Quick Tip:

Many people with kidney disease don't know they have it.

 

1 in 8 adult Americans will develop kidney disease in their lifetimes.

  
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Patient Story One

More energy, a better appetite and the best quality of life -All on Home Dialysis!

“This is awesome! I want the best for myself and I want to be around my family for a long time!” These are the comments of Cynthia Morales who knows what it’s like to be on dialysis. She has been on dialysis for the last seventeen years. Cynthia is now learning how to do more frequent dialysis for herself in the Northwest Kidney Centers home hemodialysis training unit. She first found out about more frequent dialysis when she was involved in a “daily dialysis” research study. After the first few days on the daily dialysis machine during that study, Cynthia felt 100 percent better and knew she wanted to be on daily dialysis.

“I waited a year to be on the machine,” Cynthia exclaimed. I moved to a bigger house just so I could start daily dialysis.” In that regard, Cynthia has much to live for. She has three daughters, one son and a new grandson. They depend on her and want her to be around to see them grow up and go to college. Cynthia is thinking about going back to college as well. She is so excited that she can barely contain herself!

When asked about other dialysis methods or a transplant, Cynthia states that she had been on peritoneal dialysis for 12 years and recently had a transplant that failed. For her, daily dialysis has made a world of difference. She has a better appetite, her skin coloring has improved, and she has much more energy to interact with her family and pets. “Why dialyze in the center? I want to dialyze at home in my pajamas,” Cynthia said laughing.

“I got my life back,” Cynthia told me as she checked her blood pressure on the machine and wrote it down on her log sheet. She is taking charge of her own dialysis and doing well at it. When I asked her what she would tell other dialysis patients who are hesitant to start home hemodialysis, she declared, “Try it! You have nothing to lose and everything to gain! This is awesome! I want the best for myself and I want to be around my family for a long time,” says Cynthia Morales when speaking about frequent dialysis at home. 


Bessie Young, MD, MPH, Home Hemodialysis Director