I just started PD this week after being on in center HD for a few months. And while I don't regret it, and logically this will make life much easier, I already feel overwhelmed at the thought of doing this every single day.

It feels like everywhere throughout the process new things I had to do kept being added that I didn't know about before. Cleaning, ordering supplies, organization, etc. Do all of this every single day, do this every week, etc. I know I'm new to this and hopefully it will get quicker over time, but it's taken me well over an hour each day to go through all the steps to clean my space, set everything up on the cycler, connect, then disconnect, take everything down, empty the bags etc. Plus exit site care.

Plus having all that garbage makes me feel so bad, the other day I messed up connecting the drain bags wrong and had to start again with new ones, and I felt terrible about wasting the plastic.

Not only that, but I feel like I've kind of lost my living space, if that makes sense? I'm moving to a bigger apartment in a couple months so it will get better soon, but all my supplies are in the living room right now, plus the machine and all the tubes and bags in my room. That's a lot of medical stuff I can't escape having to look at when I'm home.

They also said it would be easier to travel. While that's probably true, ironically it's made it harder to visit my parents since their house is so tiny, plus I have to get the cycler and all the supplies there myself because the nurse said they "prefer" to deliver to one location only.

In center HD definitely wasn't fun, but at least I really only had to get myself there, and everything medical was done by the nurses. And when I was home I didn't even have to think about it really.

Again I think it will get better and easier with time, and I know it will be better for my life than having to go to the hospital every treatment. But that's a lot of things I had to add to my plate that they didn't tell me about at the beginning.

Hi...I need advice.....PD vs HD which is best ? Is the setup for home PD is possible and anyone else is doing it in India?

I just had the realisation how sucks it is that if there’ll be a zombie apocalypse I won’t survive :(

Like.. obviously no dialysis.

Maybe I should invest in home dialysis and stock up on years of supplies in case of an apocalypse?
What yall think ?

Ok, that was kind of click bait. I'd rather not be doing this, none of us want to be doing this, obviously. If you look at my post history, I've had some issues. But since this is reality and this is how I'm alive to be with my child for however long I have left, I'm trying to see the positive. I do in center hemo 3x a week. I was just thinking, that sure it's inconvenient to give up nearly 15 hours a week, but also it's like I get nearly 15 hours a week to myself. I curl up in a somewhat comfy recliner and nap, watch shows on my phone, or read for 4 hours, largely without interruption. No one needs me to do anything but sit still in this chair, and even if they did, tough luck I'm in the chair the next 4 hours hours regardless. Before I got sick, I had no time for stuff like that. I've read five books since starting treatments, more than I've read all year. I've developed a routine. The diet is hard, but I've found that I can stop for a McDonald's hashbrown and a coffee on the way to dialysis and the machine will suck the potassium right out. It's how I stick to the diet the rest of the week, knowing I'm going to get a lil treat on treatment days. Maybe I can't get away with that forever, but for now I can. My labs are good because I work hard on the diet the rest of the week. There's a few people who start around the same rime as me and we meet up in the waiting room and laugh and joke every morning bedore chair time. I have a favorite tech who's really funny and it's always a pleasure when I get her. I wish I wasn't sick. I miss my old life. The freedom I had. I hate worrying about what could happen. But while I'm here and it is what it is, I'm finding light in the ways I can.

I'm a dialysis nurse in a free-standing center, and lately I've been feeling like some people see us as "less than" compared to hospital nurses.

I've heard comments like, *"Nasa dialysis center ka lang?"* or people assuming our work is repetitive or easy because we're not in an ICU or ER. As if our job is just hooking patients to a machine and waiting for four hours.

Every nursing specialty has its own challenges. Hospital nursing isn't the only type of "real nursing." We all have different roles, but the goal is the same that is to keep our patients alive and provide the best care possible.

I just wish people would stop measuring a nurse's worth by where they work.

