PD Bag storage

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Nic Dunn
Posts: 6
Joined: Wed Apr 21, 2004 11:45 am
Location: UK

PD Bag storage

Post by Nic Dunn »

I am shortly to go on PD and have to arrange the logistics at home. Can any one give me some idea as to what this will involve?

What size are the bags? I will have to make a cupboard or two to hold them.

Fortunately I have just had a room vacated by my son so I can use it secifically for PD.
JMan
Posts: 3470
Joined: Fri Apr 23, 2004 10:21 am
Location: Lives in a slightly weird bit of Shropshire called Telford!

Post by JMan »

Depending on your deliveries of stock you will need a fair bit of room for the boxes of fluid (seriously the storage can seem daunting at first there is a LOT of it).
You also need to look at the possibility of having your house rebanded by the council as you have now lost a bed room.
There are a couple of other things you 'might' look into such as electric etc but the machines are lowish consumption AFAIK. Those on PD here will probably be able to tell you better.

Take a look at:

http://www.kidney.org.uk/Medical-Info/pd.html

for some information and some real life experiences on PD. The helpline on the same site has a wealth of info on the sort of things you may wish to know.
HTH :D
"Dialysis! What is this? The dark ages!"
L. 'Bones' McCoy, ST"
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wing
Posts: 345
Joined: Tue Aug 03, 2004 10:56 am

Post by wing »

Hi Nic.
I store my bags of fluid in my garage on very,very sturdy shelving.
We then bring up the boxes of fluid, approx. a weeks supply at a time, and store that in a built in cup-board in the spare bedroom. We bought a little sack truck to save our ageing backs, to help us with this manouvre.!!
I also had some shelving made inside the bedroom cupboard for storage of dressings, alcohol rub, hand wash etc etc as I didn't want to store those types of things in my dusty old garage.
I asked at the renal unit, for an empty box (previously containing dialysis fluid) so that I had a better idea of how much room would be needed to store a month's supply, and to ensure that my designated cupboard was large enough to accomodate a reasonable number of boxes.
We're all different, but the priority for me was that my home should not begin to resemble a clinic! I wanted all my stuff to be convenient and at hand, but not necessarilly staring me in the face every time I walked into the house.
Getting organised is the main thing - then getting re-organised once you start the therapy.
The delivery men are also very good and certainly in this area, will put your delivery of boxes wherever you want them to be put. Storing mine in the garage means that we give them a key to the garage and then we don't have to be around when a delivery is due.
Good luck.
Elaine
Posts: 1704
Joined: Sat Apr 24, 2004 11:06 am
Location: south west

p/d storage

Post by Elaine »

Hiya saw u post Nic, hope I can give u some idea about storage etc of p/d fluids.

We had been provided with a shed 6 x 4 but found it too small so upgraded to next size 8x6 at least have some room to manouvere whilst sorting out stocks etc. My daughter was on 7 2.5 litres of p/d fluid overnite via machine which amounts to a HUGE amount of fluid. We use to have 2-3 pallett loadz delivered but found the drivers helpful and could stock up the shed within 20-30 mins monthly.Yes as others' have said initially the first order is bigger to get u started etc so don't be too alarmed' :shock:

During winter we had to remember to bring in bags a day before required as they can appear nearly frozen to thaw 'naturally'

We use to involve all the family with taking p/d bags up to relevant bedroom x 2 weekly. They can be heavy especially if u use 5 litre bags. We had a students type desk to put machine n bags on during dialyis. Also a trolley 2 shelves to store p/d bags on also a shelving unit ( 4shelves) for medical supplies etc.

Im sure you will soon get uself into a 'routine' that feels comfortable for uself and fit in with your lifestyle.

good luck hope this info is useful for you.

ps we too are @ Bristol but on paeds.

good luck 2 u Nic best wishes Elaine UK.
amanda in CA
Posts: 1806
Joined: Fri Apr 23, 2004 5:14 pm
Location: Georgia, USA

PD

Post by amanda in CA »

Hi, yes you definately need to get a down-banding on your council tax (even if you don't officially lose a room). I did this the first time around even though I dialysed in the sitting room and did set a room specifically aside. If you give over a room to storage you will 'lose' that room if is an average size 3rd bedroom. We had a garden shed installed in our next house and that seemed to work quite well. I would just leave the garden gate unlocked when they were due to deliver, otherwise if you are having them delivered into your home, you either have to be there to receive the delivery or entrust them or a neighbour with a key for entry. best of luck, Amanda
Nic Dunn
Posts: 6
Joined: Wed Apr 21, 2004 11:45 am
Location: UK

Thanks

Post by Nic Dunn »

Thanks a lot for all your suggestions and advice. I am going to have to reorganise the garage to hold a large chunk of the boxes.
Bruce
Posts: 65
Joined: Thu Jul 29, 2004 1:21 am
Location: Long Island, New York

PD storage

Post by Bruce »

Hello Nic:

I started CAPD in July and Baxter delivered 35 boxes of solution to my house plus 4 cartons of various other supplies and equipment. You need a fair amount of room to store these boxes and you have to figure on getting them from where they are stored to where you'll be doing your PD. I have 2500 ml solution bags and each box weighs about 35 pounds (16 Kg) and so soon after the catheter insertion surgery I was not allowed to lift anything that heavy. Also, I don't know what kind of climate you live in but the solution is not supposed to be stored in too much heat or cold, and freezing apparently is a no-no; an unheated garage may not be the best storage facility.

On the other hand, Baxter (if that's who you're using) does a great job. The boxes are delivered on time to wherever in your house you want; you don't have to pick up a thing. Replacement supplies are handled the same way and the delivery man even rotates your solutions for you, so none of it gets out-dated.

Good luck with your PD; you get used to it and find you can function very well.

--Bruce
Michele in TN
Posts: 53
Joined: Sun Sep 12, 2004 8:21 am
Location: Nashville, TN, USA

Post by Michele in TN »

I used Fresinius here in the US and they would come in and rotate my supply and such. They said I couldn't keep them outside in the garage so we stored them in our guest room. They just basically lined one wall in the 12x12 room. Our biggest quam was the used boxes and having to get them to a recycle bin. They add up really quick.
Michele, 30
Mom to Emily, 11
Wife to Chris
Transplanted 07/29/04
Creatinine 0.9 2/07
stopping prednisone due to severe renal osteodystrophy 11/06
June Adn
Posts: 6
Joined: Thu Jul 08, 2004 4:24 pm
Location: Aberdeen / Scotland

Post by June Adn »

Our biggest quam was the used boxes and having to get them to a recycle bin. They add up really quick.
We are lucky that the council have a weekly kerbside collection. I used to just put out a small carrier bag of newspapers but now its a mountain of box's & a small carrier bag of newspapers :lol:
Regards June
amanda in CA
Posts: 1806
Joined: Fri Apr 23, 2004 5:14 pm
Location: Georgia, USA

PD box storage

Post by amanda in CA »

I wouldn't worry too much regarding the temp. range suggested. My bags in the UK were stored in a garden shed, as were several of my friends. I now live in California and the bags are stored in the garage, in the summer there is nowhere in the house within the temperature range stated! Amanda
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