And the saga continues…

When we last visited poor hubby had just had yet another hemo-catheter replaced. That was on Wednesday – and he did not get his scheduled dialysis that day. Friday we went in for dialysis, and the brand spanking new never used hemo-catheter failed to work. If we had bought it at Wal-Mart we would have gotten a refund.

As it was, minor panic ensued as he really cannot go long without dialysis and at that point he had none since Monday. Needless to say, the Friday prior to July 4th there was no one available to replace the catheter, even if he could have borne the pain and injury of another surgery on it so soon.

However the PD catheter surgeon had just inspected his work that morning, and pronounced it to be healing nicely. He also told us about how the method he uses can heal up in just a week or two instead of the usual three or four weeks. So the doctors all got on the phone together with the PD nurse (who is at a different dialysis clinic) and the conclusion was to attempt to use the new PD catheter for at least a partial treatment. The PD nurse really had to bend over backwards to get hubby “admitted” to her clinic as a new patient, literally in a matter of hours – she says a new record for quick admission. The catheter held and he got a small treatment.

Saturday we were back and spent the day with the wonderful PD nurse at the new clinic getting a full day of PD in, five exchanges at very low pressure. Hubby feels much better, although he is hardly 100% yet. We are very pleased with how the PD goes and how he feels during and after. This is really going to be much better for us.

We have today at home at the ranch to relax and enjoy just a little. The next four days will be spent in intensive training to do the PD at home, and rushing about to get the last few details taken care of so the house is ready for him to do treatments here. Money will become something of an issue since my ever so careful budget just got blown out of the water.

But I will not complain. I am so happy and grateful to know that soon he will be able to do his dialysis at home. PD is so much easier on him and for him in every way. And we will be home. I can job hunt, work online, and not put every penny we get into the gas tank. Deep sigh of almost relief. Almost there.

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