I am writing this for those who are heading to dialysis and want to know what it is like. As RonZone did with PD, I am talking about home hemodialysis, HHD. My lab numbers are at the point to "get-er done." The first step: I was scheduled for an AV fistula; first-stage left brachiobasilic fistula creation in the left arm. Sometime later I would have a second surgery to complete the fistula.
On Monday I went for my pre-op consult. It was quite lengthy. Most of the questions were for the anesthesiologist. However, they thought I would only be getting a regional…. Or in other words, they were going to numb just my arm and not put me out. There were questions about my medications and lifestyle. They took blood and since I needed labs done for my nephrologist and rheumatologist, they ran those too. Funny thing, they ran two separate tests on many of the 12 or so I had done and they did not match.
On Wednesday, I called the number to find out when I was going to be scheduled for the next day and was told to be there at 12:30 pm. NO food or water after midnight. Super! I had to take a shower the night before and the morning of and use a special soap on my arm, which I did.
Got to the hospital at 12:15 and they brought me back at 12:30 exactly. I was told to change out of my clothes and wait in bed. Around 1pm, the nurse came in and asked me a bunch of questions. I asked when they thought I would go to surgery, and she said 2:30.
Around 2pm, it seems everyone and their brother came in to see me. The Surgeon, a couple of anesthesiologists and more. The Surgeon signed my arm with his initials. I was autographed. Then the nurse started to do an IV. Well, she had terrible luck. She put one in my hand, and it did not work. She pulled out the needle and walked away. My hand immediately turned blue and puffed up. I was going to have a nasty bruise there. She stopped the leak and proceeded to finally find a vein and hook me up. By now, it was 2:30.
Well, it was not to happen. I got bumped. So around 3:20, the Block team came in to put the nerve block shot in. They brought an ultrasound. They injected the needled in my shoulder, and except for a quick pinch, I felt nothing. They applied several doses in different spots. It was amazing that the blurry lines meant something to them. I thought I felt my arm on my stomach, but nope…. It was on the bed like a dead fish. No sense of it at all. Very unusual feeling. The other anesthesiologist came in and said he was going to put a bit of lala juice in my IV. Sure, I said. They bundled up my hair, and off I went to the operating room.
They inflated the pad I was laying on and slid me over to the table. The Anesthesiologist said he was going to put a bit more lala juice in. I remember them putting a mask on my face and then nothing.
Almost four hours later, I woke up in what they call PUCU. It is the second recovery room area where you are no longer hooked up to anything. I was there for about an hour, listening to my neighbor whine and moan. I wanted to smack him. Then they wheeled me to the “ go home recovery area.” This is where you have to get your totally messed up body off the bed and into a chair. “Ah Lady, I just was flat out knocked out less than two hours ago. I can’t feel my arm and you want me to hop off this bed? Yeah, Right.” Yes, that was what they expected. I swung my legs around the best I could and fell backwards and was done. I could not sit up. As I am flailing like a beached whale, she finally grabbed my good arm and pulled me up. I got off the bed and into a chair. It was after 8:30pm. She got me a ginger ale and some crackers. I finally had to pee and managed to walk to the bathroom and void. Got back to the room and my hubby had eaten the remaining crackers. It was ok, I was not hungry.
We got home at 9:30. I had an English Muffin and went straight to bed. My next entry I will tell about the next few days of recovery.
My CKD journey 
Bleeding in urine after biopsy...
Graft for Dialysis
Preparing for dialysis, scared and confused
Just rambling and venting
