Hemo-dialysis

:?: Hi.........I am new to this, so please bear with me. I will most likely be going on dialysis shortly & this scares me to no end. I have a couple questions, do you get sick from hemo, like you do chemo? How long does it takes for a fistula to mature? If you need hemo in the mean time, how is it done?
Thanks, so much!!!!!!!!!
5rottz

[DoriSchatell]

Hi 5rottz. It's very normal to be scared witless at the idea of dialysis--in fact, I'd probably worry about you if you weren't afraid. The good news is, most people who are doing dialysis say that the fear of it is much worse than the real thing.

To answer your questions:
-- No, hemo does not usually hurt. Having the needles put in can pinch for a moment, and sometimes it's hard to get it right on the first try. There are numbing creams (prescription and over the counter) that you can use so that you don't even have to feel the needles.

-- Usually it takes at least a couple of months for a fistula to mature--and it's a great thing if you've got one! If it's not ready to use and you need to start hemo, you would get a temporary catheter, which is a plastic tube placed in a central vein in your neck or chest (the internal jugular is best). These are used for only a short time, due to the high rates of infection.

Now, a couple of other ideas for you:
-- Think about visiting our Kidney School at http://www.kidneyschool.org. This is our interactive kidney learning center, and it's free. There are 16 modules on different topics, and you can go through them on-line (each one takes about half an hour) or download and read the topics you want. Each module has patient quotes, graphics and animations, a pre/posttest, and lots of helpful info, plus it will create a Personal Action Plan to remind you of questions to ask your doctor and help you set goals.

-- There are other treatment options besides in-center hemo. You can learn about types of home dialysis on one of our other sites, Home Dialysis Central, at http://www.homedialysis.org. Home treatment can be a good way to feel better, keep control of your schedule, keep your job if you have one, and have much less limited diet and fluids.

You're doing exactly the right thing by asking questions and seeking information. Another great source of information and support is the Dialysis_Support listserv. To join it (if you don't mind getting LOTS of email, go to http://www.yahoogroups.com and put "dialysis_support" into the dialog box.

Good luck, and feel free to write back if you have more questions.