Home hemodialysis

Home hemodialysis: What to expect during your first year

Your first year on home hemodialysis (HHD) will be a time of excitement, enjoyment and adjustment. You may be excited to be in control of your dialysis treatment. You may enjoy the freedom of dialyzing at home. And, you may go through the adjustment of getting used to your treatment schedule and how it fits into your everyday life.

Knowing what to expect during your first year on HHD will help make the adjustment period smooth and carefree. Here are some ways in which HHD may affect the different areas of your life:

Home hemodialysis and your daily schedule

Depending on the HHD schedule you and your doctor decide on, you may have to shift some of your daily activities to allow for your dialysis treatments. For example, if you choose short daily or traditional home hemodialysis, you can plan your daily activities around your dialysis treatment schedule. If you choose nocturnal home hemodialysis, you will be dialyzing while you sleep and will not need to rearrange your daily schedule.

Because of the choices you have when it comes to home hemodialysis, you can easily fit your dialysis treatments into your day and still have time for work, school, running errands, spending time with your family, doing yard work and more. In fact, you may not notice a change in your daily routine at all.

You should also be able to keep up your current exercise regimen or start one. HHD patients should have no problem doing mild to moderate forms of exercise such as walking, yoga, bicycling, and golf. In addition, many HHD patients are able to participate in high-impact exercise routines such as weight lifting, hiking, swimming and running. Check with your doctor before participating in any activity.

If you currently work a part-time or full-time job, home hemodialysis should not interfere with your ability to continue working. If you are not currently working, home hemodialysis may give you the energy to begin working. During the training process, which can take from four to eight weeks, you will need to work out a schedule with your employer that allows for your in-clinic training sessions. After your training is complete and you begin your at-home treatments, you can simply work your dialysis treatments in around your work schedule. For example, you can choose to wake up early in the morning and dialyze before work, or you can choose to dialyze in the afternoon or evening when you get home. If you choose nocturnal HHD, your day schedule won't be affected at all.

Home hemodialysis and your self image

As a hemodialysis patient, you will need vascular access surgery to create an access in your arm. This access is necessary so that blood can flow from your body to the dialysis machine to be cleansed. It may take you a while to get used to having an access in your arm. Because a vascular access can be visible, it may affect the type of clothing you are comfortable wearing. Most hemodialysis patients quickly become comfortable with their vascular access as they realize it is their lifeline to freedom and the improved clinical outcomes that are possible with home hemodialysis (HHD).

Home hemodialysis and your energy level

Most people on home dialysis see an improvement in their energy levels, which is often due to more frequent or longer dialysis treatments. However, some patients may experience energy levels that rise and fall. This could happen for several reasons including anemia, lack of exercise or poor nutrition.

If you find that your energy levels vary, talk with your doctor. He or she may be able to come up with a solution that gives you more energy.

Home hemodialysis and your home

You will need to make room in your home to store your home hemodialysis supplies. Storing medical supplies can make your home feel a bit crowded in the beginning. However, as you become familiar with the supply delivery process and your treatments, you will be able to regulate your supplies more easily so that they take up less room.

In addition to supplies, you will also need to find a place for your dialysis machine. This is the machine that will clean your blood. Your dialysis machine may be placed next to your bed if you have chosen to do nocturnal home hemodialysis or if you are more comfortable lying down during treatment. If you are doing short daily or traditional home hemodialysis, you may choose to place your dialysis machine next to a chair or couch.

If it bothers you to see your HHD equipment on your nightstand or near your favorite recliner, try thinking of it in a different way. Try viewing your dialysis machine as a machine that allows you to live the full life you deserve to live, instead of viewing it as a medical device. Thinking about your supplies and equipment in a positive way and being thankful for the benefits of at-home dialysis can help you accept these changes to your home.

Summary

Home hemodialysis (HHD) patients experience more freedom in their daily lives, have more control over their treatments and report having an overall better quality of life than in-center dialysis patients. While there may be some changes you have to make during your first year on home hemodialysis (HHD), the period of adjustment will be worth it once you begin to experience the many medical and lifestyle benefits of this at-home modality.

External links

• Home hemodialysis
• Taking dialysis home

Related articles on DaVita.com

• Peritoneal dialysis: What to expect during your first year