It being just over a month since I began home dialysis, I’m beginning to run out of supplies, so I’ve been calling companies to have supplies delivered.
I procrastinated a bit longer than I would have liked when it came to calling up the company that supplies my acid concentrate, but I called them this afternoon. I still have a box left of acid concentrate and there are 4 jugs in a box, so I’ll be fine until I receive my shipment.
Today would usually be my dialysis day off, however I made the decision to dialyze today. Sunday May 11 (also known as mother’s day) is actually my birthday. Not only is it my birthday, bit it’s my older sister’s birthday too…I was born on her 8th birthday (and yes, I’m aware that I’ll likely get ripped off in the gift department when I become a mother myself….I’ll be getting the happy mother’s day/birthday gift). I wanted to dialyze on Friday night so that I could go out and stay out late without having to come home and dialyze on Saturday night.
There was still some time before I wanted to put myself on, so I did all of the little things that I’d need to do before actually turning my machine on. I prepared my gauzes that I would need in the morning to clot. I hung my saline bags and I then went on to draw up 3 saline syringes: 2 for cannulation, and 1 for transfusion ( I transfuse using one needle only, then use saline to put the blood back in my venous needle back into my vein). I opened up the IV3000 tape that I would use to secure my needles.
When it was time to put the tubing onto my machine, I went into my supplies room to grab a bottle of concentrate. I opened up the box that just a bit of the jug showing.
Uh oh.
It was a box of citric acid…not acid concentrate.
I immediately started to panic. “Oh great! Now what am I gonna do??”
It has become very apparent that I won’t be dialyzing tonight. I’ll have to swing by the hospital tomorrow to steal some bottles, as I managed to get a hold of the dialysis unit at 10pm, just around the time when people would STOP answering the phone. Thank goodness they answered!