For people with kidney failure, dialysis is a lifeline. But many patients find the trips to the clinic three days a week draining. Now, there’s an alternative. At home dialysis.
When you live far enough out in the country that you raise horses and donkeys, trips to the city for dialysis can be a hassle. Just ask Samuel de la Cruz of Somerset. Three times a week for four hours at a time exhausted him.
“It was kind of hard because, you know, we’d have to drive all the way out there, which is about 15 miles each way,” de la Cruz remembered.
For the past six months, de la Cruz has tried a different approach: at home dialysis. His wife of 43 years, Wilda, hooks him up to a machine about the size of a small television and monitors him.
“Well, she’s my wife and I feel confident, you know?” de la Cruz said. “I trust her.”
Dr. Robert Szewe of the Barlite Southwest Kidney Center has about 15 patients on at home dialysis right now. He says the technique more closely mimics the kidney’s normal functioning.
“We see significant improvement with the quality of life with patients who are dialyzed five times a week for two hours,” Szewe stated. “Some patients are scared of needles but I think that they overcome this pretty quickly.”
Patients using at home dialysis often have better blood pressure control, a more flexible diet and reduced heart strain.
It’s working well for de la Cruz. “Well, I feel a lot better,” he said. “I’ve got my strength back.”
Another benefit for kidney failure patients is the ability to travel. They can take their unit with them and dialyze wherever they go.
