15 years on dialysis: Family celebrates man's milestoneBy Caylor Ballinger \ EL PASO TIMES
Posted: 07/10/2010 12:00:00 AM MDT
EL PASO -- There was a mariachi band, a cake and toasts in honor of Timoteo Morales. But this was a most atypical celebration.
It was the 15th anniversary of his dialysis treatments, an anomaly for people with chronic kidney disease.
Since 1995, the father of six has seen the births of his youngest son and first granddaughter, and he walked two of his daughters down the aisle to be married, all while checking in and out of hospitals and clinics.
Morales, 48, has end-stage renal disease. From Latin, "renal" is the medical term for kidney.
He receives kidney treatments at DaVita clinic, 1300 Murchison Drive, which provides dialysis to more than 120 patients.
According to a U.S. Renal Data System report, life expectancy is reduced significantly with kidney disease. A healthy 20-year-old can expect to live to about 78. A 20-year-old diagnosed with kidney disease typically lives to be 34.
Morales was diagnosed at 33. That was one year after his diabetic father died of kidney disease. His father had four years of dialysis treatments.
Laura Eggemeyer, his dietitian at DaVita, said most dialysis patients die within 10 years.
"He's a very good patient, and he eats what he should," Eggemeyer said. "He's not diabetic, so he can still enjoy the sweets of life."
Eggemeyer said 95 percent of dialysis patients have diabetes.
Monica Broadstreet, clinical coordinating nurse at DaVita, said dialysis treatments perform the functions that a healthy kidney would.
"It takes
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the poison or chemicals in the blood and cleans it out like a filter," Broadstreet said. "He has to come three days a week, and each treatment is four hours. It's like being a slave to your disease."
Broadstreet said that in 11 years at DaVita she had never seen a patient celebrate 15 years of treatment. She said one reason Morales has prevailed may be his positive attitude.
The disease, though, has led to other medical problems, including poor blood flow in his heart.
Morales' oldest child, Rocio Alvarado, was 12 when her father started treatments.
"All the open-heart surgeries and treatments have been hard," she said. "But he's a fighter. He smiles even when he's in pain."
Alvarado said she felt blessed because her dad gave her away at her wedding and has developed a relationship with her 4-year-old daughter.
She said that a few months ago, the whole family planned to go to Disneyland but then canceled because of his health.
"Our whole life, he talked about taking us to Disneyland, but he hasn't been able to," she said. "We plan to take him in August. The whole family will be there."
Morales said he looks forward to the trip. He said about 35 patients started dialysis treatment with him in 1995.
Morales is the sole survivor of the bunch.
He has adjusted to a disease that prohibits him from working and from drinking more than one quart of liquid a day. He said he is a changed man, and his family and faith in God have gotten him through the difficult times.
"It is a blessed day," Morales said. "I've been living day by day. I never know when it will be my last."
Caylor Ballinger may be reached at cballinger@elpasotimes.com; 546-6156.
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