I love this board!

[kyshiag]

My husband has just finished his first week of treatment and it was just like described here.  Even the part about pushing for more when you know you have private insurance.  I got my husband on MWF by just saying over and over, "Uh, that's not gonna work for us."  They did make it perfectly clear that I can't sit with him his entire treatment, though.  We'll see.

I went in the bathroom and cried while they hooked him up but he took it like a champ.

4 treatments down who knows how many to go.

[YLGuy]

That is great that You and your husband are pushing for what is best for him.  It really does pay to be an informed patient/care giver. 

[willowtreewren]

I went through a period of mourning when my husband started dialysis. I understand. But once we got through the first bit, and my husband started feeling better, it really became a gift that not only kept him alive, but healthy. I hope you find the same is true. 

I have a dear friend who counted treatments for the many, many years her husband did dialysis. He got a kidney about 7 months ago! 

Every treatment was a victory! Another day of living. So live each day, because it is a gift. 

[MooseMom]

He is lucky to have you in his corner.  And you are lucky to have someone love you so much that he's willing to go through dialysis so that he can have a longer life with you.

That's something I'd like caregivers to remember.  I'm not even on D yet, but I've still had to fight so very hard to stay healthy so that my husband won't find himself alone.  Sometimes I think it would be easier to just let go.  Once I'm on D, it's going to be harder to fight.  But I made a commitment to my husband when we married.  Part of that commitment is to stay alive as long as I can so that he won't be alone in this world.  It's not just for ourselves that we tolerate dialysis; it's also for the ones that we don't want to abandon.