starting HD

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amanda in CA
Posts: 1806
Joined: Fri Apr 23, 2004 5:14 pm
Location: Georgia, USA

starting HD

Post by amanda in CA »

I had my first stint at in-unit dialysis yesterday so that they can make the buttonhole in preparation hopefully so that down the line I can do home HD using NxStage. Everyone there was about twice my age. Found out that a lot of the things that I had previously been told regarding arrangements for the training and for when Steve is away aren't true. Looks like when he is away I am going to have to go in-unit contrary to what they said! Wonder what else isn't true!

The session itself wasn't too bad, but they had problems taking any fluid off because my blood pressure was so low to start with (about 90/60) and then of course went lower. I think that I am so used to a low bp that I didn't feel as bad as some people would have done, but it is worrying because I wonder if I will be able to do HD anyway which will leave me no place to go once PD is no longer an option. I am kind of glad that I am doing the switch electively because at least it gives me breathing space.

Has anyone else done HD with a low starting BP? and if so, how was it managed? I am on no BP meds. after suffering from dangerously high BP for some time a year or so ago.

The thing is, at the same time I am continuing PD on the days that I don't do HD until I am fully on NxStage. They told me that because my BP was so low that I was dehydrated. The thing is that I wasn't. I am suffering from severe carpal tunnel syndrome (which I need to get operated on) and the numbness and tingling in my fingers only comes on when I am overloaded with fluid. when I had finished the session yesterday, my fingers were numb and tingling on both hands. They tried to blame it on steal syndrome but given that it was in both hands, obviously not nerve-related, my hands were warm and it feels just like carpal-tunnel symptoms, lead me to conclude that this was what it was.

Given that my hands were so painful, I did a half treatment of PD and I still got a lot of fluid off despite this. This morning, no pins and needles or numbness and I don't feel dizzy at all (which I've been feeling other days anyway). Any ideas about why they said that I was dry, yet my body tells me that I am fluid to come off?

My belief is that this is just because my BP is low to start with even with excess fluid on board but I would like to know what others think since this is all new to me.
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