Although its been really tough for the last few weeks for me personally, working on the blog has been a wonderful distraction. Thank you for joining me once again and I hope you're finding the information on dialysis to be useful. And as always please feel free to leave me any questions, comments, or concerns on this topic. Before we get into home hemodialysis, I want to talk to you about how vital your dialysis access is to your dialysis treatments. Regardless of what type of hemodialysis you do, your access is your lifeline and should be treated as such. Whether you have an AV fistula, graft or a catheter, it's vital that you learn how to care for it. Without an access you will not be able to receive dialysis treatments. So remember your access is the first decision will make on this dialysis journey so educate yourself well so you can make the best decision for yourself.
Welcome to the world of home hemodialysis, there are so many choices and even more benefits of doing dialysis at home. I am a huge advocate of home dialysis and can honestly say it has changed my journey with chronic kidney disease. There are many different methods of doing home dialysis including: short daily treatments, traditional treatments, extended treatments and nocturnal treatments.
Short daily treatments:
This method involves doing five to six treatments a week for an average of two to three hours each treatment. This is the method my nephrologist chose for me because it is done over consecutive days with short, gentle treatments and has allowed for a more liberal diet and fluid restrictions. This method has helped me keep my phosphorus and potassium under control.
Traditional treatments:
This method involves doing three treatments a week for an average of three to four hours each treatment. This is much like doing in~center treatments without leaving home and going to a center.
Extended treatments:
This method also involves five to six treatments a week but for an average of three to five hours each treatment. This method allows for a more liberal diet and fluid restrictions. It is also a more gentle cleansing of the blood.
Nocturnal treatments:
This method involves four to six treatments a week or an every other day schedule with six to eight hour treatments while a patient sleeps. This method cleans the blood at a very slow rate and has shown to help improve energy levels and appetite. It is also the least restrictive on diet and fluids.
Most home hemodialysis methods do require a care partner. Someone who is dedicated and who is willing to be trained. I have been so lucky to have my husband as my care partner. He and I were trained on the NxStage System One and have been doing it together for the last 2 and 1/2 years. Our training was about 4 weeks and was done right at our local dialysis clinic.
As you can see there so many choices when it comes to home hemodialysis. It will be up to you and your doctor to decide which method is the best for you. The pros of doing home hemodialysis are: dailyzing in the comfort of your own home, taking charge of your health, the ability to travel with many of the portable dialysis machines available, and the ability to set your own schedule. It gives your dialysis life freedom like no other. A few drawbacks to home hemodialysis are that most require that you have a care partner to help with treatments, you will need ample space to store the dialysis supplies, and its requires training for both you and your care partner.
The other advantage to home hemo is all the advancements to the home dialysis machines. They are smaller, more user friendly, and ready to travel. I can't say enough good things about the NxStage System One machine that I use. It has traveled multiple times out to Cape Cod and back without incident. If you would like more information about NxStage Medical Inc. please visit them at http://www.nxstage.com/.
I hope this has given you a good understanding of the home hemodialysis options available. Like in~center dialysis home dialysis has its pros and cons. Choosing to do my treatments at home has changed my dialysis life, I feel better and feel like I have more control over a disease that can leave you feeling helpless. Take charge! I hope this inspires you to talk to your nephrologist about your options!
Thank you for joining once again on this journey, please feel free to leave any questions, comments, or concerns.
Keep on fight Kidney Warriors!
~Kidney Blogger
Most home hemodialysis methods do require a care partner. Someone who is dedicated and who is willing to be trained. I have been so lucky to have my husband as my care partner. He and I were trained on the NxStage System One and have been doing it together for the last 2 and 1/2 years. Our training was about 4 weeks and was done right at our local dialysis clinic.
As you can see there so many choices when it comes to home hemodialysis. It will be up to you and your doctor to decide which method is the best for you. The pros of doing home hemodialysis are: dailyzing in the comfort of your own home, taking charge of your health, the ability to travel with many of the portable dialysis machines available, and the ability to set your own schedule. It gives your dialysis life freedom like no other. A few drawbacks to home hemodialysis are that most require that you have a care partner to help with treatments, you will need ample space to store the dialysis supplies, and its requires training for both you and your care partner.
The other advantage to home hemo is all the advancements to the home dialysis machines. They are smaller, more user friendly, and ready to travel. I can't say enough good things about the NxStage System One machine that I use. It has traveled multiple times out to Cape Cod and back without incident. If you would like more information about NxStage Medical Inc. please visit them at http://www.nxstage.com/.
*NxStage System One Cycler*
I hope this has given you a good understanding of the home hemodialysis options available. Like in~center dialysis home dialysis has its pros and cons. Choosing to do my treatments at home has changed my dialysis life, I feel better and feel like I have more control over a disease that can leave you feeling helpless. Take charge! I hope this inspires you to talk to your nephrologist about your options!
Thank you for joining once again on this journey, please feel free to leave any questions, comments, or concerns.
Keep on fight Kidney Warriors!
~Kidney Blogger
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