In Center-Hemodialysis

As I awoke that Monday morning, it hit me it was time to get ready to go to the dialysis center to have my treatment. Now when I left the hospital there was much information given but very little of it retained. There was too much information given at one time and with all that was going on in my life I could not retain it all. Think of it. Your told your kidneys have failed, you need to go on dialysis. Now there is a few different types of dialysis in-center, home hemo dialysis, peritoneal dialsysis, and transplant but with all the info that was given, it was hard to retain it. My dad drove me and we walked into the clinic, sat down, and waited to be called back. There were many thoughts running through my mind, and my dad could see the nervousness on my face. We made small talk about different things, and this helped take my mind off what was ahead. When the nurse came to take me back, she let my dad know that once I was hooked up to the machine, she would have him come back to see the treatment floor. This helps both the patient, and the support person to understand the processes of what dialysis is. As I walked back to the treatment area with the nurse, I felt like a little kid leaving their parents to go to school for the first time. As long as I have the capability to remember, it will be impossible to forget that walk down the hallway. I could hear the beeping of the machines , people talking back and forth, nurses running here and there doing their job. As we came to the end of the hallway, I saw my first in-center dialysis area. There were many takeaways from that experience. The main takeaway was this: this is my life now and it may not change. As I started my first treatment In center that day, it was like a blur. It went very quickly. Many things were happening. All the different care team members that were there introduced themselves from the dialysis tech to the doctor. By the end of that treatment I was tired, but physically I felt better. Over the next few months, I felt a little better after each treatment. It took some time, but I started to feel more like myself. In the next blog I will be showing you the view from the Chair.