Dialysis: month 3

The list of things to carry with me to dialysis is growing fast:

1. Extreme Isolation headphones (to block out the sound of all the TVs, the loud conversations, the dialysis machines themselves).
2. Custom ear plugs to use in addition to 1 above.
3. Laptop.
4. Adaptor for laptop (using R for four hours will cause the battery to run out).
5. Backup reading material.
6. Slippers and pajamas.
7. Book holder to keep notes upright while typing.
8. Portable reading light to read by, since they turn all the lights off.
9. A shawl to cover my shoulders when they open the windows to get some fresh air in.
10. Some writing material.

That is a lot of stuff; I have had to make a checklist before I leave for dialysis.

I'm going to have to buy a new, bigger bag. I just got done buying a specialist bag from x-over, which is the only bag I ever found that slings over the left shoulder (I can't use my right shoulder to carry bags, because of my shunt).

I have also learnt how to avoid bloodbaths when compressing my shunt after they remove the needles. I frequently miss the site of the needle when they pull it out, which leads to blood everywhere (yes, it was a real shock the first time round---blood gushes out of the shunt like from a fire hose). But I've become better at guessing where the site is. It seems I'm the only one who screws up the compresses, nobody else ever has an accident. I guess they're veterans.

Dialysis is, so far, not so bad. What's annoying is the lack of basic lighting and the lack of a basic surface that one can work on. The table they provide is for eating--it has ridges on the sides, making it impossible to type with the computer on the table. There is one directed light just above the bed, but just behind the head of the bed, so I get nearly zero light. There's a reading lamp to compensate for this, but the lamp's arm is too short, so I cannot get it near a book I'm reading. There are really only two ways to read: with a portable reading lamp (not as easy as they make it look in ads), or on the computer. As a result, amazon's Kindle books are making a killing thanks to my new status.