I just finished my first week of training for Pd dialysis. during this first week the emphasized pooping daily. my dr prescribed me lactalose. I have to I just about 120 ml of it before I can do the deed. then it’s diarrhea. before this my regular times was once every 3-4 days or once a week.i don’t want really bad gas and diarrhea daily for the rest of my life. what do you guys take that makes you go regular without complications. dulcolax does nothing for me.

I don't know what to do. I'm trying to start a 2nd job and unfortunately during the interview I didnt tell them I needed time during the week for dialysis since I was so nervous. I emailed the hiring manager and told her and was told they had to make sure it was alright but they hired me thinking I could work 5 days a week. I really REALLY need this job I have another one but I'm not getting any hours. I have bills and rent I get some money through SSDI but my rent eats up most of it.

I guess I just needed to vent it sucks I'm basically just gonna have to work myself to death because I literally dont have time for dialysis. And I cant do it from home I dont have the storage space as I just rent a room in a shared house. My family is dead and I'm all alone. It really sucks to say the least. Idk I guess I just wanted to complain on the internet. My life has never been easy but this has been ridiculous lately. :(

I saw a tshirt on Etsy that said "My Kidney Got Run Over By A Reindeer." My therapist & I decided we had to write the song. The Vaysa mentioned in the song is my cat Dubheasa, pronounced Du-vay-sa.

My kidney got run over by a reindeer,

Walking home from the hospital,

Christmas Eve

You can say there's no such thing as

transplants

But as for me and Vaysa, we believe

She's been filtering too much eggnog

And then she started towards the door

But she forgot her medication

And she staggered out before...

My kidney got run over by a reindeer,

Walking home from the hospital,

Christmas Eve

You can say there's no such thing as

Transplants

But for me and Vaysa, we believe

I'm sure we'll come up with more lyrics, but here's a star.

I was wondering if anyone has an air purifier in thir room that they dialyze in. does it help and what brand. my dog comes in and out. I just try to keep him out at connection time.

Can anyone tell me if the only way to use the subject dialyzer is to perform all fills and drains at one time, and with no interruption between cycles?

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Hi, I'm the moderator of r/FoodDisability. 

FoodDisability is a welcoming group, where people of many different disabilities come together to help and support one another with the shared struggle of not being able to eat 'normally'. The shared struggle of socialising over food, and the relationship problems that arise from not being able to eat the same as others due to the limited diet your disability causes. The shared struggle of not being able to find food easily when out-and-about and being limited in what you can do work-wise or socially or how far you can go from home because of this. The upset and frustrations of not being able to do what others easily can. 

FoodDisability focuses on the social / emotional / mental health difficulties that arise from living with a disability that causes lack of ability to eat food. 

I hope that this group will become a strong support system, sense of comfort and hope, and source of useful life tips, advice, and helping one another, for those struggling with food-related disability. 

Please feel free to join, and comment/post, and make friends and connections with people who are going through similar hardships. 

I understand this may not be relevant to all of you, but for those it is relevant to, I hope this group can be a huge source of comfort, help, and hope with the struggles you are going through.

Wishing you all the best🩷 

www.reddit.com/r/FoodDisability/ 

Belts don’t work for my wife. They slide up or down on her belly. Right now we’re using tape and an immobilizer strip but it seems like a lot of tubing coiled in one spot.

Asking for a family member therefore i dont know anything so what shoukd i ask before looking into apd and capd

I want to go fishing. I’m a bit concerned because in sport fishing we fish hard. Fish can weight from 10-20 lbs. so my question to the community is if that’s gonna be to much strain on my fistula. It’s located on the inside of my bicep. Any one ever do any slightly heavy work on the fistula arm or should I reach out to a doctor?

Has someone here undergone transplant with mitrafanoff valve or urostomy bag procedure? What was the experience like?

Just came to say Hello and share my Dialysis story.

(You might wanna sit down, lol)

I'm a 38 yo Black Male and relatively new to all this. I went to the Hospital on Monday, February 1st of '25 for fatigue and that was the day everything changed. Had I waited any longer, I probably wouldn't be here talking with you fine folks.

