I am fairly certain that Kidney Dialysis is not widely understood. I started hemodialysis recently and a high school friend sent me a text understanding that my days on earth were numbered! I was pleased to advise them that reports of my demise were false and I planned to enjoy life for the foreseeable future and beyond.
Dialysis is done when the kidneys stop working, or in my case when my kidney transplant stopped working as well. If not for dialysis to extend my life I would be seriously sick right now. But dialysis is not the cure, and people do die on dialysis after years if they do not receive a transplant kidney which does a much better job.
Dialysis removes the poisons and removes the fluids that otherwise the kidney would handle automatically. Hemodialysis involves removing those fluids from the blood. The patient’s blood is pumped through an artificial kidney over and over for 4 hours and cycled back into the patient. The process is relatively painless, and you need to do it 3 times a week. In between times you have to limit food and fluids so the work the artificial kidney has to do on the next treatment is not excessive.
I do dialysis at my local hospital and everyone there is really good at their job and helps the patients manage through their needles and treatment.
So the message is I suppose that kidney dialysis is keeping me alive while I wait to hopefully find another transplant kidney. Another very important message is how overwhelmingly grateful I am to my previous donor and their family for their gift to me of the past 31 years. There is no doubt that I would not be here alive if not for their gift. I am in awe thinking of the difference to my family and to myself that their gift made.
My previous donor was deceased and their identity is unknown to me, therefore I thank them and their family and I thank also everyone who agrees to be an organ donor. Nowadays living donors are increasingly more common in addition to being registered to be an organ donor for when you die to help someone else.
Dear Reader – please be an organ donor, and let your family know your wishes 🙂
In BC, Canada you can agree register as an Organ Donor online in just a few minutes right here.
Life and Random Thinking 
Here’s hoping your wait isn’t long.
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Thanks Andrew, that’s my hope also.
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So good that something like dialysis is available. Hope your next kidney ‘arrives’ soon. By the way, all our family members are organ donors. It’s simply the right thing to do.
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I appreciate your kind wishes and I acknowledge that being an organ donor is the right choice. Be well my friend
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https://polldaddy.com/js/rating/rating.jsHoping you don’t have to wait much longer!
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Sometimes its hard to find a match, but I do sincerely appreciate your kind wi9
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Thank you so much for this post! I went to the doctor yesterday for a mysterious fever that appeared without any other symptoms and, at first, after a bunch of tests, the doctor thought my kidneys were malfunctioning and I had to wait for a CT-Scan, which took some time. So, I worried throughout the day. It turned out that I had pneumonia and nothing was wrong with my kidneys, but I really did start to wonder what would happen and what dialysis would be like. Now I know, thanks to your story. Your message of organ donation is definitely important–thank you again for this post!
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I hope you overcome your pneumonia quickly and be careful for awhile after for future bouts of pneumonia as you may be susceptible for a while
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Dave, thanks for sharing about your dialysis experience — and the focus on the need for more people to become donors (I am, and believe in so strongly). All my hopes for you to find a match soon. I know in the meantime, the dialysis takes time and patience.
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I am so appreciative of everyone sending kind thoughts. Bless you
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You are in my thoughts and prayers Dave.
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When i began blogging i never expected to be blessed by new friendships
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I never did either, and it is a blessing isn’t it! Hope you receive the blessing you seek now very soon Dave.
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This is very inspiring news as I am on dialysis as well. I do notice a lot of people do not understand it because it is not heavily spoken of mainstream. I was happy to hear you were able to get 31 years from your previous donor. I am praying another kidney comes for you! Thank you so much for sharing this story!
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Thank you Ms Ena for your kind message. You probably find as i do that the public has a vague knowledge but doesn’t understand that dialysis is not a cure; its a treatment and it affects us as patients seven days a week. Please stay in touch and you can email me privately at dfolstad58@gmail.com
I appreciate your prayers for my health and new transplant.
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