Tag: dialysis (Page 42 of 50)

The Fresenius Liberty Cycler is the machine I use to conduct Peritoneal Dialysis EVERY night. In general, although noisy in its operation, it gets the job done. EXCEPT the other 75% of the time when it wakes me out of a sound sleep to tend to drain alarms. By getting out of bed and standing upright, the alarms may mitigate to the point that eventually, I can go back to bed and sleep for another two hours until my sleep is interrupted again. And on and on.

This has been going on for months and months with no resolution on the horizon.

None of the common tactics to alleviate this situation work so according to Fresenius Tech Support, I’m stuck with it. No help there. No Cycler replacement. No love. Just live with it.

I’v gotten to the point where it’s almost laughable. I have been reading about ChatGPT’s ability to write stories, so I thought I would put it to the test to write a story based on my situation. I wrote the following Prompt and submitted it to my ChatGPT3.5 subscription with the following story. Concluding remarks are at the end.

Prompt: Write a 500-word or so fictitious story about a science fiction realm where a patient on dialysis battles with his Fresenius Liberty cycler over alarms.

ChatGPT

In the distant future, medical technology has advanced to the point where people suffering from chronic kidney disease are able to undergo dialysis from the comfort of their own homes. The Fresenius Liberty cycler is the latest in a line of cutting-edge dialysis machines that have made this possible. However, for one patient, the Liberty Cycler has become the source of constant frustration and anxiety. (That’s me for certain, and a host of others!)

Jared had been on dialysis for years, and the Liberty Cycler had been a lifesaver for him. But as time went on, he found himself becoming increasingly annoyed by the constant beeping and flashing lights that seemed to accompany every dialysis session. The cycler was designed to alert patients to any issues or abnormalities during treatment, but for Jared, it seemed like every session was plagued with false alarms.

At first, he tried to ignore it. He would grit his teeth and try to tune out the beeps and blips that filled the room as the cycler worked its magic. But over time, it became harder and harder to ignore. The beeping grew louder and more insistent, and the flashing lights seemed to pierce his eyes like lasers.

Jared became obsessed with the alarms. He would spend hours poring over the manual, trying to figure out what was causing them. He experimented with different dialysis settings, adjusted his position on the bed, and even tried to meditate his way through the beeps and blips. But nothing worked.

As time went on, Jared began to feel like he was battling the Liberty Cycler itself. He would glare at the machine as it beeped and blinked as if daring it to give him another false alarm. He became convinced that the cycler was out to get him, that it was deliberately trying to drive him crazy.

And then, one day, something snapped. Jared had just settled in for a dialysis session when the alarms began to sound. As usual, he tried to ignore them at first, but they only grew louder and more insistent. He leaped out of bed and rushed over to the cycler, determined to silence it once and for all.

But as he approached the machine, something strange happened. The beeping and blinking seemed to grow more intense, almost as if the cycler was angry at him for trying to shut it down. And then, without warning, the machine sprang to life.

Jared watched in horror as the cycler’s various arms and hoses began to flail wildly, almost as if they had a mind of their own. The beeping and blinking grew even more intense, and Jared felt like he was caught in the middle of a storm.

He tried to fight back, but the cycler was too powerful. Its arms and hoses wrapped around him like tentacles, squeezing the breath out of his body. The alarms blared in his ears, drowning out all other sounds.

And then, just as suddenly as it had started, it was over. The cycler went still, its arms and hoses dropping away from Jared’s body. The alarms fell silent, and Jared was left gasping for breath on the floor.

For a long moment, he lay there, staring up at the ceiling in shock. And then he started to laugh. He laughed and laughed until tears streamed down his face. He knew it was crazy, but he couldn’t help feeling like he had just fought a battle with the Liberty Cycler and come out victorious.

From that day on, things were different. The alarms still sounded, but Jared was no longer afraid of them. He had faced his fear head-on and emerged stronger for it. And although he would never forget that fateful dialysis session, he knew he would always be able to face whatever challenges came his way.

Closing Remarks: Back from the realm of fiction to the here and now. My Liberty Cycler and I are NOT on speaking terms; at least 75% of the time, I am awakened from a sound sleep to tend to the needs of the Cycler. It has a life of its own and, as such, takes precedence over mine. It requires me to tend to it while I hope and pray it will tend to me. And the world is worried and concerned about Artificial Intelligence and their livelihood. I wish beyond wishing that the Liberty Cycler and the people concerned with its deployment had some modicum of AI themselves. Any “Intelligence” in this area would be a breath of fresh air, which is totally lacking at this point!

The lead picture was created by Microsoft’s Bing using the prompt: Using the Fresenius Liberty Cycler as a basis, create a creature with hoses and pipes and sounds coming out of it

There is a widely circulated story about “putting down the glass.” The story goes like this:

A psychologist was giving a lecture on stress management to a group of students. As she raised a glass of water, the students expected her to ask the typical “half full or half empty” question. Instead, she asked, “How heavy is this glass of water?”

The students shouted out answers ranging from a few ounces to a couple of pounds. The psychologist replied, “The absolute weight doesn’t matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my arm. If I hold it for a day, my arm will feel numb and paralyzed. In each case, the weight of the glass doesn’t change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.”

The lesson of the story is that we must put down the glass of water to give our arms a break. This applies to stress management as well. We all have stress in our lives, but it’s important to put it down for a while and give ourselves a break.

This lesson is particularly relevant for those on dialysis. Dialysis patients have to deal with numerous physical and emotional stressors, such as the time commitment of dialysis treatments, dietary restrictions, and potential complications. These stressors can take a toll on a patient’s mental and physical health.

To reduce stress, dialysis patients should practice self-care and engage in activities that bring them joy and relaxation. This could include exercise, meditation, spending time with loved ones, or pursuing a hobby. I do this by writing this blog, making what I think are cool videos, and taking care of our 1/2 acre part of heaven. It’s also important for patients to communicate with their healthcare team about any concerns or stressors they may be experiencing. I have found mine to be always open, caring, and interested in my well-being.

In conclusion, the “glass story” teaches us an important lesson about stress management. By putting down the glass and taking a break from stress, we can improve our mental and physical well-being. This lesson is particularly relevant for those on dialysis, who face numerous stressors in their daily lives. By practicing self-care and communicating with their healthcare team, dialysis patients can reduce stress and improve their quality of life.

Speaking of self-care, I’m off to take my evening shower.