Dialysis patients improve energy, treatment through cycling

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Dialysis patients improve energy, treatment through cycling

By Cheryll A. Borgaard / The Daily News | Posted: Monday, February 15, 2010 11:30 pm | (1) Comments

Wayne Cain recently pedaled 675 miles across Idaho, yet he never left Longview.

Cain, 65, is one of a handful of St. John Medical Center's kidney dialysis patients who routinely pedal away part of their treatment time. The dialysis center has four therapy cycles that can be placed in front of a patient's chair, allowing the person to get exercise while enduring the four-hour treatments.

Staff at the dialysis center organized a "race" for the cyclists, simulating the distance in Idaho from Coeur d'Alene to Idaho Falls, and Cain was the first one to finish.

"I didn't realize Idaho was that big," he quipped last week while putting in his usual 15-mile ride. "I kept saying, 'Am I done yet? Am I done yet?' kind of like the kid in the back seat."

Cain, a supervisor for the state's Department of Corrections, has been on kidney dialysis a little more than two years. His body has been wracked by various illnesses, including rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, pancreatitis, a heart attack and prostate cancer. He's looking at a two- to three-year wait for a kidney donation. In the meantime, he'll need to continue his three-times-a-week visits to the dialysis center.

Dialysis treatment circulates a person's blood through an artificial kidney, called a hemodialyzer, which filters the waste products and removes the excess fluids when kidneys are no longer able to do so. Dialysis also helps to control blood pressure, which can rise or fall dangerously due to an imbalance of salts and minerals.

"Riding helps my blood pressure stay up and stabilized," said Cain, who pedals during the first hour of each treatment. "Without it, I'd be in low pressure all the time."

Cain, of Lexington, can thank fellow dialysis patient Randy Russell for coming up with the idea of pedaling at the treatment center.

"I saw something on the Internet where in Europe they were doing all kinds of exercise while sitting," said Russell, who has been on dialysis for a year and a half. "Well, I thought, ‘Why can't we have something like this here?' I did some research on what was available and I made some suggestions."

"Randy brought the idea to us about a year ago," said Carey Wallace, the dialysis center's clinical manager. "We'd been talking about trying to get some exercise unit in - sort of a ‘sit and be fit.' Randy just handed (the idea) to us at the right moment."

The pedaling units cost about $200 each.

Russell, 58, of Rainier, said it takes him about an hour and 15 minutes to ride 10 miles. The owner of Crystal River Film and Video, he said he's lost about 14 pounds since he started pedaling, through diet and exercise. He has a strong motive to keep on pedaling.

"In order to get a kidney, I have to lose at least 20 pounds before they'll put me on the (donor) list," said Russell, who has progressive kidney failure. "I didn't think that 14 pounds was going to make a difference, but I've noticed I have more energy. Energy is a real deficit for anyone on dialysis."

Wallace said building up energy levels helps make the dialysis treatments more effective.

"The exercise itself stimulates the blood moving, which helps with oxygen intake and gives us more blood going through more circulation," she said. "It also helps with their mobility and strength and balance in their legs."

Strengthening his legs is the reason Tim McPherson is a faithful rider during his dialysis.

"I've had bypasses on each leg, and I like to exercise them so I can ride my bike at home, plus it's good for my diabetes," said McPherson, 46, of Lexington. "When I first started, I would ride off and on, but now I do it religiously."

It takes him about an hour each visit to rack up five miles.

"(The cycle) adjusts, so I ride every day uphill - no pain, no gain," said McPherson, who has been on dialysis for six years.

Out of the current 96 dialysis patients at the clinic, there are about six patients who use the cycles faithfully and a few others who do it semi-regularly, Wallace said. She hopes to have more "races" for cyclists who want to participate. Next up is a simulation of the Tour de Blast, the annual bike ride from Toutle up Spirit Lake Memorial Highway to Johnston Ridge. After that will be the Seattle-to-Portland ride.

You can be sure Cain will be in the thick of it.

"I encourage everyone to ride. It's been very good results for me," he said. "It keeps you occupied and it's a good way to pass the time. I'll sign up for anything that comes along."

BELOW: Photo By Bill Wagner / The Daily News Wayne Cain's feet blur as he pedals to get exercise during his dialysis treatment. Dialysis technician Heather Tabor keeps track of information on the monitor next to Cain's station.