If you are starting hemodialysis treatments in the next several months, one crucial step before starting regular hemodialysis sessions is preparing a site on the body to access the vein. Dialysis access is the site on your body where blood is removed and returned during dialysis. To maximize the amount of blood cleansed during hemodialysis treatments, dialysis access should allow continuous high volumes of blood flow. There are three access options for the dialysis patient – AV fistula, AV graft or a central venous catheter.
To allow for the high volume of blood exchanged, dialysis access to your blood is usually in your arm or leg. Choosing your access is a decision that you and your doctor will make. We discuss the AV fistula, AV graft and central venous catheter options in this blog post.
As with any serious medical condition, you’ll need to make a few lifestyle changes while undergoing dialysis.
One of the most important changes for dialysis patients is diet. Maintaining a healthy diet during dialysis is essential to good health and shorter dialysis time. Toxins in unhealthy foods make the body produce more waste, resulting in longer dialysis treatments. The National Kidney Foundation has a great blog post from a dialysis patient who mastered her dialysis diet. You can read her post here.
Even though you may not always feel up to it, maintaining some form of exercise is still important. The combination of your kidney disease, and sitting for frequent, long periods of time during dialysis can expedite deterioration of your overall physical health. According to a program launched last summer in Australia, “Exercise has been shown to improve physical function, quality of life, muscle condition and the dialysis treatment in patients with kidney disease, as well as decreasing depression, cardiovascular risk and a range of other negative outcomes of kidney disease.”
Finally, mental health contributes to an overall sense of well-being. It’s normal to be concerned or overwhelmed with your diagnosis, but if you need to seek out professional help to sort through your feelings, do it. Try to stay as active and involved in your normal day to day activities as you can.
If you’d like more information about choosing your access site, please give us a call at (804) 828-2600 to discuss your options.