I go to dialysis for 3 and 1/2 hours 3 times a week. Somehow it is not as bad as it sometimes is made up to be, somehow. I quickly settle in because I know I have to be there for the few hours every so often. I used to sit up all the hours long and stare at a stupid show on TV. Now I don't have to because I bought a laptop and can sleep comfortably now. Have a chest catheter at the moment, but it is coming out likely in a couple weeks. The countdown for that has begun.
Out will come this catheter and a fistula should well become used. It seems to be quite healthy. I will then have more showers and so on w/o the catheter. I would, before use dry shampoo. That was ok, and acceptable when there is a catheter I don't want to get wet or risk anything to it.
When I go to dialysis, there is internet and I can go on there for a short while until I am sleepy because I use a Lorazepam, so I can properly relax. The lorazepam sure makes a difference between my cutting short dialysis, and successfully sleeping it all out. I now am down to usually 58-59 kilos, down from 65 at one time. Now I seem to gain 4 kilos, normally. I even automatically keep my drinking fluids down.
I haven't heard about the potassium problem for some time, so it is better for now, I think, else I would have heard something. I get so fed up with potassium because I think it is more of a problem than not. Some people, I have heard it was phosphorus. I have done quite well by cutting way down to out of potassium containing items , such as potatoes and tomatoes and the like. I somehow do not like potatoes anymore, which is wierd for me because, before the era of dialysis, I LOVED potatoes. The only potato dish that is my pitfall is the Scalloped Potatoes.
I even RESTRICT Scalloped Potatoes to a 1/2 serving or less to restrict potassium. I know that isn't very much. All I want from them is a few tastes. Just to taste it and forget for a few more weeks. I even had to break in to an orange early this morning. That is on a potassium list, so I broke the orange in half and ate one half of the smaller orange and threw out the other half. Hopefully that didn't do too much. Oddly enough, I don't find the diet as much of a nuisance anymore, and am quickly used to it. Now, it is more of an "Oh well", thing.
After dialysis, I feel a little drowsy, but lighter and better. I sometimes sleep some more after supper when I get home and have a great time on the computer when I get up and go down for a coffee and a snack first.
I have friends here that I call dialysis SCHOOL as I see it is that you HAVE TO GO, similar to kids being told to go to school, OR ELSE! For my situation, I KNOW what the "OR ELSE", is. Luckily, I am able to occasionally move days left or right of the day I am really supposed to go in. I never want to move it over 1 day to the left or right, just want to get 'er done ASAP.