We Lost Another One.

[Bub]

We lost Dale, a great friend of mine, early this week.  I spoke with him Saturday and he seemed fine, but took a nap one afternoon and never woke up.  I try not to keep a running total in my head, but nearly 40 since i started 16 months ago.

Rest in perfect peace Dale.  We will miss your positive attitude and most of all, your sense of humor.  And may God bless and keep your wife, who after 59 years of marriage, will need all the help she can get.

[paris]

My deepest sympathy to you and Dale's family.   It is hard to see first hand what this disease does.  Keep taking care of yourself, Bub.   We need you.   

[MooseMom]

I'm so sorry.  The world just doesn't seem the same to you, does it.

[okarol]

I am so sorry about your friend. 

Are you saying you have lost 40 fellow patients in 16 months? 
In Jenna's 3 years in-center hemo I know of 6 patients from her shift who died, 2 while on the machine. And 4 others got transplants. It was approx. a 50 station center.

[monrein]

Your post is a lovely tribute to your friend Bub.  It's hard to deal with all the loss involved in CKD and the hardest of all is losing people.   

[billybags]

So sorry to hear that Bub, makes you think doesn't it.

[kitkatz]

It makes you realize, it is only a step away to being gone from this plain of existence.  Sympathies extended to you and your friend's family.

[Romona]

  I'm sorry for the loss of your friend.

[Bub]

My center serves roughly 200 patients at any one time.  Last calendar year we lost 36.  Statistics say that 20% of in center hemo patients die each year and half of those go by a heart attack.

Thank you for your sympathies.

It is hard to see first hand what this disease does. 

Yes Paris, tears my heart out sometimes.  I have given up feeling sorry for myself, but I feel for others as I know what they are going through.

So sorry to hear that Bub, makes you think doesn't it.

Does indeed.  We are all that close, but then we soon learn that all life is tenuous at best.  I sometimes feel that I should just be a loner at dialysis because people I get to know leave.  But thats not going to happen.  I am somewhat, gregarious, is that the correct word?

[galvo]

Sad.

[Jean]

I know just how you feel Bub. I live in a senior mobile home park, which we jokingly call " God's Waiting Room". So far this year we have had 4 friends die. Not the same as dialysis deaths, but raises the same feeling for me. I Wanna MOVE!!!!

[calypso]

I am so sorry about your friend. 

Are you saying you have lost 40 fellow patients in 16 months? 
In Jenna's 3 years in-center hemo I know of 6 patients from her shift who died, 2 while on the machine. And 4 others got transplants. It was approx. a 50 station center.

On the news lately they've been talking about kidney kisease and transplantation and they mentioned that on average, 50% of patients on dialysis die by the 5th year, whereas the average wait time for a kidney is 5-7 years. I don't know if they mean in this state, or national.

[Bajanne]

My sympathies to you and the others who are grieving Dale's passing.
I am hoping to outlive the statistics!  This is my 5th year on dialysis.  So far, so good!

[Sluff]

Deepest condolences to all the lives who Dale has touched.

[Lisa]

...sending my prayers to you and your friends family.

[Jie]

On the news lately they've been talking about kidney kisease and transplantation and they mentioned that on average, 50% of patients on dialysis die by the 5th year, whereas the average wait time for a kidney is 5-7 years. I don't know if they mean in this state, or national.

Please don't confuse the waiting time with this 20% annual mortality rate. At the end of 5 years, only 33% of dialysis patients are still alive with a 20% annual mortality. However, this 20% rate is for all dialysis patients, and most of them are very old and would die anyway. When talking about the waiting time, we are talking about the healthy portion of dialysis patients, that is, the patients who are waiting for transplant. The annual mortality rate for the patients waiting for transplant is about 7%, and at the end of 5 years, about 70% of these patients are still alive. The mortality rate during the first year for the transplanted patients is about 5%, and if this rate holds for every year, at the end of 5 years, only about 77% of transplanted patients are still alive.

[Lillupie]

Thank you for reminding me of how fragile my life is on here.  It is just frustrating. I  once again had to take my now ex bf to hospital number 3 in less then 3 months just because his back hurt! I am always having to explain to him that i have to go and do dialysis.

Lisa

[kellyt]

That is so sad.      I'm so sorry for the loss of your friend.

[Bub]

Thank you all.  I am so glad I can speak about this here on IHD.  I have told my friends about it but they seem to think that I cant feel so deeply for someone that I have known for only 16 months.  But Dale and I were close because we shared the same experiences in dialysis and he was an excelent mentor to me.

[okarol]

I agree, you don't have to know someone a long time if you're trudging the same road together. Some of the best friends I have made were in shared experiences that most people could not relate to, such as my alanon group, or here on IHD, where members KNOW and understand. It creates a bond beyond just being acquaintances.

[Ken Shelmerdine]

So sorry for your loss Bub

[MooseMom]

You never know when you will come across someone who will touch your life.  Everyone you meet, under any circumstances, represents an opportunity for your life to follow a different path.  It does not matter for how long you have known someone; anyone can potentially give so much to you, just as you can give back.  I am so sorry for the death of your friend.  I know that you will treasure his memory and will gain such strength by all he taught you.