Thursday, July 26, 2012

What Happens During a Session of Dialysis

The Definition of Dialysis from Wikipedia is as follows


"In medicine, dialysis (from Greek dialusis,"διάλυσις", meaning dissolution, dia, meaning through, and lysis, meaning loosening or splitting) is a process for removing waste and excess water from the blood, and is used primarily to provide anartificial replacement for lost kidney function in people with renal failure."

This is the actual definition but what really goes on in a session. let us begin at the start (this is a patients eye view not medical or technical) I am talking about hemodialysis. Below is a basic diagram from wiki too..


First all the patients do we take our vitals. Weight, Temperature and Blood Pressure. Then the nurse will ask whether you have had any complications at home or not? The standard question the nurses ask is "Kat Rumah ok?"

After these pleasantries not the fun really begins this part is my "favourite" part Cannulation this is where the nurse has to use the needle to cannulate/ prick you to get into your artery and vein. 2 of these needles have to be cannulated, if you all were wondering the size is as below.

Quite big huh?

if everything goes well then we start the 4 hour session. During this session we are free to do what ever we please... some read books/ newspapers, like me I watch movies and read emails some do work, some sleep and sometimes we chit chat between patients as well. The cool part of dailysis for me is meeting friends. Everyone from nurses to the patients we spend 12 hours a week together.

I must praise my nurses here they really brighten up my days. I love the banter and back and forth we share lets me practice my Bahasa Malaysia and makes the 4 hours go by faster.

Alot of people have asked what happens in this 4 hours. Basically it is a big elaborate machine to filter your blood. (this is my own understanding of it) It does it by osmosis through a filter called a dialyzer as below



My blood flows into the dialyzer and through the small little tubes us see above inside the osmosis draws out the bad liquid and lets the rest past through. \

Basically that is it. A normal session is 4 hours and after completing this we have to check our vitals again and if everything is alright we get to go home. (complications I keep for another entry.)

On a side note. I wish my friend who is in hospital as of right now a swift recovery. This person also suffers End Stage Renal Failure and I wish him all the best. As I always believe "Do your Best, God will do the Rest". Don't worry too much for all u know things may get better. Sometimes when we stand in the storm its hard to see the silver lining. 

Please feel free to ask me anything. 




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