Convenient dialysis: McKinney resident opts for less-common kidney treatmentBy Stefanie White, McKinney Courier-Gazette
(Created: Tuesday, February 19, 2008)
When Don Wagstaff was diagnosed with kidney failure 1-1/2 years ago, he immediately decided that he did not want to spend his time in clinics getting hemodialysis.
The procedure, which cleans the blood and puts it back in the body, would have required Wagstaff to visit a clinic several times per week for hours at a time.
“I have difficulty understanding how people having that type of dialysis having a normal life,” Wagstaff said.
Instead, Wagstaff opted to do a less-common procedure known as peritoneal dialysis. The procedure, if done manually, takes place four times a day and takes about 45 minutes each time. If done with a special machine, to which Wagstaff hooks himself at night, the procedure takes about eight to 10 hours.
“It’s a nuisance but it’s a lesser of two evils,” Wagstaff said.
Wagstaff, a McKinney resident, is one of about 300 people in the Dallas area who does peritoneal dialysis.
“In this country, people tend to do hemodialysis,” Dr. Lauren McDonald, medical director of Fresenius Medical Care North America.
McDonald, who is Wagstaff’s physician, said there is a catheter inside Wagstaff’s belly, and fluid is put in through the catheter. The fluid then drains out through a tube.
She said peritoneal dialysis is more convenient to the working person and doesn’t interfere with their schedule.
“Peritoneal dialysis is done on a daily basis at the patient’s home or place of business, wherever is convenient,” McDonald said.
Peritoneal dialysis gives Wagstaff, who is 80 and retired,the freedom to do whatever he wants.
“We go out to lunch. We go out to dinner,” said Wagstaff’s wife, Sue. “He can do the normal activities, vacuum, mow the yard.”
One thing Wagstaff doesn’t plan on doing is having a kidney transplant, although the opportunity has been given to him.
“We feel at his age, he doesn’t want to try to get the new kidney to get used to his body,” Sue said. “They offered him to go on the waiting list for a transplant.”
If Wagstaff is diligent with his peritoneal dialysis, he said he will remain healthy and can lead a normal life.
“I can live to be 100,” Wagstaff said.
Anyone doing peritoneal dialysis goes through extensive training, and a doctor monitors everything. Sue said when hooking her husband up to the machine, the conditions have to be very sanitary.
Sue said she and her husband are so used to the peritoneal dialysis that it doesn’t affect their schedule at all.
“We just don’t think that much about it,” Sue said. “It frees you and you feel better.”
Contact staff writer Stefanie White at swhite@acnpapers.com.
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