Just to make the story short, my boyfriend was diagnosed with kidney failure on 2019 with his creatinine levels at 20, he stayed 1 month on the hospital and it went down to 12, from Sep 2019 to December 2023 at the clinic the creatinine levels were down to 9, and January 2024 after spent 1 month in the hospital because of a stroke his creatinine levels were down to 5, he returned to dialysis and once he got into the hospital for 2 days the creatinine levels were at 4.10, after that the last blood test on August 26 showed 6, his health was declining, after all of this happened, when he started dialysis, he didn’t have diabetes, high blood pressure or anemia, or heart problems, after 5 years of dialysis, he end it up with high blood pressure, anemia, heart failure, edema, diabetes and he lost his ability to pee. My recommendation, try to look for alternatives to avoid dialysis, and if you really need it, get the one at home to be less invasive to your body, and try to get a transplant as soon as possible
Dávita clinics are just business - Kidney Disease
Dávita clinics are just business
What a difficult road you both have been on. However, as much as I hate it, I know dialysis is also a lifesaving treatment. And with any medication, there are always side effects. I agree the anemia is from dialysis, but there are MANY ways to treat that. The other things may or may not be attributed to dialysis. In center is harder on the body. Was there a reason why you guys did not try home hemo? It's a lot of work, but it is gentle on the body and my lab numbers have never been so good.
When you say to look for alternatives for dialysis, I am afraid there are only two in the world. One is transplant, and that takes a lot of time and testing, and it is not possible for all people. The other is death.
Thank you for the comment, I advised my boyfriend about the dialysis at home like you mentioned is less invasive, but he preferred the one in the center because of the small place were he was living and not so sanitary, and I asked like 3 persons in dialysis if they wanted to changed to the one at home to preserve the kidney function and they said is easier for them just to get to the clinic and being helped for the technicians, is sad but some of them not to say most of the people there, is not aware even of their on blood test results, on the other side, I agree dialysis used to be and still be helpful with the machines from before, like a mentioned his creatinine levels were decreasing fast while he has at the hospital but not at the clinic, and that’s something really weird, I don’t know if was his condition but his creatinine levels were coming down, not worsening or staying in the same place, I’ve just read an article where it says, there’s some people that doesn’t have comorbidities before being diagnosed with kidney failure, and they’re being treated in the clinic as one with comorbidities, and given the same treatment as one with long story of diseases,
I'm truly sorry for what you're going through. I have firsthand experience with dialysis as I supported my mom through nearly 2 years of treatments, from doctor's appointments and lab tests to hospital admissions and providing palliative care.
Each person's response to dialysis is unique and can be unpredictable. Maintaining open communication with the medical team is crucial to ensure the best care. Don't hesitate to ask questions if you need clarification. Find out if your loved one's symptoms are related to the disease progression or if there are interventions available to help. Home dialysis closely mimics natural kidney function and is gentle on the heart, making it the preferred option. While there are risks of infections, the overall side effects tend to be fewer.
If your boyfriend could do everything possible to stay healthy—maintain a balanced diet, manage fluid intake, and diligently take medications, he still may face issues.
It's crucial to grasp that our natural kidneys work non-stop, 24 hours a day, unlike a dialysis machine, which attempts to replicate this function within a few hours. This puts tremendous strain on the body and can lead to complications.
Dialysis can take a toll on the heart, adding extra stress to the body even if you didn't have high blood pressure before. While it is a life-saving measure, dialysis comes with both benefits and unwanted side effects such as fluid overload, the risk of strokes, and heart attacks. It's important to remember that avoiding dialysis is not an option, but at this time, the only alternative is a kidney transplant and managing side effects while being on dialysis.
It's a tough road.
Please do take care of yourself too.
My prayers for you and your boyfriend