Discussions with Dialysis Insider

[okarol]

Post questions/comments here - this is a new thread from http://ihatedialysis.com/forum/index.php?topic=22020.0 which is just for introductions.

okarol/admin

[okarol]

My questions:
Is it possible for a patient to be continued on dialysis when they could possibly cut back or even discontinue dialysis?
Is it conceivable that an in-center unit could ignore or minimize the labs results in order to keep a patient on treatment because they have private insurance  and Medicare?

[kristina]

Hello, Dialysis-Insider,

My question is this:

Is it true that once a patient is on Dialysis, their kidneys will never pick-up again naturally
because the Dialysis permanently takes away the ability of the kidneys to recover naturally?

If the answer is “yes” then have you heard that a patient in ESRF has recovered to a better level
of kidney function due to diet, rest, etc. and not Dialysis?
Does that correspond with your experience as a Dialysis-Insider?

I am asking because for the past two years my kidneys have been functioning 10-12 %
and I try very hard to keep them going for as long as possible without Dialysis.
Do you think I am in with a chance?

Thank you very much from Kristina.

[greg10]

Please remember that dialysisinsider is not a doctor, but he has a lot of insight into the operations, management and finance of many dialysis centers.

..
I would be very interested in hearing questions that you have regarding dialysis. I'm not a doctor or even a nurse, so I won't have all the answers, especially the clinical questions. But I do have a lot of knowledge about how the dialysis system works and want to share...

[kristina]

Please remember that dialysisinsider is not a doctor, but he has a lot of insight into the operations, management and finance of many dialysis centers.

..
I would be very interested in hearing questions that you have regarding dialysis. I'm not a doctor or even a nurse, so I won't have all the answers, especially the clinical questions. But I do have a lot of knowledge about how the dialysis system works and want to share...

It is kind of you to let me know, greg10, but I let the question ride in the event
that the Dialysis-Insider might have heard something which contributes to this issue.

Thanks again from Kristina.

[kristina]

P.S. The reason for my question to the Dialysis-Insider above comes from the fact that 40 years ago,
when my kidneys first failed (and recovered again without Dialysis),
a leading Professor of Medicine told me at the time that going on Dialysis creates a dependency
because a physical change takes place with the nerves which provide the stimulus for the filtration mechanism–
& these nerves & the filters, when they are not active for a certain length of time,
they seize to function effectively, hence the total dependency on Dialysis from then on.

This Professor told me to stay off Dialysis for as long as is safe to do so
to give my kidneys a chance to recover naturally by them keeping working constantly
without the intervention of Dialysis.

This worked 40 years ago and my kidneys are still with me.

Unfortunately this Professor of Medicine died in the 1990’s.

But I haven’t come across anyone talking about this in recent years
since my kidneys started to fail again around 2006.

Therefore I wonder whether the Professor's statement is still true
and is there anyone who can substantiate this?

Thanks again from Kristina.

[kristina]

 

[dialysisinsider]

Ok, so here we go to the best of my ability, again, I am not a medical professional.

okarol - very unlikely that a dialysis center would or could even cut back on your labs to keep you on dialysis. Dialysis centers are mostly for profit but IMO would not ever do this. They would get shut down and the black eye would not be worth extra treatments.

kristina - traditional in center hemodialysis is not good for keeping function of the kidneys going. It will take over the process and does not help them in keeping their function. If you are concerned about this, then consider PD. This will help keep urine output and kidney function at a certain level.

[dialysisinsider]

Hi All,

I've made a short introductory video on the size and business of dialysis. Hopefully this will help answer some of your questions. Please feel free to add comments and add more questiions:

http://kidneyfriend.com/blog/2011/03/01/73/

Hope this helps!

[okarol]

Ok, so here we go to the best of my ability, again, I am not a medical professional.

okarol - very unlikely that a dialysis center would or could even cut back on your labs to keep you on dialysis. Dialysis centers are mostly for profit but IMO would not ever do this. They would get shut down and the black eye would not be worth extra treatments.

They could get away with it because there are no inspections.

[kristina]

Thank you dialysisinsider, for your answer.
It is really appreciated, because being pre-dialysis
I try to find my best options.
Your comments are a very useful contribution
to the comparison between dialysis received
in a centre and home-dialysis (PD).

Thanks again from Kristina.

P.S. If by any chance you come across answers
to any of my above questions, please let me know.

Thanks from Kristina.