Your Thoughts Whats Better????

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Tony
Posts: 23
Joined: Sun Apr 25, 2004 3:02 pm

Your Thoughts Whats Better????

Post by Tony »

Ok here's the question.... Would like your personnal feelings on whats better and why ! APD / CAPD / Hemodialysis, also could you say which you think offers, more of a normal life (eg still going to work) less hassel less time consuming life style ! Whats more convieient and whats less painfull with less side affects?

Many many thanks for your time in answering Tony UK x :roll: :lol:
JMan
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Location: Lives in a slightly weird bit of Shropshire called Telford!

Post by JMan »

Aah the old Q's are the best:)

See http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&l ... tnG=Search

you may be able to glean some useful knowledge from the archives there.. (It provides plenty of reading ;))

Personally I found hemo good for me for the reasons in the aforementioned threads. But PD works for most.

The decision should based on a combo of medical suitability, need, lifestyle and personal choice.

Having done haemodialysis I liked the fact that my fistula is 'all me' whereas a PD catheter is yet another, invasive foreign body.

Whichever you end up with.. Good luck and I hope it works for you
Last edited by JMan on Thu Aug 19, 2004 10:36 am, edited 1 time in total.
"Dialysis! What is this? The dark ages!"
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Elaine
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Hiya Tony ;)

Post by Elaine »

Hiya Tony mmm difficuilt question really?? Really depends on many circumstances and medical assessment etc advise from Medical profession etc. :shock:

My daughter was on CAPD overnight 9 hrs for 18 mnths she didnt even want 2 entertain haemo but had a nasty bout peritonitis so went onto haemo 'temporary' although seems to be responding much better than P/D.

So something good has come out of he peritonitis in long run.However I will say that she didn't do too well on p/d lots probs and difficulties taking off fluid, she put 2 stone on in 18mnths on p/d. :shock: But I have spoken to other people who say that p/d gives them a great deal of independance and less medical interventions etc. I f u need to have the day 'free' of dialyis to work or study then perhaps be worth a go on p/d :lol:

Only u & your Drs etc can decide together what may be 'best' lifestyle ' option for you, but it is good 2 see how other people have coped with all types of dialyis etc.


best wishes and good luck whichever type of dialysis u chose u know we are here to help and try support u whatever Tony ....



best wishes Elaine ;)
Judith
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Joined: Wed Apr 28, 2004 9:51 am
Location: UK

Your Thoughts Whats Better????

Post by Judith »

I started dialysis last year and opted for CAPD, I thought Haemo sounded horrid and I hoped to avoid it! In the event, I had a lot of problems on CAPD and, after my fifth bout of peritonitis, it was decided that my catheter should be removed and replaced by another one on the opposite side and I should do haemo over the summer to 'rest' my peritoneum. In my last couple of weeks on CAPD I became increasingly unwell and it was discovered that dialysis fluid had leaked into my right lung - this spelled the end of CAPD for me.

Well, to cut a long story short, I feel like a different person on haemo. I have lost the weight I put on whilst on CAPD (due to fluid retention) but what I like best is the fact that once I leave hospital after dialysis, I don't have to think about it again until the next time, and I have a whole weekend free. Basically, what I have learnt is that different things suit different people and you won't really know what's best for you until you try. I know that CAPD works well for many, but for me it meant 6 months of anxiety and poor health. Haemo works well for me, but I live within 10 minutes drive of the hospital, if I lived an hour or more away I might feel differently. My advice would be to try the one you like the sound of best, but don't be too disappointed or feel like you've failed if it doesn't work out for you.

Good luck with whatever you decide.
Judith
christineDC
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PD for me

Post by christineDC »

I didn't like the idea of a fistula in my arm though the catheter is a pain in the ass as well (I have a horrible/funny story about airport screening and my catheter..). I like doing it at home. I'm on the cycler at night so I just hook up and go to sleep. I don't like having to be someplace - I work and have a little one so my days are FULL.

