I've been on dialysis almost five years, and it certainly does take over your
life! For most of that time, I've been on home hemodialysis with the portable
NxStage machine. It will run off of a standard outlet, and it doesn't require
any plumbing modifications.
If you can do it, home dialysis is the way to go! I'm
finally working on getting on the list for a kidney transplant. This whole
ordeal started when I started feeling unusually weak, having splitting
headaches, and unusual stomach problems.
They finally got so bad I went to see a doctor, and I didn't leave the
hospital for two weeks, including three days in ICU. I was told I had high blood
pressure (220/140), and kidney failure. I was put on dialysis before I really
knew what dialysis was. I did in-centre hemodialysis for four months and hated
every minute of it.
As soon as I found out about home dialysis, I said "Sign me up!" I'm just
trying to live my life one day at a time. I hate dialysis, but I do like living,
and I do like having my portable machine so I'm not stuck in one place, so I
have to "coexist" with dialysis until I get a new kidney, or my kidney function
goes up again, which it has shown signs of doing according to my blood work.
Sorry to hear about the story shared by my reader. Here are some suggestions
for your reference.
● Control your blood pressure. From what you said, high blood pressure is one
of serious problems. 220/140 is extremely very high. High blood pressure and
kidney damages affect each other. If you can not control it well, your kidney
conditions tend to declines greatly.
● Manage a well plan about your lifestyle. Even though you have to live with
dialysis and it seems that your life is troubled, you still can do some mild
exercise which will help you keep a good condition. Meantime, we offer diet
suggestions and recipe for dialysis patients. We will send it to your email
later on.
● You may try Immunotherapy. This
biotherapy can differentiate new renal cells and tissues, which can help improve
your renal functions a lot. In this way, you may need less dialysis.
Are you living with dialysis or kidney disease? You can leave you story
below. Or you can communicate with our free online service directly. We will try
our best to help you.
