ON DIALYSIS: Patients' 'down time' is uplifting

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ON DIALYSIS:  Patients' 'down time' is uplifting

by: ALTHEA PETERSON World Staff Writer
Monday, December 22, 2008
12/22/2008 3:07:17 AM

Taking a break from his television program, Charles Richardson sits up in his chair but is careful not to move his left arm.

Still under dialysis treatment — a process that imitates kidneys to clean a person's bloodstream — Richardson leans slightly to his left and begins to write a short note.

"You have a lot of time to do a lot of things here," the Bixby man said.

Richardson, 65, is only partially through his five-hour treatment, but writing these cards is one of his favorite activities as a 23-year Air Force veteran. Like many other dialysis patients at Fresenius Medical Care in Tulsa and Muskogee, he spends part of his treatment time writing letters to wounded veterans at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

"My treatment here is nothing compared to what they have to go through, because they made sacrifices for our country," Richardson said. "I think if you can keep your energy up and your enthusiasm up, you can stay positive."

That is what social worker Melissa Miller said she hopes for.

The program, called "Mail to Heroes," started in November at the clinic. The patients, who mostly come three times each week for four to five hours of treatment each day, have made, written and signed the cards that will go to patients who are undergoing their own medical treatments.

"It takes a lot of resilience and courage to get through dialysis," Miller said. "Many of our patients are in and out of the hospitals and they are fighting for their lives.

"They get to see a greater picture and that they're not alone. It's good to be able to give something. This is a small way to feel something outside of themselves."

Lee Boevers, 70, of Broken Arrow also participates in the program. The Army veteran said she wished that such a program existed when she served in the 1950s.

"I think that would have made a lot of difference," she said. "Some had a lot of family, but some were very lonely."

Boevers and Richardson both said they were glad they could participate, especially right before the holidays.

"I hope they can all come home soon," Richardson said. "Their families need them."

Writing to war veterans or soldiers


• Don’t send letters or packages that don’t have a specified recipient. Military installations cannot accept mail addressed to “Any Service Member” or “A Recovering American Soldier.” Also, the Postal Service no longer delivers these letters because of anthrax and biohazard security checks.

• The Defense Department suggests checking the America Supports You site, which offers more information for sending care packages and letters at tulsaworld.com/americasupportsyou



Althea Peterson 581-8361
althea.peterson@tulsaworld.com

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