from PD to HD

[Imaanforever]

Hi everyone.

This is question is for anyone who is either having HD or has had PD and is switching to HD.

I have been a PD patient since the beginning of my journey. I chose it as I felt it would allow me to go on working partime and have a next to normal life balance. Unfortunately, my PD exit site has been flaring up with infection and my doctor is worried it may not last as long as I need it. So to prevent having an emergency surgery to go through my heard when it goes bad, he referred me for a fistula surgery to switch to HD.

My questions

1. If you have experienced the 2 which do you prefer and why?

2. I have fear of needles and I’m anxious about the needle stab every time I need to dualise. How do you cope with this

3. I’ve got 3 kids and I would like to continue working, how do you manage your time with 3 visits to the hospital a week for dialysis

4. How do you dualise when you travel? Is it convenient or a headache as you have to stay close to a centre which means your options may be limited

5 did you get scarring from the surgery?

[Bassetmommer]

I did not choose PD for personal reasons but for also the big reason is PD will eventually fail. It is nothing you did, it just happens. I am on HHD, home hemo. I prefer it to having a permanent line coming out of me and for many other reasons.

The needles are not a big deal. It is a poke and you're done. And after time, it gets better. They have a technique you can use call a button hole where they use the same hole every time. You pick the scab and insert.... no pain. And you will find if you do it yourself, it actually hurts less.

If you do home hemo, you are there with your kids. They can learn about it and help. It makes the family feel connected to your situation. My husband is a huge help.

With home hemo, you can pick up your machine and travel. They give you a case and wheels to use. They will ship supplies for the time you are away to wherever you are going. How's that for convenience.

All incisions will scar. It is just part of the deal. Mine is not that noticeable.

[Imaanforever in reply to Bassetmommer]

Thanks for all the info. That helped

[caregiver7 in reply to Bassetmommer]

There is a travel case with wheels from Baxter for the Amia PD cycler as well, but you still need to ship 6L fluid bags and casettes to your destinatuion ahead of time or get it from your local dialysis center. Some people find it simpler to do manual (IV pole) dialysis when traveling - no machine needed.

[bumblebee_tuna]

Getting a fistula as backup is a good idea. I would ask if home hemo is an option for you.

I tried in-center for one week and absolutely hated it, but every one is different. Some people can just hop in on the machine and sleep for 4 hours...

[Imaanforever in reply to bumblebee_tuna]

Thanks. I have to have a home one. Going to the centre a couple times a week is depressing for me

[bumblebee_tuna in reply to Imaanforever]

At the very least the experience got me really motivated to stick with PD.

[horsie63]

Wow...you could look at my previous posts to see what all happened but to answer your questions.

1. I chose PD first for most of the same reasons. I work full time and my job required some travel. PD failed after 6 months and now I do in center HD. I like it, I feel great, appetite, energy, etc. I work full time, at home after treatments on Tue and Thur. I have a desk job.

2. I don't have a fear of needles but I still have a chest catheter so no needles. I recently got an AVGraft so we'll see what it's like when the time comes. There are numbing creams you can use. You could wear headphones and listen to music.

3. My kids are grown so that's not an issue I have. I go Tues, Thur and Sat from 7-10 and my day is open after that.

4. Those people who do home hemodialysis travel with their machine and supplies. There's a Facebook page called Living with Dialysis. The owner of the page and his wife travel all over.

5. Yes. I have a scar from the fistula that never worked in the crook of my elbow. I have scars from my C sections too. Just another reminder of the battles I've fought and won.

[Hidden]

I just started HD over a year after I had an AV graft. Didn't go the PD route for the exact reason you had - infection, which seems to be a common occurrence. To answer your questions...1) I much prefer HD - for infection avoidance

2) The needle thing? For me it's tough, but I take a deep breath and grit my teeth. They do make a lidocaine cream that is numbing - you can try that to see if it helps (I don't use it though)

3) I work part-time and scheduled around my treatments so I only miss 2 days a week, but I have a flexible job/boss (who's very understanding)

4) I don't travel because I have other serious health issues. I know you CAN travel and there are treatment centers everywhere but you have to schedule in advance wherever you go.

5) I have an AV graft on my left arm - have no scar. Now I have had a few infiltrations from moving my arm during HD (you got to be careful with that) but that goes away.

Good luck!

[Imaanforever in reply to Hidden]

Thank you so much. This really helps. I’ve got other health conditions too apart from kidney failure. I’ve got sickle cells anaemia which the doctors think was what caused complications in my kidneys. What other condition have you got if you don’t mind me asking?

[Hidden in reply to Imaanforever]

Diabetes, conjestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, osteoarthritis, diabetic retinopathy, spinal stenosis, peripheral neuropathy and two heart attacks and a series of strokes. But I'm still rocking! The saddest thing for me is that there's two guys I work with -(one is over 400 lbs and my boss is 320 and prediabetic) and neither of them will do anything to change their habits - even after knowing the conditions I have. And mine ALL started with being overweight.I hope you do well, because at this stage of the game dialysis or a transplant is the only thing keeping all of us alive.

One more thing - be very careful about what you read on the Internet - a lot of "experts" may mean well...but my dog probably knows more than they do.

[Imaanforever in reply to Hidden]

Oh wow! You are a hero. Keep rocking and I wish you all the best. Thanks for the advice