A Healthy Person on Dialysis
© 1997 Andrew Lundin, M.D. All rights reserved.
Reproduced with permission.
- A healthy person on dialysis should be able to do many
or the things
- they planned to do before becoming sick. Being an astronaut
may not be
- in the cards, however. With age and other limiting conditions,
more
- vigorous activities will have to be curtailed. There
is no question that
- one's stamina and strength are lessened with renal failure
and dialysis
- so that a degree of acceptance of these limitations helps.
But
- conditioning can help and exercise is encouraged. Laying
around, feeling
- sorry, maybe necessary for a time, but only makes the
problem worse if
- not overcome. I finished college at Stanford University
in California
- and went to medical school as a dialysis patient, dialyzing
14 hours
- overnight, three times per week. When an intern and resident
I worked in
- a city hospital in Brooklyn, NY, and for several nights,
dialyzed every
- other night when I wasn't oncall for 36 hrs. I write
this reluctantly,
- not to brag or seem heroic. it was just what I needed
to do to reach my
- goal of becoming a doctor. We are not heroes, we are
survivors and just
- need others to help or get out of the way so we can make
it.
-
- The dialysis world is full of achievers who encourage
me by their
- successes. Perhaps some of them can tell us what they
have done despite
- dialysis.
-
-
- Peter Lundin, MD
Remember, this information is for education purposes only.
Please consult your own physician for specific treatment recommendations.
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