Question about Peritoneal Dialysis (PD)

[fallenstar]

Hi there,

My mother is on dialysis and eventually will be going on peritoneal dialysis (PD)... I was wondering for those who have PD are y'all are able to shower? Reason I'm asking is because, we had one social worker tell us that she might not be able to once she gets it. I can understand not being in public pools etc. but showering...it doesn't add up. So I thought I'd ask y'all who have experienced this or are currently going though something like this.


Hope to hear from someone soon,
Fallen

[DanaBorger]

Hi -- Probably she (social worker) meant your mom won't be able to shower for a short period after the surgery to insert the PD catheter while it's healing. Once properly healed, daily exit site care is a must, and showering are OK, but check with her PD nurse as to when, etc.

I do PD and I clean my exit site and shower daily. There are restrictions on swimming (eg, no public pools or ponds or lakes or other fresh-water). Periodic cleaning of shower heads, etc should also be done. All of this (and more) will be (should be) part of your mom's PD training regimen.

Do not shy away from asking questions like this to your mom's doctor or nurse(s).

[MichelleDaVitaRN]

fallenstar great question - typically there is a period of up to two weeks after the PD catheter is placed and the exit site is healing that showering is discouraged. Once the exit site is healing and no infection complications have occurred the dialysis team will reinforce how to properly take care of the exit site daily and when it is ok to begin showering. Good luck on the journey and please don't hesitate to reach out with questions. MichelleDaVitaRN

[puppy9645]

This question also reinforces the importance of being knowledgeable and proactive about your care. I ended up not receiving clearance to shower until almost eight weeks after the catheter implant surgery as a result of vagaries of scheduling and my indifference to the inconvenience. I think that if I had been more insistent about receiving the medical clearance to shower, I would have cut the restricted time period in half and possibly to just over two weeks, the usual restricted period.

[EDRFUL67]

ONCE HEALED YOU CAN SHOWER WHEN EVER
YOU CAN SWIM IN THE OCEAN BUT YOU HAVE TO CLEAN SITE WHEN YOU COME OUT OF THE WATER
IM ON PD 1 1/2 YEARS NOW NO PROBLEMS TO DATE GOOD LUCK
ALWAYS CHECK WITH YOUR NURSE OR DOCTOR WHEN YOU WANT TO TRY SOMETHING NEW

[George14]

Hi. I am new to all of this, I will be my husband's care giver, I am now trying to put together a diet plan for him and it's really hard, I am so afraid of giving him the wrong foods... Is there such a thing as a low potassium hamburger?

[RDSara]

Hi George14, I know there are many questions, especially around what to eat when just starting on a kidney diet. Fortunately your husband will have access to the renal dietitian who works at the dialysis center or with the PD team. They will do a nutrition assessment and provide in-depth diet education and meal planning help. In the mean time you can use The DaVita Diet Helper to plan and track meals and see the nutrient totals per meal or for the day. There are several hamburger recipes made kidney-friendly you can find in the Diet helper Recipe Search or in the DaVita.com recipe section. A low potassium burger on a bun can include lettuce, onion, mayonnaise or mustard or a small amount of ketchup. Condiment brands vary in sodium so compare to find the ones lowest in sodium.

[sra113474]

I was told not to shower for several weeks, but I just could not stick to that. So I taped plastic over the surgical bandage and showered carefully. I am also supposed to be on a low-sodium, low potassium, low phosphorus diet. There is no such thing. So I just follow the rule to eat everything in moderation. Just be aware that if you choose food that is marked "low sodium," it is likely high in potassium to compensate for the low sodium. My DaVita dietician's advice: "Don't eat the stuff you aren't supposed to have the night before a blood test." Not very helpful.