I Hate Dialysis Message Board
Dialysis Discussion => Dialysis: News Articles => Topic started by: okarol on November 23, 2009, 08:03:54 AM
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Patient to choose – Nambour or die
Jennifer Chapman | 23rd November 2009
NIGEL Holloway is facing the biggest decision of his harrowing life.
He can spend 18 hours on the road so he can sit for 15 hours in a chair attached to a dialysis machine every week; or he can succumb to a slow and painful death.
It may sound melodramatic but that is exactly the situation Mr Holloway feels the Fraser Coast’s floundering health system has left him in.
“There’s no way you can put off going on dialysis,” a frustrated Ms Moloney said.
“You’re dead in three weeks.”
If Ms Moloney’s view is correct her son has just one week before his body and mind is in such a weak physical and mental state he will have to muster any strength left to decide whether to accept dialysis treatment at Nambour Hospital.
“I don’t have a future,” were the sorrowful words that came matter-of-factly out of Mr Holloway’s mouth as he told of his dire position.
The 45-year-old cannot get on to Hervey Bay Hospital’s waiting list for dialysis.
Sunshine Coast-Wide Bay Health Service District Northern Cluster manager Beth Norton said 46 people were being treated for dialysis on the Fraser Coast; up from 40 four months ago.
She said it costs the community about $60,000 a year to keep a person alive on dialysis.
She also said chronic kidney disease was on the rise across Australia, with one in three adults at risk of developing some form of the disease.
The Fraser Coast Health Service was doing a number of things to address this, Ms Norton said, including easing the pressure of Hervey Bay Hospital by providing transport for renal dialysis patients to Gympie Hospital. A full-time nephrologist had also been employed by the service, she explained, as well as extra nursing staff.
For Mr Holloway, however, those words were of no comfort.
“I live in Hervey Bay, I should be able to use Hervey Bay Hospital,” he said.
Instead doctors told him he had to travel three hours south to Nambour Hospital to sit five hours on a dialysis machine and then drive three hours back, three times a week.
“The problem is Hervey Bay Hospital is full of Maryborough people,” he said.
“I believe Maryborough people should get their own dialysis centre. Hervey Bay people are treated second-rate. To me, it’s ridiculous.”
Mr Holloway explained dialysis not only cleaned blood but got rid of excess fluid and put pressure on the heart, leading to constant headaches and head spins.
“It seems to me he has turned his back on everyone,” Mr Holloway said of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.
The mother and son argued the State Government needed to prioritise health funding to cater for a growing aging population on the Fraser Coast, while the Federal Government should also contribute more dollars.
“There’s got to be funding somewhere but Mr Rudd’s sending it overseas. He should be looking after his own country,” Mr Holloway said.
“We’d just like to see something done about it because it’s not only Nigel that is affected, it’s everyone,” Ms Moloney added.
Mr Holloway has had three kidney transplants, the first of which was when he was just 22 years of age. Seven years before then he was on home dialysis.
That first transplant lasted just two weeks. His second went well for 14 years before it too failed, leading to another eight years of dialysis and then his third transplant. After three-and-a-half-years that kidney failed and now he in his current state.
He cannot get a fourth transplant because he would need an almost perfect match due to the DNA left in his system from the past three.
Dialysis appears his only option.
Ms Norton said the Fraser Coast Health Service was working closely with the Central Renal Network and Fraser Coast Kidney Support Group to look at delivery.
“But the best way to tackle this silent killer head-on is for the community to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Prevention is better than cure.”
http://www.frasercoastchronicle.com.au/story/2009/11/23/bay-dialysis-patient-must-choose-nambour-or-die/
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That is such a sad dilemma for some one to have to go through, its bad enough having to have dialysis but to go through all these hours of travel before it is unbelievable. He and the other patients must stand up for their rights.
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Why don't reporters ever ask obvious questions? Why can't he do home haemo again?
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It was so long ago that I think they mean PD when they say home dialysis before he turned 22 and had his transplants.
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That would make sense Karol. I still want to know why he can't do home haemo - I know they are very keen on it in Australia - same as here, and we all don't have the same restrictions about having a partner. When we live in small countries - or smalls parts of bigger countries I guess) we cannot just expect there to be endless haemo centre's nearby. It's not possible with the budgets small countries have to survive on. He might have to shift.
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Why doesn't he move illegally to the United and get dialysis for free?
:sarcasm;
Death by dialysis (I have read) is not painful. The toxins build up and you get the symptoms and just get more sleepy and one day you don't wake up. I'd help out the situation by having milk and bananas.
It is sad, but people do die. Dialysis is a short bridge.
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What a terrible situation. It makes me feel so lucky to be in a large city with so many choices.
Rerun - I can not imagine where you read that....maybe in some cases, but my father chose not to have dialysis and it was a slow and very painful death, especially the last few days. Based on how terrible I feel after just the weekend with one extra day, I can only imagine what he went through.
This poor guy has a terrible choice to make...
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If he is well enough he can do haemo at home, even if he lives alone HE CAN DO HAEMO AT HOME, there is no restriction on having a carer in Australia. I think this guy is just having a bit of a sook. He's depressed, doesn't want to stick himself and is having a public whinge. Kind of is upsetting when one of us who is still young and capable of fighting just gives up becuase 'it's too hard'. Kerry Packer did that, one of the richest men in the world, got a transplant from his driver when it failed he decided he didn't want to live anymore and gave up, he was only in his 60's.
Australia has 22 million people spread out on a continent almost the whole size of the USA, it is the 6th largest country in the world. The USA is the 3rd largest. US population density is 31.6people per s/km australia is 2.7 people per s/km. You will have to expect people to do a bit of travelling to get to major hospitals in areas like hervey bay where you're a couple of hours out of the main city. QLD is a huge state.
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That first transplant lasted just two weeks. His second went well for 14 years before it too failed, leading to another eight years of dialysis and then his third transplant. After three-and-a-half-years that kidney failed and now he in his current state.
Looks like he's been through a bit. First kidney only got 2 weeks. That sux hard.
The dude should move close to a hospital like Richardme, then things wouldn't be as hard travel wise.l