We have had 5 days of home hemo dialysis training, tomorrow will be our 6th. Either I am old or learning isn't as easy as it use to be. This is a bit overwhelming. Needles, syringes, gloves, sterile everything and the machine itself is like a small computer. So much work to be done. We are getting letters from our doctor for the power, phone and the water company. This is so we can have a medical alerts put on these accounts. We had to take a water sample from our home and it has to pass inspection. They say this is no big deal. The machine uses tap water when you are at your home.

Emily has been going with us to learn what we are learning. She is going to be the back up. She works at the hospital delivering babies at night in ob and learning dialysis in the daytime. She is not getting much sleep. We have been putting in some long hours but approximately 2 hours per day is driving.

He is feeling better. He said it is so much better when he does dialysis on the machine like we will be using at home. He will do dialysis 6 out of 7 days once we are at home. Right now it is taking 3 to 3 1/2 hours each time. Once we get good at this we hope it will be 2 1/2 to 3. We can pick the 6 days and it can be anytime in a 24hr period, doesn't have to be the same time everyday. He has kind of figured out his fluid intake to keep himself from gaining too much. He has traded his 20oz tea glass for an 8oz juice glass. I told his family we are going to buy shot glasses and leave one at eveyones house, this will be Steve's glass we he comes to visit no more than a shot. He has already experienced what it feels like when they have to take of too much fluid, his legs and hands started cramping terribly. It didn't take long to figure out too much fluid can be painful.

The training nurse told us today she has 4 patients right now doing home hemo dialysis. I thought that was scary. Either they are too chicken to learn (I am right there with them), don't have someone to help them (a big percent are senior citizens) and could be it is pretty darn complex. So I guess we are going to be in a small percentage of home hemo patients. The doctor says this is the way to go since he is so young. It is easier on the body, it doesn't drag you down as much and your in control of when you do it.

Right now Steve is dialylizing through a perm catheter in his chest. He basically has to flex able tubes sticking out of his chest. Near future he will be using his fistula in his arm. We just today received a call from the vascular surgeon about getting his fistula worked on. I will have control over all sharp, long, pointed needles filled with different things. Therefore don't be pissing me off.

All joking aside this is going to be like bringing your first born child home from the hospital. I asked the nurse today if she could come stay with us for about 2 weeks. Please pray for us to give us strength to be able to do this at home. I am signing off and taking the long weekend off.


Love Steve, Christy & Blair