Kidney
Grateful for my kidney
Updated January 30, 2023
in Kidney
as someone living w ckd and having had a kidney transplant 14 years ago I still fear dialysis more than death itself. This article describes it - has anyone got different feelings about dialysis?
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This is a very visceral piece for sure. I am part of a facebook group called "LIVING on Dialysis" and there are so many people on dialysis in the group that have helped my fear of dialysis. I had a preemptive kidney transplant too. The people on the FB advocate for at-home dialysis. They are very proactive in advocating for themselves. Many of them travel and still go all over the world while on dialysis. Many of them travel in RVs and one even does dialysis while camping or from a motorcycle. It's completely transformed the way that I see dialysis. They don't sugarcoat it, but they do show it's possible to live while on dialysis. Some are on the transplant list and others are ineligible for a transplant, so they've chosen a new way to look at their lives while incorporating dialysis.
I am proud of Selena for talking about her reality, but I think she wrote it more for people to understand what she experienced who are unfamiliar with dialysis.
But for me, I focus on things that don't freak me out and cause more fear because it's shown to have negative affects on your physical body when you stay in a prolonged state of fear without reprieve. So, if this helps you to go out and do something great, but if reading accounts about dialysis like this freaks you out, I'd focus on more positive stories, because they are out there!
Transplant Patient
Thank you @Shelbycreates i actually didn’t listen to the Selena video - only read the piece written about the feeling of being “chained”. I do think it is important to be real about your feelings and not alway try to escape to another place when things are tough. For me that has helped me fight during times when I was not supposed to survive or at least get through hurdles without taking a break. Everyone deal w adversity in their own way. Someone I used to live always said “I take adversity with good humor” and that worked for him / maybe not for me!