Dialysis again

Yesterday, (Saturday), was my first day of dialysis in the facility that I will be going to until I am transplanted. I actually went in on Friday to say hello, and to fill out some paperwork.... The people were very nice, and there was a lot to go over. I was given my "dialysis welcome bag" I am to bring it to each treatment... inside it was a nice fleece blanket, a welcome binder notebook with information that I haven't read yet, a pillow, and headphones for the tv....the actual bag is nice too.

So, I wasn't sure what to wear on my first day of outpatient dialysis...... hmmmm... it is like starting a new job..... I will be spending at the very least 12 hours a week with these people, the nurses and other patients.... I want to make a good impression as I sit in a chair while a machine drains my blood...... not an easy perdiciment to be in.....do I go for super comfortable sweats? My favorite comfortable ripped jeans that my grandmother keeps telling me not to wear in front of her?....... do I wear a comfortable skirt and shirt?..........will I nap? Pajamas? .......shoes? slippers? hair up? down? brushed? messy?

Not too hard of a choice after all.... I had been sick for the last three weeks, no clean clothes, I could only find a pair of jeans, a tee-shirt, and a zipper down sweat shirt.

My actual dialysis wasn't too bad. The room was large and bright, there were about 10-15 dialysis chairs and machines against the walls, the center of the room had the nurses work stations. Each chair had a good size flat screen tv that could be pulled in front of you. My place has direct tv, with satilite radio, so there was enough to watch and listen too...... I just plugged the headphones on and listened to the radio... I was trying to psych myself up for 3.5 hours, so I had the music loud, and was trying not to sing.....it worked for the first hour.

For the second hour, I wondered what I could do... I had brought a book, but didn't feel like reading it, I turned off the radio, and tried to watch tv.... not really anything interesting on a Saturday morning.... so I watched the people..... most of them were sleeping......The tv is all touch sensored, and actually had solitare on it, so I played solitaire on my tv.....lost every game but never gave up.

My third hour.....didn't think I would make it....... started fidigiting, and I was feeling fizzy/tingly again. I told the nurse about that, she adjusted the machine, but the feeling was still kind of there..... she said that it may be because my blood was filled with toxins, and now that it's cleaner, my body hasn't adjusted yet...... It felt as though my blood was carbonated.

half hour to go!

My dad is visiting from the mid west this week, so he was able to spend the last hour sitting with me. I made it through!
..... when I was done and went out into the lobby, my wonderful husband, two children, my sister and my dad were all there, (they had been out and about, and stopped by as I finished)... we went out to lunch, and then home .

I was tired the rest of the afternoon, but I had been up late the night before..... overall, not so bad..... I'll need things to do....Christmas is coming.... will have to get the cards out.... think I'll have some time over the next few weeks!