Don Wagstaff of McKinney, TX, is 80 years old. When he found out his kidneys were failing, he chose to do peritoneal dialysis (PD) because he didn’t want to go to a dialysis center three times a week. He currently does PD for 8 to 10 hours a night using a cycler, and he enjoys the freedom it gives him during his day.

“We go out to lunch. We go out to dinner,” Don’s wife, Sue, said. “He can do the normal activities, vacuum, mow the yard.”

I say, if you ladies can find a man who vacuums and mows the yard, you’ve found a keeper! I also say that if Don can learn to do PD at the age of 80, it’s worth a try at any age!

Read Don’s story.

Visit www.davita.com/home for more information about home dialysis.

Those of you who are lucky enough to have an extra, unused room in your home can certainly take that room and turn it into your home dialysis haven, if you’d like. However, you don’t have to set aside an entire room in your home to do your home dialysis treatments.

If you choose to do peritoneal dialysis (PD), you can do your exchanges anywhere, as long as the equipment is sterile and the surrounding environment is clean. For example, you could do your exchanges sitting in a chair at your kitchen table or in a chair in front of the television. If you do PD at night using a cycler, you can simply place your cycler on your nightstand. If you choose to do home hemodialysis (HHD), you can do your treatments in your favorite recliner or in your bed.

If your home doesn’t have any extra, unused rooms, don’t worry. You can fit your home dialysis treatments into your current home with no problems.

Visit www.davita.com/home for more information about home dialysis.

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Temeka Holliam is a working mom who has been on home hemodialysis for four months. Since she made the switch to HHD, Temeka has seen her energy level increase greatly, giving her energy to spend time with her son and work full time. This is her story.

I have been on home hemodialysis for four months now, and my, how my life has changed. The biggest and most noticeable difference is that I have more (lots) of energy. It is amazing to hear my family, friends and co-workers tell me how much energy they have noticed that I have now. Speaking of co-workers, I am no longer leaving work at 2:00 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays to go to the center. Therefore, my work production has increased, and I am readily available for my staff.

During the first week or so of my starting home hemodialysis, I was able to dose down and finally be taken completely off my high blood pressure medications. I was very excited about that, and to this date, I am still not taking any blood pressure medications. My blood pressure has been at a good rate.

The most important advantage of home hemodialysis for me is that I am able to spend time with my son without being tired. I am able to attend his sports activities, attend PTSA meetings, conferences, etc. His high school years will not pass me by because I am too tired to participate.

I would recommend home hemodialysis for anyone who wants to have an active life. Home hemodialysis is private and personal. And it puts you in control of your health needs.

For more information about home hemodialysis, visit www.davita.com/home.

Many things in life may seem like too much trouble. It may seem like too much trouble to move closer to your family. It may seem like too much trouble to reconnect with old friends. It may seem like too much trouble to date. It may also seem like too much trouble to switch from in-center to home hemodialysis.

However, often it’s the things that seem like too much trouble that yield the greatest rewards when they are done. How will you ever meet the man or woman of your dreams if you don’t date? And how will you ever experience the freedom and health that you long for if you don’t give home hemodialysis a try?

Transitioning from in-center to home hemodialysis is not hard and can be done in four to eight weeks, depending on how fast you learn–a short period of time to devote in order to experience the many benefits of home dialysis.

If you and your doctor decide that home dialysis is right for you, you will choose a care partner who will go through the training with you and assist you with the home dialysis treatments. You and your care partner will go to a local dialysis center for training. When you have completed your training, your training nurse will go to your house to oversee your first  home dialysis session.

You will also keep the same nephrologist, and you will have monthly in-center visits with your care team. With the new home dialysis equipment on the market, you will probably not need to make any plumbing or electrical modifications to your home. If you do, your health care team will help you arrange for this.

The point is, it’s not hard to switch from in-center to home hemodialysis, and it doesn’t take too long. Stop making excuses, and talk to your doctor about it.

Visit www.davita.com/home for more information on home hemodialysis.