Adjusting

We finished our training on Friday, and are adjusting to doing dialysis at home.  It was all fairly overwhelming at first, but is getting easier.  We are doing four exchanges throughout the day.  Each one normally takes around 40 minutes to complete, although some are taking more than an hour. After we do these manual exchanges for four to six weeks, we will switch to a cycler machine which will do the exchanges overnight while Jason sleeps.

Along with the exchanges, we are monitoring Jason's fluid balance to ensure he doesn't get dehydrated or experience fluid overload.  He had very low blood pressure readings on Monday, but is better now.  Because there is sugar in the dialysis solution, it is also impacting his diabetes.  We've added a sliding scale insulin to help with this.  Jason is adapting to new diet restrictions.  He doesn't mind the extra protein we've added, but is missing some of his favorite snacks.  

Jason has an appointment on the 22nd with a cardiologist from KU as part of transplant testing.  We are still hopeful they will decide he's a candidate.  In the meantime, we are feeling grateful to be doing the dialysis treatments at home.

"I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me." (Micah 7:7)