It's good to be back, my fellow Kidney Warriors; the last week has been by turns emotional, draining, painful and inspiring. A sudden loss turned my world inside out. My father was suddenly ripped from my life and in a blink of an eye he was gone. I was moved to see the amount of people who came to honor the life of my dad. I can only hope that one day I will have touched as many people as he did. Maybe through this blog I can do that; its the main reason for doing this - so I can share my experiences living with CKD and help to improve the lives of others going through it. These last few days especially, I can't help but think about my own mortality and everything that's on the line living on dialysis.
Last week we started talking about dialysis and I would like to continue. For a review on the basics of kidney functions and dialysis, please revisit the blog entry "Kidneys and dialysis 101."
In~center hemodialysis is the traditional form of dialysis. Dialysis is a therapy that filters waste, removes extra fluid, and balances electrolytes to take place of the patients own functioning native kidneys. On average a persons has 10 to 12 pints of blood in their body and during dialysis only about one pint is outside the body at one time. Some type of access is required to perform hemodialysis treatments and it is usually done in advance of starting dialysis. The most recommended access is called an AV Fistula. This requires surgery in which a vein and artery are connected. This becomes a natural part of the body and usually is given months to develop before it is used. A fistula can last of a very long and time and has the least risk of infection. It also has lower risk of clotting and allows for better blood flow during treatment and lends itself to better dialysis treatments.
The next access is called an AV graft. Placing a graft also involves a surgical procedure, during which an vein is connected to an artery with a piece of soft plastic. A graft also takes a certain amount of time to heal before use, but does not need to develop like a AV Fistula. The downside to a graft is it need more attention and upkeep. The last access type is called an Catheter and is not usually recommended long term for dialysis treatments. A Catheter is created by inserting tube into a larger vein in either the neck or chest. A cuff is inserted under the skin to hold it in place. It has a high risk of infection and may not last as long an AV Fistula or graft. Because I have bad veins my only option has been to have a catheter. I have had mine for the last 2 and half years and I'm doing quite well with it. The important thing with having a catheter is to practice good aseptic technique which means have good hand washing skills, wearing masks when necessary, and keeping my supplies clean and dry. This has kept my catheter running well and it therefore keeps affording me good dialysis treatments.
The next access is called an AV graft. Placing a graft also involves a surgical procedure, during which an vein is connected to an artery with a piece of soft plastic. A graft also takes a certain amount of time to heal before use, but does not need to develop like a AV Fistula. The downside to a graft is it need more attention and upkeep. The last access type is called an Catheter and is not usually recommended long term for dialysis treatments. A Catheter is created by inserting tube into a larger vein in either the neck or chest. A cuff is inserted under the skin to hold it in place. It has a high risk of infection and may not last as long an AV Fistula or graft. Because I have bad veins my only option has been to have a catheter. I have had mine for the last 2 and half years and I'm doing quite well with it. The important thing with having a catheter is to practice good aseptic technique which means have good hand washing skills, wearing masks when necessary, and keeping my supplies clean and dry. This has kept my catheter running well and it therefore keeps affording me good dialysis treatments.
The typical in~center hemodialysis patients has dialysis three days a week, usually 3-4 hour treatments. This schedule is set by your doctor and may be longer or shorter based on your individual needs. The biggest benefit to doing treatment in~center is your treatments are always done by trained professionals who are there to assist you with any issue you may have during treatment. The down side of doing in~center is you need to travel three days a week to the center and there are more diet and fluid restrictions. Remember functioning kidneys work 24 hours a day - 365 days a year so a typical in~center schedule is only 9-12 hours a week. More patients report feeling "washed out" and have less energy doing in~center treatments.
I hope this gives you a good idea about in~center hemodialsis treatments as you can see it has both it pro and cons. Next time we'll talk about different kinds of home hemodialysis, which is what I have been doing for the last 2 and 1/2 years. I hope you come back for our next installment on dialysis. Also remember whether you just want more information on dialysis or to locate a dialysis center please go to http://www.healthykidneys.org/
Thank you for joining me once again on this journey, please feel free to leave comments, questions or concerns.
Keep on fighting Kidney Warriors!
~Kidney Blogger
I am so sorry to hear about you losing your father. Did he have kidney problems too? I did in center dialysis for a short period of time and then I did home hemo for over a year and now I do PD.
ReplyDeleteDear Jamie, Thanks for the kind words and for following the blog. Its sounds like you have been through a lot as well. I hope the PD is going well and your feeling good. My father didn't have kidney issues but had other health issues.
DeleteIf there are any topics you would like to see discussed on the blog please feel free to leave a comment at any time.
Keep on fighting Jamie, You're a Warrior!
~Kidney Blogger