dialysis

[Lee75glom]

I am 76 years old and still not on a deceased kidney list. I have a team at Penn Med, and the team wants me to undergo some tasks. I am receiving Hepatitis B vaccination and have had two in the series. I had a Bactrim sulfa drug challenge and did not experience anaphylaxis reaction. I am striving to undergo a colonoscopy, but the gastroenterology office is now part of a large hospital system. That system is creating obstacles in setting up an appointment for the procedure. My doctor's office requested that I get a date and time, but, after 3 weeks nothing was done. My contact person will contact her supervisor to expediate this. I am undergoing this complexity because the anesthesiologist will only do the procedure at the hospital because I am on dialysis. And I undergo dialysis for 4 hours 3 days a week, which also limits the days I can have the colonoscopy. I find this very frustrating.

The dialysis seems to be working in getting my numbers within normal limits, such as potassium, phosphorus, calcium, protein, etc. I need a erythropoietin agent to help with anemia. I find I feel very tired after I return home and usually have to nap.

[Monkeynuts4]

Let me ask you this when you started dialysis did any nephrologist bother to tell you if you miss a session don’t take certain meds? Like morphine and gabepentin. There’s others but those are 2 I know for sure will either kill you or stack up and make you toxic. Use methadone because it metabolizes thru the liver but check with your doc if you miss a treatment you miss your meds. I found out the hard way

[Darlenia]

Thank you for your update. My advice is to continue to work with your issues and press for that colonoscopy. One by one, as you take care of matters, I anticipate you'll get on that transplant list. Once on a transplant list, it isn't unusual to occasionally be "deactivated" by another matter until that is fixed as well. It's a journey. Keep your eye on the prize!

[Lee75glom in reply to Darlenia]

Thank you for your encouragement. I do continue to advocate for myself as I am the only person who does so.

[Darlenia in reply to Lee75glom]

No...you're not alone. We're your family! Hop on here when you need support. We'll push you onward and forward...guaranteed!

[ShyeLoverDoctor]

Find a new gastroenterologist. There’s a lot of them out there. Mine didn’t require me to be in a hospital when I was on dialysis.

Dialysis does not remove enough phosphorus to keep your blood levels within normal limits. You need to limit it in your diet. They may also put you on a phosphorus binder that you take with meals to keep it from being absorbed. You may also have some residual kidney function, but I do not know.