What to take with you for dialysis.....

longforgotten

I've a friend who will start going to hospital for dialysis in a few weeks.

I wondered what he should take with him. A magazine, newspaper.....what do you think helps to wend the time away or help in any way.

Thanks in advance for your advice.

greenspark

Don't know if it's always the case but my dad had to keep his arm very still for the first few sessions, so audio entertainment might be better till things settle.

Perhaps a portable dvd player - probably best to check with the hospital about what electronic gadgets they are okay with. Or a magazine with pages that stay open, rather than a 'springy' one that shuts itself.

anguk

My husband has 5 hours of dialysis three times a week, he passes the time mainly by listening to music or the radio, he does early mornings 7am start so sometimes he has a little nap. A good way to pass a couple of hours is by watching a dvd, his dialysis unit actually has a couple of portable dvd players for the patients to use.

As greenspark says they normally have to keep their dialysis arm quite still otherwise it tends to set the machine off bleeping loudly and there's a risk of the needle slipping out (lots of blood) so something you can easily do one-handed is best. Hubby's unit has those hospital tables that you can pull right over you so he can rest things like the dvd player on that. A nintendo DS is good for passing a bit of time, if your friend doesn't like playing games there's plenty of puzzle type or mind improvement games.

I'd also echo the advice about a decent set of headphones, dialysis units can be quite noisy with all the machines going. Different units may have different rules, my hubby's allows the use of phones or any gadgets they like but it's best to check first.

The first few sessions often pass quite quickly because it's all new and you chat with the other patients, also your first few sessions are normally shorter while they get your levels/flow etc correct because everyone is different.

blossomhill_2

a Kindle might be a good idea