My life with dialysis and kidney disease
Archive for September, 2006
Buttonhole Update
Sep 4th
Aaaah, the buttonhole.
Some of you have lived this process with me (the development of my buttonhole sites), and so I feel a need to update everyone that they are still working well.
Extremely well in fact.
It’s gotten to the point that the needles just sort of slide right in, with minimal persuasion from me.
The sites have not gotten any larger, and are very easy to use. If I would have been using them since the beginning I feel my arm would look a lot more “normal” now.
I strongly encourage any of you who are unfamiliar with this to read more about it.
There are very few contraindications – the most prevalent of which is simply the Dr. or clinic’s lack of familiarity with it.
Many doctors and clinics tell their patients that they are not candidates for buttonholes for many reasons, but I fear that frequently this information is incorrect.
Many more patients could be utilizing this technique than are now, and it is the fault of the dialysis industry, and the doctors coupled with them. It’s yet another example of how healthy people who take care of sick people never fully realize how their actions affect the end user.
We’re Customers, Not Just Patients!
Sep 4th
Dialysis is great – it’s life saving, and part of my life.
I don’t love it though…. I don’t even like it.
I continue to “do my part” by showing up, and I continue to try to trust those around me who work here.
It is difficult though, when I still see “rookie” mistakes taking place all the time.
I’ve written about it so many times (and I’m too lazy to link to them, so please use the search feature – k thanks) – PCT’s and Nurses walking around with gloves on (to protect themselves), and not washing hands and changing gloves between EACH and EVERY patient interaction. (sorry for all the stuff in parenthesis before – I just love using them to type my inner-monologue) (see?)(sorry, I’m done now).
It’s this sort of rookie stuff that makes me wonder if any of the people working in dialysis think of the patient as a consumer, who demands their utmost attention and care?
There are plenty of industries out there where top notch customer service is not only demanded, but enforced.
The Green Briar – a nice restaurant near here always has people taking care of you who seem to want you to enjoy your stay there.
They seem to take pride in their duties, and in their ability to provide you with a good experience.
Dialysis costs us a heck of a lot more than a good dinner, and is infinitely more important – why then are we seen solely as patients, and not consumers?
If the Facility Administrators would begin to demand this level of service from their employees, we would see some serious benefits I believe.
Techs have to be taught that it is simply unacceptable to do certain things – like have personal conversations with each other right in front of, or while working on, the dialysis customer.
It is unacceptable to treat the customer like they don’t know what they’re talking about, especially as it pertains to their own body.
It should be unacceptable to make stupid sanitary mistakes as well. This sort of thing should result in immediate suspension. If the techs are incapable of figuring these things out on their own, then it is the responsibility of the manager (Facility Administrator) to take care of it. It is unacceptable for techs to work day in and day out with nobody watching their movements and actions with each patient.
This sort of lax behavior results in the high infection rate we have among dialysis patients. I can’t be the only one who is seeing this.
We shouldn’t be seen as complaining patients, we should be seen as customers who demand the full attention, and best care from each tech and nurse. If they don’t want to be in a customer service industry where the customer is put before themselves, then they are in the wrong field completely.
I anxiously await the day that Facility Administrators and those in charge begin to demand what is necessary of their employees.
The customers are waiting – and some are dying while they wait.
