The Light-Headed Hubby

I knew that beginning dialysis was going to be hard on me but I very quickly realized just how hard is was on Bob also. My fistula was put in in December and I began dialysis in March. I worked to help it mature quickly and thought I had done a fair job of doing so. My husband decided to go with me as often as possible in the beginning to support me in any way he could. He really isn't one to ge stuck himself but thought that since it was me they were needling he would be OK. My fistula, while a hummer was an extremely difficult stick in the beginning. They would usually have the head of the department come in to do it and while it took a little time to get everything running, it usually went smoothly. The morning that Bob decided to come as my support system was no different but the fistula seemed impossible to stick. My daughter arrived also and with my support system in place I began what was to be the worse session of my dialysis life. Stick after stick was tried with absolutely no success. With each stick my brave hubby patted my had and said "Ok honey?" All of my attention went into smiling while wanting to scream. Finally I noticed that Bob was several shades lighter than I remembered when we arrived. My daughter kept urging him to leave my side while he could still walk but he never wavered and endured it all. That was about the last time he went with me. Your support system is so very important. I don't know what I would have done with it. Friends, family, other patients, they were all there. Without that system, I would not have made it through those times. I learned that the online support groups are equally important. Sometimes I just needed to talk to someone who was going through the things I was. I encourage looking to this kind of support. I always discussed something I had read with my neph to make sure it was safe. Learning is a constant with ESRD. Without it you can't be an informed member of your treatment team and that is an absolute necessity.

Until next time
Linda