Before I tell about our day, I will tell about the barn/farm in tonight's photo. It is a farm that is in a rather strange place...just as we come off the interstate and turn onto Medical Center Parkway in Murfreesboro. There it is smack dab in the middle of a now very urban area...lots of businesses, malls, doctor offices and hospitals. It isn't one that is easy to get a picture of because of its location...traffic just keeps you going. But it always intrigues me when I see rural meet urban! Now about today's training experience...exhausting is how to describe it!!!! And, now all I can think is that it is behind us for two whole days! I made a big goof today. I was doing all the set up with the guidance of our nurse and "the" notebook. We were at the point of hooking up the first line to start his dialysis...meaning it was almost time for his dialysis to start. Setup is a very lengthy and detailed "event!" At that point I picked up the connector and managed to touch the end that is sterile. Guess what!?! We had to start ALL over! Guess that is a lesson learned that probably won't be forgotten and hopefully won't be repeated! I thought at the time that we would never get out of there this afternoo! It took about an hour to get back to where I messed up! But in the end since not much fluid needed to be pulled off and all that was needed to be pulled off, she got permission from Dr. O to shorten Woody's dialysis time today by around 30 minutes. And, I guess we learned/were introduced to how to override the machine. We can insert lots of eyerolls for today's training. Up until my boo boo, I had done all the set up with guidance from the nurse and book...she did take over after my mistake and set things up or we might still be there! Today was the first time that our nurse "went solo" with a home hemodialysis patient and his care partner. She has been in training herself for home care. Before this she was a hemodialysis nirse in center. Woody had had her as his nurse when he was on in center hemodialysis for three months last year. She is super nice and very patient...thank goodness. My mistake wasn't the only one today. We had to trouble shoot when she forgot to tell me and the book didn't soecifically say to open clamps at one of the steps. So she had to make a phone call to our other nurse, who was working at another center today. It sounds like dialysis centers are very short on nurses as so many hosoitals are. Woody actually said two words that I have rarely heard him say lately..."I'm hungry!" Yesterday afternoon, he told me that...BUT...he was hungry for something specific...a meatloaf sandwich, Well, I had the makings in the house, but the main ingredient, ground beef, was solidly frozen! So I told him that I would thaw the meat and I would make him a meatloaf today. I put it together this morning and cooked it after we got home this afternoon. He started out with half a meatloaf sandwich and ended up asking for another puece of bread and made himself a second! Miracles will never cease. He even said that it tasted good...another miracle in and of itself! Maybe he will add a little meat to his bones! We came home to changed world in our house! Furniture had been moved. I started to post a photo tonight, but I decided that I wanted to do a little more before I show it! It's going to take some getting used to, bit I think it will work for home dialysis...giving more room to move around when setting up, etc. Thank you, Nathan, Kathy and their work gang! Nathan moved the TV to a different spot which meant moving the TV antenna wires to a different spot...which meant a trip under the house. Elijah was designated for that job. Elijah discovered that there is a oroblem with the ductwork for our air conditioning that is under the house and Nathan took a look and onfirmed it. Nathan called our air conditioning people and they will be coming next week to check things out. Nathan is guessing that when we had an uninvited guest under the house...skunk, cat, or some other critter that they messed with duct work. I'm glad this problem was found...there is no telling how long it has been this way and we were none the wiser! According to Nathan they should be able to take care of this with or without us being at home. If it isn't one thing, it is another! I still have the task of taking inventory of dialysis items that need to ge picked up by Fresenius. That pick up will be the 27th and the nurse mentioned that the 27th may be the day we start our in the home training...as in...here at our house. In my mind that means that I will have the leftover supplies from PD still here when our hemodialysis supplies arrive! Oh, boy...we will really look like a warehouse...as if we don't already! Woody was tired tonight so has already gone to his couch/bed. I hope he has a good night's rest. He did sleep better last night than he has in a while...whether that is due to better dialysis or if it is due to being extra tired from the full day of training...we will take it! No place to go in the morning! Yay!!! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!
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