Woman starts county's first group for dialysis patients

[okarol]

Woman starts county's first group for dialysis patients
By Robyn Flans
Posted January 2, 2011 at 8:12 p.m.

When Sheryl Glatt, a nine-month dialysis patient, began to search for a support group, she was disappointed to discover there was not one in all of Ventura County.

Although she spends three days a week, three hours each time, in dialysis at the Conejo Valley Renal Center in Thousand Oaks, Glatt decided she would start her own support group.

Beginning Tuesday, Glatt will lead a dialysis support group in the Valley Lupin Room at the Goebel Senior Adult Center, 1385 E. Janss Road, Thousand Oaks. The group, which will meet the first Tuesday of every month, 7:30-8:30 p.m., is open to patients, family members and caregivers. “I know there are so many people on dialysis who could benefit from something like this,” said 50-year-old Glatt. “There will be monthly topics and guest speakers.”

According to the National Kidney Foundation, 26 million American adults suffer from chronic kidney disease. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases reports that nearly 400,000 people in the United States and two million people worldwide are dependent on dialysis.

Glatt developed gestational diabetes from her first pregnancy 23 years ago. “There is a percentage of gestational diabetes that goes into full-blown diabetes,” Glatt said. “I’ve been on insulin ever since. My kidneys began to fail a few years ago and it went into stage one renal chronic kidney disease. After two years it went to end stage five,” said Glatt, whose diabetes also caused neuropathy, specifically the loss of feeling in her feet. She had to convert her car to hand controls so she could keep driving.

Glatt had to stop working because the dialysis is very time consuming and very draining. “When I come home from dialysis I’ll sleep for a few hours and not really feel great the rest of the day. But usually the next day I’m feeling OK,” Glatt said.

These issues and such emotional topics as waiting for a transplant will be important discussions at the support group. Glatt is now No. 1 or No. 2 on the list at Cedars Sinai for a simultaneous kidney/pancreas transplant. “I’ve been waiting not quite a year. The wait period for this is usually a year or less. However, if I were just waiting for a kidney alone, it could be a five- to eight-year wait.”

Glatt is living with her 19-year-old son Ryan since being separated from her husband for the past year, another hardship.

“It’s been difficult, but I thank God for giving me a lot of strength through all of this. My family and friends have been a great support,” she said. “I’ve had to learn to humble myself and ask for help. That’s something important we will address in the group as well. I really feel by doing this group it will be helping me, as well as the community. Some people really feel alone when they’re going through this.”

She refuses to allow her situation to completely get her down, though. She plans to attend her older son Neal’s wedding in Michigan this spring. “I just make an appointment with the dialysis center there and get my treatment there. You just need to fit into their schedule, so there is a way to travel. You learn to make lemonade out of lemons. It’s not about dying, it’s about learning to live with your disease.”

For additional information, call 320-3625



Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2011/jan/02/woman-starts-countys-first-group-for-dialysis-i/#ixzz1A1I2VQUx
- vcstar.com

[MooseMom]

I'm thinking about doing the same thing here where I live.  But I long ago stopped being a "people person".  This would be out of my comfort zone by a loooong waaaay, but that's a terrible excuse not to do something like this for the benefit of other people.  I'll have to give this some thought.  I really admire people who can put themselves in front of a group.  But we have NO kind of support group for people on D or with ckd.

[okarol]

There are 2 support groups in our area, but not much participation. I think many people on dialysis are just too weary or busy to attend a meeting that is health related, instead opting to focus on non-dialysis related activities.