As hemodialysis treatments are scheduled 3 days a week, we advise our patients to set time aside for resting and allowing your body to react to the treatment. Side effects, such as fatigue, are common in the beginning, so self-care is extremely important. We also recommend having a friend or family member drive the patient to and from treatment, due to these higher levels of fatigue.
At the clinic, trained staff members welcome and help our patients get comfortably situated and ready for the hemodialysis to begin. Preparing a patient for dialysis includes checking the patient’s weight for excess fluids, checking the blood pressure and pulse, cleansing of the patient’s hands and dialysis access site, examination of the patient’s dialysis access site (sometimes requiring blood sampling), and lastly, connecting the patient’s dialysis access site to the hemodialysis machine.
Hemodialysis takes between 3 to 4 hours, so we welcome our patients to make themselves feel at home by resting, reading, listening to music, watching TV or surfing the web.
