunately, I know it's all real. I know it's my life and my problem and I will deal with it. I will consider all the information and I will talk to my Dr. and my family. My decision will not be rash or quick coming and it will affect the rest of my life. And just like those teenage decisions, I could just die if this decision isn't the right one.

Kidney Transplant. Is it for me?

Yesterday we went to Albany(NY) to a seminar about the kidney transplant organization. There is a lot to consider about this process. There are many pluses and minuses to really think about. The amounts of medication you have to take for the rest of your life are staggering. This is a huge decision that will require much thought before that decision is reached. My next appointment with my doctor will be filled with talk about this process because I have questions for him and only him. I say this because he knows my kidneys and knows how my body adapts to treatment better than anyone else. I need his input, his expertise in this area. I know a new kidney won't make me 18 again. I know it won't make me 30 again. What I don't know is what will change. What will improve and how much improvement can be expected. Will the pro's outweigh the con's? That's the real question.

The Next Big Step

On January 17,2010 I will start another journey on the road to a healthier life. This journey will start at Albany Med in Albany, New York. The end result of this journey will be obtaining a kidney transplant. This is a registration and information seminar that I will be attending, but it is still step one in what I am told is a long process. I am aware of the fact that everyone who registers for a transplant doesn't always get one. Whether I get one or not remains to be seen. For right now I'm doing fine on dialysis and I know that there are people in worse shape than me. This is sort of like learning to walk, small steps and one at a time with a few falls along the way. Life is full of changes and challenges that we all face in one way or another. Nobody ever said it was going to be easy and the fact remains, nobody gets out alive. We just have to do the best with what we have while we are here and enjoy the journey.

Treatment Update

It's been 90 days now since I started dialysis at home. My improvement has been slow but steady. My medications have been cut way back and I feel much stronger than I did before I started. My stamina has been the slowest to recover but I am hopeful that as more built up waste is removed that it will improve. The best part is my diet. I can eat all the foods that I enjoy with very few restrictions. Lot's of protein and potassium rich foods. My only real restriction is my pepsi. I have to limit my pepsi because it contains phosphorous which is hard for me to remove

My Schedule

It has been almost two weeks now that I have been treating myself at home. I have settled into a sort of a routine for my daily schedule. It's a little different and a little awkward at times but it is workable. The whole system is really simple to use. First, I have to monitor my blood pressure. This helps me decide on which solution strength I need to use for that days treatment. Every treatment requires fresh solution and all new tubing to hook-up to. The whole process of setting up only takes about 15 minutes. The mid afternoon treatment takes about 40 minutes. Then I can resume my day until bedtime when I hook-up again. The night treatment goes on for 10 hours while I sleep or watch TV. At night the machine goes through 4 cycles. Every 2 hours the fluid is changed. Most of the time I will sleep right through this process. If a problem should occur, there is an alarm on the machine to wake me. Most often if a problem does occur it is because I rolled over and kinked a line. I haven't had any real problems with the system as of yet. I'm starting to feel better and my life hasn't been altered much.

Before I go any farther on this subject, let me tell you a little more about me. First of all, I'm just an ordinary guy with a kidney problem. What I'm writing is just about my experience with my condition. I'm not a doctor, and I am not doing a research study on this. I'm just writing to tell what I'm going through to anyone who cares to read this. Others who use this type of dialysis may have a completely different view of the process but this is what it is like for me. Now that I have been treating myself for a week, I am still sure this was the right decision for my treatment. It has gone fairly smooth so far. The machine has an alarm system for problems and this alarm has sounded a few times. Most of the alarms have been for a kink in the line. Sometimes in my sleep I run over on the line, which restricts the flow. The alarm sounds and I straighten the line. All is well again. I monitor my vital statistics to know what strength solution to use. My daily routine has had to change a little, but it is still pretty much the same as it was before. My night routine is where the changes have occurred. Once I hook up to the cycler machine, my mobility is limited. I have to try to have everything done that I have to do before I hook-up. I have line enough to sit in the living room and watch TV, but can't go to the kitchen for a drink or a snack. This isn't a huge problem though. If I have forgotten something, I just rely on an old and proven system to remedy this, "Honey, could you please get me a drink? Thank you, I love you."