Ten dialysis patients using NxStage's SystemOne machine completed the "2010 Freedom Cruise: We're Taking Home Dialysis to Sea" event last month, and are starting to think about next year's destination: Alaska.

The 10 patients, along with their care partners, took the week-long trip, leaving from Miami on the Carnival cruise ship Valor, and travelling to several islands in the Caribbean (see pictures in this month's Afterthoughts).

"We were excited to learn that this group of NxStage patients and caregivers are celebrating the flexibility of home hemodialysis by organizing this cruise, and we wish them a wonderful trip," said Jeffrey H. Burbank, chief executive officer of NxStage Medical, before the group set sail. "This cruise underscores our mission to help dialysis patients lead full and vibrant lives, and we hope that this is one of many trips of this kind that patients who choose home hemodialysis with the System One can continue to enjoy in the future."

One dialyzor and his wife renewed their marriage vows on the trip.  Hiking, snorkeling, and typical cruise activities were part of the week-long agenda. Weather during the trip was rougher than expected, according to seasoned traveler and trip blog writer Bill Peckham, and even getting through minor mishaps was part of the experience. "The first annual (one hopes) Freedom Cruise was, in my judgment, a success despite the weather and unfortunately at least two hard falls by dialyzors (resulting in painful shoulder and knee injuries) but falls can happen at home and I think the two who were injured still enjoyed the cruise and hope to be going to Alaska next year." Peckham has dialyzed in more than 20 states, and in 21 countries around the world.

NxStage has posted stories from each day of the cruise at www.nxstage.com/freedomcruise, and Peckham has write-ups from the trip at www.billpeckham.com.


ADC to host one-day symposium on home hemodialysis

The Annual Dialysis Conference, taking place March 7-9 in Seattle, includes a preconference session on home hemodialysis. The program, being held March 6, is being presented in cooperation with the International Society for Hemodialysis, and takes place from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. "This full day pre-session will provide an overview of elements essential to successfully developing and maintaining a home hemodialysis program for new, as well as for existing or expanding home dialysis programs," the course introduction states. The program is aimed at nurses, physicians, fellows, administrators, and other members of the health car team providing home dialysis, as well as patients and the dialysis industry and manufacturers who support home hemodialysis.

• An update on home hemodialysis today
• Patient perspectives
• How to present the modality option to patients
• The benefits of home hemodialysis therapy
• PD as a bridge therapy to HHD
• Self-cannulation practices
• Using Kt/V and other methods to measure adequacy
• Administrative, political, and advocacy challenges
• Role of the social worker and dietitian in home HD therapy
• Supporting home HD couples
• Helping home dialysis patients work
• Best practices for preventing dropout
• Patient survival: short daily vs. longer dialysis
  

For more information and to register for the pre-conference, visit som.missouri.edu/dialysis


YouTube offers video of first self-dialysis

A video dating back to 1963 is available on YouTube showing the first patient to do self-dialysis at home.

The black-and-white video, which has had more than 8,000 views, was created by nephrologist Stanley Shaldon and describes the technique used by patient Peter Farmer.

Shaldon has several videos on the site. One video, "Technique of Self Dialysis," has more than 20,000 views.

You can watch Shaldon's YouTube clip on self-dialysis at http://bit.ly/4RKDwQ