Fight for dialysis service

[okarol]

Tuesday, 26 June 2007

Fight for dialysis service

AN elderly Monaro resident who endures a punishing weekly regime to receive life-saving dialysis treatment is calling for others in her situation to come forward.

Rosie Schenker is a socially active senior who has accrued more friends in her 67 years than she can count.

But her level of activity has been curbed recently by the time and energy she spends travelling from Cooma to Canberra Hospital for dialysis treatment: four hours per visit, three visits per week.

Mrs Schenker often doesn't get home until 8 or 9pm, sapped of all her usual energy well into the next day.

"I travel in an ambulance twice a week to Canberra and with another car from (Greater Southern Area Health Service) on Saturday," said Mrs Schenker.

"I've got no other transport and I can't drive, I'm getting too dizzy (from the treatment).

"When I come from the machine I've been very exhausted, they have to wheel me out in a wheelchair."

Mrs Schenker has endured the punishing regime for the past four and a half months, and now wants to make contact with fellow local Monaro dialysis patients in the same situation to show there is a need for a dialysis service in Cooma.

Mrs Schenker issued the call after reading about the struggle of Dalgety dialysis patient and father of five Chris Williams in the Cooma-Monaro Express earlier this month.

"I feel sorry for that fellow living in Dalgety when he has five kids to look after and has to travel by himself," she said.

Mrs Schrenker said she didn't think it would be easy to bring a service to Cooma, but said there was a better chance if dialysis patients from Cooma and surrounds formed a united front.

"If we have six people maybe we have a chance to get a machine," she said.

"I'd have to talk with the people when we get together and see what they think, them we go from there."

Dialysis patients can contact Mrs Schenker on 6452 1864.

http://bombala.yourguide.com.au/detail.asp?class=news&subclass=general&story_id=1012145&category=general

[charee]

that is one of the reason i opted to do home hemo we are in the  same health area, my nearest centre is 35km each way but they are often to full for new patients and if thats the case canberra is the next closest which is a 3and ahalf hour drive each way.so i'm lucky that i was able to do home hemo but its not for everybody.