Just embarked this week on a new dialysis schedule. After eight years of the same days with the same times, I have asked, and been granted, an additional hour on each one of my three days a week. Whereas I was three hours MWF, I now am doing four hour treatments. It will be a real adjustment, as I discovered yesterday on my first of this new time.  With something so regimented as dialysis, and with eight years of the same thing it was a bit uncomfortable, mentally and physically, doing the new thing. I have been trained to go through the three hour treatment over the years, and realized that even that additional hour with take some time getting used to. I asked for the additional time for my overall health. It has been clear from all the research I have done, and after talking to my doctor, that all patients can benefit from as much time as can be reasonably achieved on the machine (dialysis). Just like having a functioning kidney in ones body perpetually, the machine working more can take the place of more of the lost natural function. With my personal goals and responsibilities, I felt that overall I would benefit from the additional time. Feeling better over time, less infections (perhaps), and less mortality rates (not that I am facing imminent death). So the sacrifices seem worth the discomforts and adjustments.

This last week I also received good new regarding a heart ECHO I had done in response to some mild concerns that my doctor had on my overall heart health. It is not uncommon over time, due to previous or consequent events with the dialysis lifestyle to face cardiovascular problems. Even with my exceptional physical regimen, things can still be off, so the ECHO was done to see what was up. By the way, I have had at least 20 ECHOS over the last eight years and the only abnormalities have been  connected with infection issues, which are common in dialysis patients. So the point of all this was that my heart looks strong and normal. Good news, so knock on wood, I'm having a good couple of months.