Dialysis

[Quita55]

I'm new to dialysis and I want to know what was it like did you feel tired? Did you feel better? Is it different for each person? I heard that you can get numb up before the technician insets the needle is this true? I want to hear about your experience with hemodialysis at the clinic. I would like to train to do hemodialysis at home, but I want to experience what it's like to do dialysis. Thank you for your feedback. Quita55

[cs65 NKF Ambassador]

I started with doing hemodialysis in a dialysis clinic and am still doing it 4 years later. It takes a while for your body to adapt to the treatment, so I wasn't allowed to drive for the first month. You can feel weak or have low blood pressure with lightheadedness afterward, so do allow your body to get used to it. and yes, you can use Emla cream to numb your fistula - just rub it in an hour before your treatment and put plastic wrap over it to protect your clothing and help it to work into your skin. You can get it from your dialysis nurse. From my understanding you have to start in a clinic for a few months before you can start to train for home hemodialysis - your dialysis nurses will train you. There are others on this site who do home hemodialysis, so definitely inquire about that. I feel that I have definitely learned an awful lot from my dialysis team and continue to do so! Good luck to you!

[OperationKidney]

I felt so much better once I started dialysis. So many of my symptoms disappeared. Hemo does have a tendency to make people tired, but that's not always the case.

If you are eligible for doing PD at home I highly recommend that also. It's less difficult on the body and it's usually done overnight so it doesn't take so much time out of your day.

[Greydog1]

I do get tired afterward, come home and take a small nap. After dinner and some TV or computer time its bedtime. I take a sleep aid on this night, and have decent sleep. Next day I have the day to me and feel energized as if nothing had happened the day before. Do this 3 times weekly. 4 hours each session. Needles are not a problem. They go in-I don't feel them going in or out. I guess you toughen up the skin or something,but really after the first month of using topical creams, I was able to forget it all and it's nice to not feel the needles Now if I could only find the energy after getting off dialysis that night,all would be o.k . Been at it for six years and not getting any younger. That's life I guess.

[Ally_35]

I've been doing HD at home for almost 4 years and love it! It's convenient (especially during the cold winter months) and it gives you more freedom since you don't have to be bound by clinic hours. In my case I work during the day and have dialysis at night. I'm not going to lie, it is very exhausting afterwards, more so if I drink more than I'm allowed to in between treatments. However, the energy you get the next day is amazing and makes it worth it. Home hemo has its challenges...you'll need a lot of space for your supplies, you'll need to keep everything clean and organized but most importantly you'll need to have discipline not to miss treatment. Don't worry, the nurses will teach you and won't let you go until you are ready. The cream does help but with time it makes your skin harder so if you can handle the needle, some nurses will advise against it. At the end of the day, it ends up being a different experience for everyone but with time you'll learn what works best for you.

Good luck and all the best!

[Icesnoe]

It depends on the person some people recovery is quick some will take a whole 24 hours. For me, I’ve been I hemo for 2 years, originally on Pd, but was retaining fluids. I switched to hemo which seems like a good fit for me. Because it’s only 4 times a week instead of nightly I feel like I have more free time. Especially since I still work full time.