Anyone in their 70's with diabetes and heart trouble doing well on dialysis?

[tizibella]

Hi guys,
I'm new here and I don't need dialysis, but my father will soon need to start. He is 77, a diabetic and has had some heart trouble. His GFR is 13, and he does not want to start dialysis because he thinks he will not tolerate it well, and that he will be even sicker than he is now, on his bad days.... He also views dialysis as life support, and he doesn't believe in life support. I've been trying to stay positive and tell him that he will feel better when he starts, but he is still not buying it. I'm hoping if I can give him some good experiences that people have had, that were in his same situation, he might change his mind. Do any of you fit this bill? Or do you know of anyone in your clinics or in your support network that is older, has other health issues, and is doing well on dialysis?

I just don't want him to give up hope..I'm not ready for that....

please help me if you can..
thanks in advance for any advice/suggestions/support..

[Hanify]

Hiya Tiz, nice chatting yesterday.  I would definitely ask his neph about PD.  It is possible t manage it with diabetes, and it's a much gentler dialysis.  Much easier for an older person I think.  Darthvadar's mum isn't diabetic, but she knows a few people who are who do PD.  I don't see it as life support - I see it as treatment.  Thinking of you.  As I said in chat, I would ask him to at least give dialysis a go for 3 months, then make the decision then.  You can always stop!

[kellyt]

Good advice on the PD.

I am not in his situation, but I became good friends with a couple during my testing phase of getting on "the list" and the gentleman was 75 and 1) getting on the transplant list, 2) diabetic and 3) doing dialysis.  He tolerated it very well.  he said he felt better on dialysis, but not nearly as good as he does with his new kidney!  He transplant with a live donor just one month after me.  BTW, he and his wife are currently on a cruise around the world!  120 days!  I'm so jealous!
Anyway, when I met him he had a chest catheter in and he was using that for dialysis, but he had his fistula in and they were waiting for it to mature.  Once it did he switched to the fistula with little incident.  He was pretty active.  They traveled alot between houses in Florida, Chicago and San Antonio.
I should probably mention that his wife was an unbelievable partner in all this.  She monitored his eating, exercise, fluid, medicine, EVERYTHING without so much as skipping a beat.  She would have driven me crazy personally, but she kept this  man a live, and now he's doing just great.

Maybe your Father could agree tol just give a try for  few months and if he doesn't like it, well that' totally up to him.  Dialyhsis is a life support sort of, but you are still able to live your life as normal as possible.   Bring him to this site.  Let him meet others in his situation.  He will learn so much and will be grateful for the information and friendship.

Hugs to you.  Good Luck.

[Stoday]

You don't say which country you live in tizibella. If it's the UK you don't stand much chance of going on the list if you're over 65. The circustances have to be exceptional.

[galvo]

I'm an old coot (67), have had 3 heart attacks, have diabetes and am thriving on dialysis. Taking it one day at a time.

[billybags]

Sad to say  Stoday, you are right. In the UK 65 is a cut off age.

[dwcrawford]

I am 69 (oh my god, that's unreal) and years of controlled diabetes, only a slight heart a gib and otherwise healthy  as a donkey (I mean a horse).   I do extremely well on in center hemo (8 months now) and my two  nephs, cardiologist and internist all are insisting I get on the list.  I don't want to though but I may still.  I'm told (and convinced) I'd not be disqualified because of age or health reasons.  And yes, I am not nearly the oldest nor the youngest in my clinic.  However I  am probably one of the most active.