I've actually lost weight - nearly 15 pounds - from dropping the fluid that had been accumulating. The con's are I did get peritonitis once (sucked big time) and I don't sleep that well with the catheter and the machine humming. Plus, I've managed to develop a skin allergy to the tape I use for the catheter. Makes for lots of itching.
wing
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Post by wing »

Christine,
I won't sleep until you tell us what happened at the airport with your catheter and the screening!
Mike
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Post by Mike »

Hi,

I am going to be starting on PD in a few months which was my preferred choice. When I first started talking to my unit about dialysis I was told I was going to have to do HD and only just in the last week they have agreed that I can do PD. I was told that I have to have a fistula done as a backup and if I have more than 4 bouts of peritonitis I would have to do HD.

mike
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wing
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Post by wing »

Hi Mike.
I think your posting shows just how different each renal unit treats its clients.
I have to say, I've never heard of having to have a fistula as back up - unless they are aware of some medical reason why P.D. may not be successful.
If a fistula is essential "backup", surely all of us who currently do P.D. would have to have one, regardless of where we were being treated.?
I was given choice and opted for P.D. I asked the pre-dialysis nurse which method of dialysis would she use if she were in my position and she said she would have no doubts that she would select P.D. as it is more gentle on the body and has a tendency to preserve what bit of renal function you have left for longer. (Being an old cynic, I did wonder was she saying that as they were short of dialysis machines and she didn't want me to select haemo!!).
She also said that should a transplant then become available, it's a simple case of removing the tube and "you've not had your veins messed about with"!
I think we're often steered in the direction they want us to take as a result of their previous experiences.!
It's good to have this board so we can learn from the experiences of others.
JMan
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Joined: Fri Apr 23, 2004 10:21 am
Location: Lives in a slightly weird bit of Shropshire called Telford!

Post by JMan »

Interesting one that Wing..

Re PD.. yep you won't have had you veins messed about with, but I guess the nurse in Q didn't mention the statistical 'average' lifespan of a peritoneum (Ibeleive the quoted number is usally 7. That said I know peeps who have done it for much longer than that. A lot depends on bouts of infection/peritonitus etc). Unit policy seems to be a postcode lottery to a degree. As to 'backup' fistula's I had mine done almost a year before my kidneys failed, the advantage there, was that the fistula was 'mature' before use.
I've seen a lot of fistula's damaged by use after a very 'minimum' limit of maturation. Personally I think if a fistula has longer to develop it will do better in the long run.. I am sure there are stats to prove/disprove that but its just my gut feeling/own experience.
Last edited by JMan on Fri Aug 20, 2004 3:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"Dialysis! What is this? The dark ages!"
L. 'Bones' McCoy, ST"
Read my blog:)
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wing
Posts: 345
Joined: Tue Aug 03, 2004 10:56 am

Post by wing »

O.K. so give me the good news! - What is the statistical average life span of a peritoneum?
Mike
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Joined: Fri Apr 23, 2004 2:47 pm
Location: Mansfield :o)

Post by Mike »

Hi,

I hope I'm worng but I think that they don't trust me and expect me to fail on PD, it really irritates me that they would think that I would deliberately make myself feel worse than I am. My bloods were fairly good last time, my potassium and phosphate were ok. I am very careful, probably more careful than I need to be with my diet and I haven't missed a single dose of any of my drugs.
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wing
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Post by wing »

What makes you think that they don't trust you Mike?
Surely no-one has a more vested interest than you to get it right!
Have you asked them why they seem un-keen for you to do P.D?
Mike
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Joined: Fri Apr 23, 2004 2:47 pm
Location: Mansfield :o)

Post by Mike »

Hi Wing

What they originally said to me was that they didn't think I would cope with PD. I have since had several meeting with the pre-dialysis nurse and although they are letting me do PD I still get the impression that they haven't changed their view on it.

I'll just have to prove them wrong !

Mike
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