A day in the life of a dialysis patient

03/23/2008
A day in the life of a dialysis patient
BY DREW MELTON

Stephanie Dabney will tell anyone that Monday, Wednesday, and Friday are her favorite days of the week – though her reason might come as a surprise to most. She starts each of these days with a three-hour dialysis session.

Diagnosed with kidney disease in 2000, dialysis treatment has been part of Stephanie’s routine for over seven years. “Dialysis became easier the more I did it. It’s all about your mindset. If you acknowledge your position and work to help yourself, you’ll respond better,” she says.

However, she did not take on such a positive attitude overnight. Entire years passed before Stephanie motivated herself to get in better health, and it turned out to be one of the best decisions she ever made.

Stephanie’s kidney disease developed out of the classic contributors: diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, and heart disease. Her kidney function eventually dropped to just 10 percent of normal capacity, leaving her no choice but to begin dialysis.

Dialysis is a physically exhausting procedure which requires the patient to be hooked up to a blood filtration machine for up to five hours at a time. The amount of time a patient receives treatment is dependent upon his or her level of kidney function, which a doctor rates every month.

“I hated dialysis at first,” recalls Stephanie, “but after a while I started to bond with my nurses and the other patients. I saw them more often than I saw my own family, so we got to know each other well. They’re wonderful people.” Stephanie’s new view of dialysis led to healthy lifestyle changes that produced incredible results.

A diabetic since age thirteen, Stephanie was off and on insulin for 30 years. Thanks to a disciplined diet and plenty of exercise, she is now off the medication completely – much to the astonishment of her doctors. She also managed to lower her blood pressure and lose eighty pounds.

“My body was meant to move. I’m still living a very fulfilling life on dialysis, I just can’t expect do to everything I used to do,” says Stephanie.

Having been on dialysis for seven years, Stephanie has seen several other patients come and go. She also could not help but notice the unprecedented increase in the number of patients at her dialysis center during this time.

“It really says something about our society today,” commented Stephanie. “Not many people watch what they eat or take care of their body, and this is why kidney disease is running rampant.”

The incidence of kidney disease in the United States is presently increasing by eight percent each year, with the number of kidney failure patients projected to rise to 600,000 nationwide by 2010.

Stephanie originally hoped for a kidney transplant rather than go on dialysis for the rest of her life. She was denied a transplant because of her separate health problems.

Although kidneys are higher in demand than any other transplantable organ, they are very short in supply. Stephanie is just one of thousands of Virginians who would benefit from altruistic living donors.

Becoming an organ donor is as easy as registering with the state donor registry, designating the decision on your driver’s license, and signing a donor card. Fortunately for Stephanie, she is a prime example of how dialysis patients are able to cope with the disease and still make the most of their lives.

Not all kidney disease patients need a transplant or dialysis to survive. If the disease is caught in its early stages, progression can be delayed or prevented.

The National Kidney Foundation of the Virginias encourages all those at risk for kidney disease – those with diabetes, high blood pressure, or a family history – to be aware of the risk of kidney disease.

March is Kidney Month, making it the perfect time to get educated and get tested for kidney disease. For more information, call (804) 288-8342 or visit www.kidneyva.org.

Drew Melson is the Development Officer for the Kidney Foundation of the Virginias in Richmond.

http://www.progress-index.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19416216&BRD=2271&PAG=461&dept_id=462943&rfi=6