Help, I Need Dialysis!
How to have a good future with kidney disease
A Book for People with Stage 3–5 CKD
Each year, more than 100,000 Americans start dialysis. Complete, accurate information about ALL dialysis options has been hard to find…until now. Anyone facing the life-changing decisions that come with kidney failure simply must read Help! I Need Dialysis. It's information could add years and quality to their lives. About the authors. Two credible, renowned authors who are passionate about better treatments have collaborated on this book. Together they tell the full story. Dori Schatell, MS — Executive Director of the non-pro!t Medical Education Institute. Ms. Schatell has 23 years of experience specializing in evidence-based and empowering patient education. She has written hundreds of educational pieces, conducted research and published peer-reviewed articles in nephrology, and launched several award-winning websites including Kidney School and Home Dialysis Central.
John Agar, MD — Emeritus Director of Nephrology and Chief of Service (Medicine) at Barwon
Health in Geelong, Australia. Areas of interest include extended-hour and frequency hemodialysis, and optimal dialysis. He is Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine, University of
Melbourne, has published widely, and runs the popular site: NocturnalDialysis.org.
About the Medical Education Institute, Inc. "The non-profit Medical Education Institute, which was founded in 1992, serves the mission of helping people with chronic disease learn to manage and improve their health. Our vision is to create a world where people with chronic kidney disease are knowledgeable, active partners in their medical care, using treatment options that allow them to live full, productive lives. Our programs include Kidney School (www.kidneyschool.org), Home Dialysis Central (www.homedialysis.org), and Life Options (www.lifeoptions.org). Our support comes from educational grants, government contracts, project fees, sponsorships from corporations, and individual donations.
Foreward from book:
Being diagnosed with chronic kidney disease and needing dialysis is scary. You are undoubtedly afraid and probably feel totally overwhelmed. You have dozens of questions, but may not know where to !nd answers. Most of all, you wonder if life will ever be the same again. Although life on dialysis may be di"erent, it can still be very, very good. Thsis book will help you !t dialysis into your lifestyle and live life on your own terms. It will arm you with the knowledge you need to understand the many di"erent facets of dialysis care and to maintain your quality of life.
Knowledge is power—the power to make the best choices, to take control of your health, and to be an equal partner on your health team. After all, we are a society of “take charge” people. We love to be the one to “call the shots.” Yet we are often hesitant to transfer that assertive “can-do” attitude to the seemingly mysterious area of health care.
The contents of this book will help you and your care partner do just that. that’s not to minimize the adjustments. Anything new can be daunting. think about learning to drive as a teenager. You might have been nervous about negotiating traffic and worried about fender benders, but by taking it “step by step” you became a con!dent, competent driver. Believe me; it’s not any different with dialysis!
Will there be bumps in the road? Absolutely. Will it always be easy? Of course not. However, consider this simple truism: most things in life are not without their unique challenges. I assure you that your life can be as good and as ful!lling as before, maybe even more so!
You may be thinking “who is she to tell us that a good life can coexist with dialysis”? I do speak from a certain amount of experience—besides being a nurse, my late husband was on home hemodialysis for 25 years. During the entire time, he worked 50-60 hours per week, played golf, and volunteered in our community. Together we traveled, renovated an old house and raised our son. You too can still have a busy, satisfying life. Thee authors begin with the basics and gradually strip away the complexities of dialysis by presenting concepts in a straightforward, understandable way. The book is divided into easily readable chapters, each on a speci!c aspect of dialysis in a stand alone format for quick reference. Topics run the entire gamut from the role of the kidneys to the process of dialysis to questions about intimacy…and everything in between. Interspersed in the chapters are stories of real people on dialysis, those whose lives are immensely rewarding and personally satisfying.
Ms. Schatell and Dr. Agar bring literally decades of experience and expertise in the kidney community to the writing of this excellent book. Both authors are so in tune with those on dialysis that I have often accused them of being “patients in disguise.”
A final cautionary word: Being on dialysis won’t automatically elevate you or your care partner to a state of instant perfection. You carry your former self into this new chapter of your life. You are the same person with the same hopes, dreams and goals as before and being able to pursue those goals is as important now as it ever was. this book will help you do that.
The authors say it best: this book’s goal is “to demystify kidneys and dialysis and to help you take charge of your health care.” they have succeeded admirably.
Denise Eilers, RN, BSN
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