There has been a study published recently that concluded that "dialyzing more frequently may have potential harmful effects on the hemodialysis vascular access." The study acknowledges that "daily or nightly dialysis seems to improve patients' health and quality of life".
Let me state, at the risk of sounding repetitive: if it wasn't for daily dialysis, I wouldn't be alive today! There. Any more doubts? Of what use would an access be if I wasn't alive?
I am leading the kind of life that I am thanks only to daily nocturnal home hemodialysis. I am very clear about it. I would never have been able to survive conventional in-center dialysis. I am a very weak person mentally. Ask me to restrict fluids, fluids are all I can think of. Ask me not to touch fruit. fruit is all I want to have. I am the most non-compliant guy you can find.
I speak only for myself, mind you. I know many people who are leading lives, more normal than me on conventional, in-center dialysis. I have nothing but the deepest appreciation for them. But it does not work for me. Too bad!
I need my idlis with coconut chutney. I need my chilled glass of lemonade every Sunday morning. I need to be able to dig into fruit whenever I feel like it. I need what I need. And daily dialysis gives me that.
Eventually, I am aware that I might develop access problems. I will cross that bridge when I come to it.
Studies like this, in my humble opinion, do more harm than good. Some doctors would potentially be put off by this risk of access problems and not recommend more frequent dialysis for their patients. The benefits of the modality are mentioned only in passing and the entire focus of the paper is access problems. This may be all right when you look at it purely from a statistical perspective. But I am really worried that the paper might have just taken daily dialysis off the menu for some people about to get onto dialysis.
That is sad, indeed.
Let me state, at the risk of sounding repetitive: if it wasn't for daily dialysis, I wouldn't be alive today! There. Any more doubts? Of what use would an access be if I wasn't alive?
I am leading the kind of life that I am thanks only to daily nocturnal home hemodialysis. I am very clear about it. I would never have been able to survive conventional in-center dialysis. I am a very weak person mentally. Ask me to restrict fluids, fluids are all I can think of. Ask me not to touch fruit. fruit is all I want to have. I am the most non-compliant guy you can find.
I speak only for myself, mind you. I know many people who are leading lives, more normal than me on conventional, in-center dialysis. I have nothing but the deepest appreciation for them. But it does not work for me. Too bad!
I need my idlis with coconut chutney. I need my chilled glass of lemonade every Sunday morning. I need to be able to dig into fruit whenever I feel like it. I need what I need. And daily dialysis gives me that.
Eventually, I am aware that I might develop access problems. I will cross that bridge when I come to it.
Studies like this, in my humble opinion, do more harm than good. Some doctors would potentially be put off by this risk of access problems and not recommend more frequent dialysis for their patients. The benefits of the modality are mentioned only in passing and the entire focus of the paper is access problems. This may be all right when you look at it purely from a statistical perspective. But I am really worried that the paper might have just taken daily dialysis off the menu for some people about to get onto dialysis.
That is sad, indeed.
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