A small tweak to my dialysis schedule

I dialyze six nights a week, about seven hours each night. I take Sundays off. 

I swim six days a week in the morning. Wednesdays, the pool is closed for maintenance.

How are these related? Well, I usually don't swim the morning after I don't dialyze. So, until now I wouldn't swim on Mondays because I did not dialyze on Sunday nights. 

Why wouldn't I swim the morning after the night of no dialysis? I feel a little heavy in my chest the day after I don't dialyze. It is probably excess fluid. It could also be that I am so used to being almost close to my dry weight that even a little fluid makes me uncomfortable (which is actually a bad sign because I am going to be dialyzing irregularly during my US trip in July - anyway, we'll deal with that later).

So, I don't swim on Mondays because I don't dialyze on Sundays. And Wednesdays the pool is closed. So, that way I end up missing two days of swimming during the week.

So, what I now do (with the great co-operation of the two techs from NephroPlus - thanks guys!) is to dialyze on Sundays and skip dialysis on Tuesdays. That way I coincide my dialysis weekly off with the pool weekly off! 

This has had another unintended benefit. Sundays being a holiday I am generally not that busy plus I usually do a movie and dinner out with my parents. These are all sure recipes for fluid intake disasters! So, if I dialyze on Sundays, I can be sure that all that extra fluid is removed without any delay.

'A stroke of genius', did I hear you say? Thanks!

Comments

I'd be curious to learn about your US dialysis experience.
An idea can your life ;)
Anonymous said…
Yes Kamal, who can dare to say you are not 'A stroke of genius'.
Kamal you please mind your B.P which is very lower than normal. When you will be on US trip, as you mentioned you will get only alternate day schedule at the most. And again only 4 hours per session. This may put you to lose more than 4 kgs in 4 hours, if you don’t restrict fluid.
So in my opinion try with the travel plan authorities for arranging you a nocturnal kind of thing or at least daily schedule. Or just be prepared for complete fluid restriction. Am I too much cautious? What you say?
------Murali
Kamal D Shah said…
I am working on my BP. Trying to reduce the anti-hypertensives I am taking. I see your point though Murali! And thanks for reminding me. I had totally forgot the way the US medical system works. They will remove fluid only as per protocol. And they may not be sued to such low BPs, I am thinking!

I am planning a mix of nocturnal and four hour sessions. But yes, I will have to restrict fluid. :-(