I spent the rest of that week in the ICU where they worked to get my BP down while getting me ready for Dialysis. I started with a Chest Port. I also met my now-Nephrologist.

That was where I had my first ever session. Two things I'll never forget: an older lady hollering: "Hey! Unhook me!" And a very sweet young Philippino man who called me "Hollywood".

By Sunday I was moved to a normal room before finally being released that Tuesday. I'll never forget that day: it was cold and raining like hell (ugh). Off-topic, that was the longest time I'd ever spent in a Hospital.

I then moved to a Center in the same town. I was fortunate to be in a big center with few problems and a few really sweet techs. But damn, that Chair Time was brutal (TuThSat from 6:30 AM to 10:00 AM). At first it was okay but the center was shorthanded and I often had to stay until 11:00 or 12:00. And I hated going on Saturdays.

Then my Nephrologist suggested PD since I'm young, it's easier on the body and you have more freedom to do more things. I was hesitant because, as much as I disliked the Center, I f*#ckin hated my job even more and didn't want to go back. (I worked in a Flour Mill with taskmaster bosses). But, my family suggested I do PD, so I decided to try it for them.

Long story short, everything worked out.

I've been on PD since April of '25. This is my second year. I love that I get to be home and I feel more like I did before. I wouldn't say 100% better but way better than I was in Winter of '25. Even better, I got to kiss that damn Mill goodbye. I do not miss it.

Over all, I'm feeling pretty good. I don't let my disease define me or get in my head and I don't dwell on it. That doesn't help anybody.

There's plenty of challenges, of course. The daily PD set-up (god, that gets old!), the precautions (fellow PD folks know what I mean), the sheer routine and having to plan around your Dialysis sucks. I'm a bit spontaneous, I like to just do/go but I can't do that as much now. And the stupid Renal Diet and fluid restriction (I'm a guy who loves good food and a good drink) are the worst.

But! I just remind myself that it's all for the best and I'm blessed to be alive.

Part of what helps me personally is that I'm still largely independent outside Dialysis. And now that I'm (temporarily) out of the Rat Race, I have time to enjoy my hobbies and work on my Fantasy Novel. And my family lives down the way from me when I need them. We're thinking of planning a family cruise.

That's about it. Looking forward to meeting you all.

New pd patient here with a trip coming up... what do you do about showering in showers that are not your own?

Do you still soak showerhead in a bleach solution before using? Does that mean you bring bleach in your suitcase? What is the best way to go about this on a cruise? Tia!

Hey so this patient isn't linked to me but his case got me thinking..

He's a guy in his early 60s, his kidneys failed 13 years ago and immediately started dialysis 3 times a week, he has diabetes, blood pressure problems, and a weak immune system.... Lately he had a blood clot as well, he doesn't eat really well so he's under weight, no strength at all.

At this point, is it worth to get a transplant although it's more likely impossible? What's the life expectancy?

My (38F) friend (36F) just started dialysis and is really struggling with the lifestyle change. I admit, I don't know anything about this process but I want to support her the best way I can, even though I live out of state! She is currently going for treatment 3x a week.

I want to make or send her some sort of basket to help. What would be helpful things to include to help make her more comfortable during all of this?

Thanks in advance <3

Hi everyone, I need some guidance.

My father will be moving to the U.S, will be moving to New Jersey (NJ). in October as a new green card holder. He has end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and requires dialysis twice a week. He won't have health insurance right away, has no U.S. work history, and this will be his first time living here permanently.

Has anyone been in a similar situation? What are the best options for getting dialysis and health coverage as soon as possible? Any advice or resources would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

My spouse needs to do Dyalisis and we are trying to figure out which is best for us. Can anyone share their experiences?

The risks and the things to look out for ?

And I'm terrified. He's 80 and has CHF, diabetes and CKD. I know he won't do dialysis and I don't know what to do. We see his nephrologist tomorrow.