A different kind of dialysis

Peritoneal dialysis, or PD, is a different kind of dialysis that is much kinder to the body.

I have been on PD for seven months now, and feel closer to normal compared to when I was on hemodialysis or HD.

Most people I know are on HD. This is when the blood is filtered through a dialysis machine. Though I went through HD for eight months, I still could not wrap my head around how it cleanses one's blood. I was hooked up to the machine three times a week, four hours each time, as blood passed through the tubes to the machine and back to my body. Other than that, the machine filtered out excess body fluid to prevent it from being stored in the ankles and lungs causing breathing difficulties and congestion.

It's difficult to explain the effect of HD on the human body unless you go through it. Imagine how you are being dehydrated and weakened, how thirsty you are but you cannot drink a lot because your body cannot naturally filter fluids out. If you consider that you are being wrung like a garment to force liquid out, you can imagine how painful your muscles will feel. At the end of HD sessions, I often felt weak and tired, unable to sit up and perform my usual work. Sometimes, I had to use a wheelchair to get back to my car. There were times when all I could do was lie down, unable to think because of the strain and muscle pain. This was quite depressing for someone like me who did not want to depend on others.

Then I read and researched PD. I knew that my brother went through PD in the US for more than two years. I read everything I can and asked PD advocate nurses about it. I was impressed when I learned that PD is kinder to the body because it uses the peritoneal lining of the abdominal cavity to naturally filter out toxins and excess fluids. This is God's backup plan for the human body if the kidneys are no longer working.

There is no need for a machine, although there are machines known as "cyclers" that can be used to automatically perform PD at night.

PD is kinder to the body because the process is gentle. Unlike HD, there are no needles inserted into one's arm through a fistula. A dialysis fistula is a surgical procedure that connects an artery and a vein. On the other hand, PD takes place through a catheter that is surgically implanted into the abdomen. A cleansing fluid known as dialysate solution is infused into the abdomen and stays there for around four to five hours, drained and replaced with a new dialysate solution. This takes place about four times a day, for only half an hour each time. Because it is painless, one can go about one's work or business even during PD.

PD is something I have been doing on my own for seven months now. I don't depend on anyone else to do it for me. No blood is being drawn out, there are no needles. Moreover, it is covered by Philhealth for up to Php270,000 a year. That is way below the cost of HD which can range from Php2,500 to Php7,000 per session (Php30,000 to Php84,000 a month) depending on the dialysis center or hospital. Philhealth coverage for HD is up to 144 sessions a year at around Php2,600 per session, so you have to pay for the excess in hospitals or dialysis centers that charge more due to their facilities and provisions.

I haven't had any problem with PD and will encourage kidney patients to consider it. Doctors and caregivers seldom mention PD to their patients. Some nurses questioned the decision to go on PD by claiming that it causes infections, but that it is not so, and it is something that can be addressed.

The best advantage I have with PD is that it has given me back my independence and my life.

If you want to know more about the procedure, there are several reliable websites on the internet, including the National Kidney and Transplant Institute and Mayo Clinic.

To watch a video on PD and Philhealth z package, see this.

If you want to talk to a PD nurse advocate, I can connect you with one. Just DM me.

All the best!