Dialysis

[nmccart]

Personal Question (feel free not to answer):

I have a kidney disease and was on dialysis for 18 months before receiving a kidney transplant. I heard once on a podcast that you mentioned that you have to do dialysis once a week (if I remember correctly). What have you got that only has you being treated once a week? Is there an outcome for you where you can get off dialysis?

Thanks for all the hard work you and the team do here.

 

[Jerry Hildenbrand]

I had a kidney transplant several years ago. My kidneys were both degenerated from the medicine I had to take (along with a poorly functioning liver). My doctor wanted to keep my on a similar medicine and we scrubbed my blood clean with dialysis once a week to help take the load off the kidneys and liver.

It didn't work as well as planned, so I'm off the medicine that was giving me trouble and at my last visit with the urologist, she said everything looked as good or better than could be expected as far as kidney function.

I'm glad you got your transplant and got away from the tubes. Dialysis might not be the worst physical pain in the world, but the emotional stress is killer (as you know).

 

[Gweeper64]

I can sympathize. PKD runs in my family. My brother has been on dialysis for like 18 years. Glad you guys were able to get off.