Another Day of Training…

I'm not sure if I need to say more than tonight's blog title! Training! Training! Training! Almost a "bad" word! The other word for the day is "tired!" At times I wonder if I could feel more tired and then realize that I can and orobably have...but I'm pretty tired! My brain is on overload. The one good thing about today...is that we have tomorrow off!! Tomorrow is a clinic day for home PD and HD patients so they won't have room to give us a room for training. And, since we are training, we don't have an appointment for this clinic day...so we get a day off! We both look forward to it! We will go back on Friday and then have two days off. Our training nurse is going to br on vacation next week so we will meet with the other HD nurse. She is training another patient in the afternoon so we need to go in earlier than usual...about 1-1/2 hours early...but We really don't mind...just means we will have a longer afternoon to recoup! Today I had to draw lab bloodwork! We will have a centrifuge here at home so I can spin the test tubes of blood...that is "if" they need to be spun! Certain color caps mean different tests to be run on them...some of the tubes are supposed to clot...some are not...I will have labels...ice packs, boxes, shipping boxes and packing...and then will have to call Fed Ex to pick them up either the day we do the blood draw or the next. (insert eye roll!) This will have Woody on dialysis for a lot less time...but I am seeing my duties increased exponentially...not complaining...well, maybe I am. Also with this treatment I have to be within sight of Woody and his machine the entire time...on PD, I got him connected and then left him unless he called me! There are just sooooooooo many tasks. Also, I'm wondering how many clamps there are that I and unclamp at various times during the treatment...one day, im my spare time, I may count them. All these clamps are color coded...red = artery, blue means vein...and there are also blue, yellow, and white clamps each for one connection or another. At the moment my mind is muddled. By the end of the day today, I didn't think that I could cram one more thing into my head...I would read something and it was just words...that made no sense. But I will plug on. I will say that some of the confusion earlier in the week is becoming clearer and easier to do. So I guess the training is working...one thing at a time is becoming clearer as the training continues. Next week we will do theee treatments in center and if all goes as planned at the moment. The machine and other needed items will be brought to our house and we will begin doing dialysis at home. The nurses will be with us for at least a week after that...longer if needed. We completed our first week of training yesterday and started our second week of training today. So time is marching on. We are learning more about this mind-boggling job we have taken on. Now to put up our feet and relax or at least do other tasks tomorrow...probably some will be done with dialysis in mind since there are still some things to do to get ready for incorporating a new form of dialysis into our lives. Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!