Yes, hello!!! I have end stage and my Dr has given me the option of PD or in center Hemodialysis. I am 45 yrs old and have cardiovascular disease. Not sure what kind of questions to ask here, but I don;t know alot about PD and really not sure about the paticulars. Not real sure if Im entirely happy with either explaination of my otpions.
It was basically here is hemodialysis and these are people on hemo, 3 days a week or you can do everyday at home with a high chance of infections. Questions I guess, is this normal education? Not sure which one to choose??? Not to fond of those large needles, but then again, not sure if Im confident and intelligent to take care of myself at home?? What happens if soemthing goes wrong??? I don;t know. Hopefully someone will respond

Hi Tim,
Choosing a dialysis modality can be overwhelming! Fortunatly for you there is a lot of modality education materials available to you. We already know you are on line so you may want to start with some of the web sites for patient education. Two of them are kidneyoptions.com and kidneydirection.com.

You should ask your physician if he has any of the phamphlets from the National Kidney Foundation for you to take home. The American Kidney Foundation produced videos called "People Like Us" that are available free to your physician. If he does not have a copy he just needs to contact Amgen.

If you decide to choose a home modality rest assured that the home training nurses will teach you everything you need to know to safely take care of yourself at home. A big plus to being at home is you are not on any schedule but your own!

You may also want to talk to a patient or two that are on dialysis now. Choose one on Hemodialysis and one on Peritoneal Dialysis. They will give you the patients' perspective.

Good luck with your search!


[This message has been edited by Mary Hansen (edited 12-05-2000).]

Tim,
I agree with Mary. She has provided you with some really great information. In addition, I would like to mention the American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP). They have a new education program which you may find helpful. Their website is www.aakp.org/what.htm .

Through the kidneydirections.com website, www.kidneydirections.com you can register in the Stay In Touch program, which is another vehicle to assure you have access to therapy options education in a timely manner. The program consists of a series of mailings related to all aspects of pre-dialysis care, including modality selection information.

Peritoneal dialysis is done by thousands of people throughout the world of all ages, education levels, cultural differences, etc. As Mary stated, the home training nurses will teach you everything you need to know to safely take care of yourself at home.

I hope this is helpful to you and that you continue to seek out information so that you make the best choice for you and your life.

Well it looks like Im gonna do PD, for my lifestyle, but now I have another delema?? I have met with the RNs who showed me two different therapies CAPD and APD, and also showed me 2 diiferent suppliers and their supplies and devices (Fesenius and Baxter. The Baxter machine and supplies look better, cleaner and looks easier to use, but the Fresenius machines and devices have soem great features as well. Do you have any data across the country as to who is using what? And what are the differences to me that I should be aware of?? The Dr and the Rns also talked about infections or Perit??? whatever that word is. Is there a manufacturer that is better against infections than the other??? I had asked my RNs but they could not really supply me with the information I need to choose. Is that common as well?? Shouldn't the Rn's have access to this type of information or would this be implying a preference?? Now that Im asking these questions, shouldn't the Dr and the Rn's be using the best equipment available for their patients? All this is making me think about my Dr and his staff and if I want to continue seeing this person.

Can either one of you or another patient lend me there expertise and ease my struggles. Its bad enough that I have this disease and its absolutely absurd that I have to decide which manufacturer without the appropriate information. This is very depressing

Tim: You have presented an interesting dilemma. I believe CAPD and APD are lifestyle choices, for the most part, unless there is a medical reason for using one mode over another. Your physician and nurses should be able to explain the pros and cons of each of them to you. Again, the websites previously mentioned contain information, which can help you decide what is best for you. You can also check out information on each of the manufacturers through the Internet.
I can appreciate your concerns about peritonitis. Peritonitis, or infection of the peritoneum (inside your abdomen where dialysis actually takes place) is potentially preventable, but if it occurs, it is easily resolvable by proper measures. You will learn how to prevent infections with whatever system you use. You will also learn to recognize signs and symptoms of an infection, so you can be treated immediately.
Ultimately, I believe you need to feel comfortable with all of your decisions. If you do not feel you are getting the information you should from your healthcare professionals, you can always seek a second opinion. You need to take an active role in your own care. You have made an excellent start by going on-line to learn as much as you can. I hope you continue to do so, and you make decisions that are right for you.

quote:

Originally posted by TimT:
Well it looks like Im gonna do PD, for my lifestyle, but now I have another delema?? I have met with the RNs who showed me two different therapies CAPD and APD, and also showed me 2 diiferent suppliers and their supplies and devices (Fesenius and Baxter. The Baxter machine and supplies look better, cleaner and looks easier to use, but the Fresenius machines and devices have soem great features as well. Do you have any data across the country as to who is using what? And what are the differences to me that I should be aware of?? The Dr and the Rns also talked about infections or Perit??? whatever that word is. Is there a manufacturer that is better against infections than the other??? I had asked my RNs but they could not really supply me with the information I need to choose. Is that common as well?? Shouldn't the Rn's have access to this type of information or would this be implying a preference?? Now that Im asking these questions, shouldn't the Dr and the Rn's be using the best equipment available for their patients? All this is making me think about my Dr and his staff and if I want to continue seeing this person.

Can either one of you or another patient lend me there expertise and ease my struggles. Its bad enough that I have this disease and its absolutely absurd that I have to decide which manufacturer without the appropriate information. This is very depressing

Hi, I want to warn you about a possible fatal complication for Peritoneal Dialysis Pts. My father was on PD for one year, and just recently died from a fatal complication called Sclerosing Encapsulating Peritonitis. We all knew that peritonitis was a risk, but we were not informed that a complication could be SEP. You need to ask your doctor and renal center about this. I found studies and articles from around the world on people who have gotten SEP while on PD. For some reason the renal community does not talk about this rare, but VERY fatal complication from PD.
Take Care.