Had a care conference yesterday at the unit. Fancy way of saying that my doctor did his rounds. Most of the patients in my dialysis unit are under the care of one physician, so when he comes to do rounds it is mini event with at least one nurse, the dietitian, social worker, and sometimes family present. These care conferences are good times to work things out, but many patients out of lack of knowledge, apathy, or just plain fear do not ask and dialog about what is going on with them and what they wish to have happen. It is unfortunate but the doctor/medical staff and patient relationship for many is at its best poor communication and antagonistic at its worst. Dialysis is a a 50/50 relationship in order to maximize the best quality of experience and life for the patients. I have had to learn to take the best care of myself, listen to what needs to be done, follow my diet and fluid restrictions, report things that are going on with me at home ( everything) and communicate during treatments about basic stuff. The medical staff can then properly and appropriately treat me with all this in mind and make my dialysis experience the best and most efficient for my overall health that it can be. 

Ask, learn, act, be, adjust, re-act, be again, and then ask again. It never ends stable health is only a snapshot of a moment in time, and dialysis, as in any life is a moving process that needs to be seen through the constant movement of all the aspects of ones daily, weekly, monthly, life.