Here's a link to an article that discusses the results of a study measuring mortality in dialysis patients, according to the type of center (large chain, for profit, non-profit...etc). I'm going to have to look at the details of the study, because I want to know how Davita and Satellite fared in the study-- though I can guess at the outcomes from those two. They are like night and day.
I also wouldn't be surprised to find out that small for-profit center kill off more patients. I speak from experience. Ok, well, I wasn't killed off-- but gee, there were some questionable practices at the private, for-profit center where I first received dialysis. Things were so bad at that center that it's a wonder I decided to continue on with dialysis (I did decide to switch centers after three months, so that I could do home dialysis).
Anyway...here's the link to the article-- http://www.renalbusiness.com/news/2010/12/mortality-higher-in-large-chain-dialysis-clinics.aspx
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Thursday, December 2, 2010
The Waiting Game
So, I finally got word that my wait time on the deceased donor transplant list in California had been transferred to a program in Texas. I'm happy about that-- though I was ticked off that I wasn't deemed suitable for a living donor transplant. The good thing is that I have over 3 years in, and the list is about 4 years long. It means that I have to be ready at a moment's notice to hit the road and get a kidney. I should have a pair of clean underwear always on the ready, just in case, hehehe
Not like I'm going to be wearing that clean underwear in the hospital. Nosiree bob! I'll be wearing one of those classic ass-exposing hospital gowns-- and wearing a catheter-- ouch! It will all be worth it,though, if I get a working kidney.
Now the question is, what kind of dialysis should I continue to do to keep myself fit for a transplant. Right now I'm doing 4-hour treatments in-center, 3 days a week. I'm very tempted to do the NxStage again, at night, at home. Though, I didn't really like the NxStage when I used it before. Well, I didn't like the PureFlow system, or whatever they call their water treatment system. And I'm not exactly sure that the water at my new house in Texas is suitable for home dialysis-- it's really "hard" well water. I didn't like having 35 NxStage boxes of supplies covering every square foot of floor space in my house-- but luckily, I've moved to a place twice as large and could find the space-- if I had to. It was rough on my partner-at-the-time-- my son. And I'd have to start cannulating myself again, and that's um, doable-- but icky!
I really wish the Austin area Satellite Dialysis units offered nocturnal dialysis. I really don't want to return to Davita right now. It's great that there are alternatives for dialysis, but none of them fit me just right. Well, hopefully, I'll get a transplant and won't need dialysis (at least for a while).
We'll see.
In the meantime, I will keep up my conventional dialysis. I can work that around my new independent Passion Parties business-- though, I better get on setting a visiting patient visit for Las Vegas in February because I definitely want to go to the Passion Parties convention. Hmmm, wonder if Las Vegas has any nocturnal dialysis slots....
Nitey nite...Treasure/Michelle
Not like I'm going to be wearing that clean underwear in the hospital. Nosiree bob! I'll be wearing one of those classic ass-exposing hospital gowns-- and wearing a catheter-- ouch! It will all be worth it,though, if I get a working kidney.
Now the question is, what kind of dialysis should I continue to do to keep myself fit for a transplant. Right now I'm doing 4-hour treatments in-center, 3 days a week. I'm very tempted to do the NxStage again, at night, at home. Though, I didn't really like the NxStage when I used it before. Well, I didn't like the PureFlow system, or whatever they call their water treatment system. And I'm not exactly sure that the water at my new house in Texas is suitable for home dialysis-- it's really "hard" well water. I didn't like having 35 NxStage boxes of supplies covering every square foot of floor space in my house-- but luckily, I've moved to a place twice as large and could find the space-- if I had to. It was rough on my partner-at-the-time-- my son. And I'd have to start cannulating myself again, and that's um, doable-- but icky!
I really wish the Austin area Satellite Dialysis units offered nocturnal dialysis. I really don't want to return to Davita right now. It's great that there are alternatives for dialysis, but none of them fit me just right. Well, hopefully, I'll get a transplant and won't need dialysis (at least for a while).
We'll see.
In the meantime, I will keep up my conventional dialysis. I can work that around my new independent Passion Parties business-- though, I better get on setting a visiting patient visit for Las Vegas in February because I definitely want to go to the Passion Parties convention. Hmmm, wonder if Las Vegas has any nocturnal dialysis slots....
Nitey nite...Treasure/Michelle
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