We are in the home stretch....

[Donna Kolp]

Hello everyone!

First off, I want to wish everyone a Blessed and Merry Christmas! This is by far my favorite time of year! I love to see the sparkle in Jonathan's eyes as we celebrate Christmas, the winter months, and the joy of family and health...With that said, we are in the final week of Home training for Hemodialysis!!! I have been accessing Jonathan now for almost 3 weeks, and he told me yesterday that I am doing such a wonderful job....It really makes my heart melt to hear him say that since I am poking him and I would give anything to be able to take his place...The Dr.'s ran tests last week to see how well he is being dialyized and for those of you who know KT/V...Jonathan's is 3.50, which is fantastic!! They like to see numbers like 2.0 to 2.7...Which would explain the energy level, appetite, and over all feel good that he has! I am so amazed at the progress that has happened in the last month. Yesterday we brought home our machine, and this Friday will be our first treatment at home. Jonathan will only have to have dialysis 5 days a week, and like I have said before he runs for only 2 hours.
For those of you (Cheryl) who like details...I did spray Jonathan with his own blood last week....I was accessing his Venous, and I felt some resistance, so I started to pull out the needle, just to reposition it, and I pulled it out too far and we had a little sprinkler on our hands.....Of course, I got the needle back in, but Jonathan just had to come home and tell Leo that "Mom squirted me today"...Those veins are powerful!!!!
I will update on Saturday to let y'all know how the first treatment went.
I continue to pray that our special children continue to stay healthy and that everyone is at home for Christmas. :)

God bless,
Donna

[Heather Still]

Sounds like a great Christmas gift for the both of you, being able to do treatment right in the comfort of your own home. I only wish I could do Ryan's plasma infusions at home, but it's too risky with blood products and allergic reactions so the Red Cross doesn't allow it. Great job in learning everything, sounds tricky. Have a wonderful holiday!!!!!

[Grace]

Congratulations of the great Kt/V, the renewed well-being, the going home! Despite the occasional mishaps, Jonathan will be so much better with just one very caring person cannulating, and blunt needles, too! When I was on hemo I cannulated myself because I got sick of other people botching the job, though I was still at the mercy of techs and nurses at the end of a long day. May you continue to find the Blessed and Merry in Christmas, and into the new year!

[Cheryl Biermann]

Ha, Ha, Ha! I'm just so tickled for you-last Friday, we made an appointment for Nathan with the imagining/vascular departments (surgery) for a fistula for Nathan-hopefully these images will show he finally has some decent veins to get out of his central line! Wish us luck we go in January! Way to go you guys-what a Christmas gift, I'm sure the sparkle in both of you is evident to everyone...we can hear it in your voices as you give us your experiences!

[Svetlana Finley]

That is funny with the blood sprinkle ;-) We see that sometimes happen to others, even nurses get those while trying to get needles in peoples arms.
It will be awesome for you to do his treatments at home and only 2hr.

[Donna Kolp]

I remember that SNL skit!!! Tooo funny!! The "sprinkler" action will not happen again because we are doing the "button hole'. The button hole has been made by me, with the angle I go in over and over. I have made a tunnel in the arterial and venous, and since Saturday, I am now using blunt needles. No pain, no need for Emla, and less bleeding. :) It is like putting an earring in :)
We shall see what tomorrow brings since I will be purifying his water at home! :D
I will have to be the one cannulating Jonathan because his fistula is in his right arm, and he is right handed. :)

[Jessica Olivia Frysz]

haha yea my mom hasn't done that one to me before....my own nurses have :D It's not such a big deal, and yes the venous needle tends to be the tricky one of the bunch, just remember don't pull it out too far, pull it out just enough so that you can get it back in, or until you can feel the tip inside so you can readjust. Don't pull it out all the way to the tip, because then you WILL have a blood sprinkler. I don't know that much about poking myself, but I have had to learn how to tell my own dialysis techs how to put my needles in, and where they can go, and how to reposition, I go by feel. I am not sure how you do it, but usually that is the best way. Sometime though, you can flush it to see if it's in the right spot too, if you feel some resistance with that, that means you need to reposition. I wish I could pursue home hemodialysis, but I would need to be trained along with someone, which would most likely be my mom, and she wouldn't feel comfortable enough poking me. Me, I could do it myself, except for one problem- my access is in my right thigh, and I am right handed, so that wouldn't work out too good, if I have to switch hands to cannulate. But, I have done needle pokes on animals, so I know exactly what you mean about powerful veins-they are very tricky!

[Jodi Kayler]

Good job on your training! You're story cracked me up. Of course only a HUS mom can see humor in that! For some reason, all I'm picturing is the famous SNL skit of Julia Child when she says, "first, you must stop the bleeding". Haha. Happy Holidays.

[Linda Burke]

It's just wonderful to hear of your success with the Home Training for Hemodialysis and the new program's impact on Jonathan's improved quality of life. Even the 'yikes' moments must be tempered the the glow of Jonathan's appreciation for the many benefits of Home Hemo.... your willingness to step out of your comfort zone is a great role model for others considering this route! Looking forward to Saturday and hearing that you've completed a smooth 'squirtless' first treatment!