Home dialysis question

[Yojimboken]

Has anyone had experience with both home hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis? If so, what were the pros and cons for each.

[Meesh17]

My husband and I have done both. Pros and cons to each. Twice we had to stop PD due to infection even though we were religious about technique. We were able to travel more easily with PD because we could just bring what we needed and the heavier supplies were delivered to our vacation destination. He could be a more active participant in his care with PD.Home Hemodialysis got him much “ cleaner” and feeling much better. We easily worked it into our routine. The cons....the caregiver ( me) carries more of the responsibility and there is a greater chance of BP bottoming out, etc but these things can be dealt with. One con is that when traveling upfront plans require more scheduling. I could have taken the machine with us, as some people do, but it was too heavy for me to schlep around. So, we would do in center treatments when away from home and that involves hoops to jump through. If I had to do it all over again I would go with home hemodialysis because it kept him on an even keel for longer and became routine very quickly. I hope this helps 😀

[KidneyCoach NKF Ambassador in reply to Meesh17]

I have also done both and agree with previous poster on all accounts. Home Dialysis for 20 years. Blessings

[Aloha49]

When you give pros and cons to dialysis, I am considering PD as HD means you need someone at home to help. I live alone and have no one to help. So, PD is the only choice. Especially if I am fearful of 2 needle pokes 3 times a week at a center. My brother worries that hooking up at home by myself will be too difficult for me. My clinic told me that Medicare will pay for a person to come out nightly for 3 mos to watch me hook up to make sure I am doing it right. That would help a lot. I am scared. I am very slowly able at times to move through the fear. And my faith carries me many times. Comments are welcome. Thank you, BB

[PD-Texas in reply to Aloha49]

Hi Aloha49, If you have a nurse assigned to you at your clinic, they may be able to help address your worries. That's who was the biggest help to my dad for everyday questions like yours. He had that nightly support from Medicare and they helped him become a pro at hooking himself up at night. It's a complicated process, especially at first, but repetition and lots of lists to double-check yourself make it possible.

[Darlenia]

Good question. It really depends on your choice of nephrologist and the centers that he/she is affiliated with. Not all centers offer all forms of dialysis; our nephrologist only affiliated with two centers with varying capabilities and driving distances. Then, equally important, are your future plans. If you're interested in a transplant, our transplant center preferred candidates to be on PD, not HD. PD uses the peritoneum to clean your body of toxins whereas HD works with your blood - not working with blood blood lessens the chance for calcification in the vessels necessary for transplant. Another factor to consider is your support system. HD requires an caregiver or assistant (a few can handle it by themselves) whereas PD can be done alone. Here's a wonderful site which can help you make your decision: lifeoptions.org/living-with.... In our situation, we chose PD - my husband wanted a transplant. We scrupulously followed sanitation protocols and never contracted infections. He received a transplant exactly a year later at age 71. Looking back, we're very happy with our outcomes; he's doing amazingly well today. We wish to extend hope to those who are senior citizens - some transplant centers do indeed offer kidneys (generally "reclaimed" kidneys with conditions) to older folks who meet their criteria. Trust in yourself and your thought process; we're sure you'll make a great decision that works well for you!

[Tissybell in reply to Darlenia]

That is good info, esp. the Transplant preference for PD.

[PD-Texas]

Hi Yojimboken,My dad was about your age when he started PD. Wouldn't even consider hemodialysis. From what I saw, PD worked better for him because he didn't want to go into the clinic multiple times a week (had seen how that worked for friends and didn't like what he saw). As other have said here, he was only able to do it because my mom was able to help. It's a huge amount of work for the helper. He was able to hook up himself without any trouble until he had a stroke. And even then he could still follow all the many steps that are required, he just needed to be supervised more closely. Another tidbit: PD is much more common in other countries largely because it gives people better quality of life and more years. My dad's nephrologist told him it's the only kind of dialysis he'd consider for himself or a loved one. Best of luck with your decision!

[Tissybell]

Good to know. Thanks.