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Old 02-12-2007, 01:25 PM   #1
kate26444
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Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: MI
Posts: 74
Help! My Dad is Quitting Dialysis!

After a year of kidney dialysis, my Dad has made up his mind of quit dialysis. He is 78 years old, diabetic, heart disease, etc. poor health, and when he started dialysis had 15% kidney function.

We' ve done research to see what will happen when he stops and it's really frightening. He could die within 2 days to 2 weeks. He doesn't care...he says he's ready to die. The dialysis is so horrible he can't go through it for very much longer. We have convinced him to keep up with dialysis until after surgery...he's having a toe removed.

Our question is... could he still have 15% kidney function once he stops or will he have nothing after relying on dialysis for this long? He won't let us say anything to his doctors yet so we have questions that we just can't find answers to. Hopefully someone out there has gone through the same thing or has an answer for us.

He thinks his kidneys will function just fine and he'll live for another year. He has all the symptoms of late stage renal failure. He's sleeping all day, he has no appetite and throws up 90% of the time during dialysis and after meals, he has started to hallucinate, he has dementia, he's depressed and feels sick most of the time.

We are so worried over what might happen. We also realize that it is his life and his decision to make about the rest of his life. It's up to him what he wants to do and we want to support him in whatever decision he makes.

Has anyone else gone through this with a loved one? Could his kidney function come back to 15% or more? or not at all? Anything you can suggest would be greatly appreciated. Thank you- Kate
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Old 02-13-2007, 09:14 AM   #2
deedee1313
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Re: Help! My Dad is Quitting Dialysis!

My husband was on dialysis for 2 years.He was at 4%.Dialysis doesn't fix the problem.It only takes over because the kidneys don't work anymore.My husband talked about quitting many times.He was miserable most of the time.He too was always throwing up.He would come home from dialysis and sleep for hours.He had no life.From what I understand about quitting,you can last for quite a while if you watch your diet.The worst is the liquids because without dialysis removing them you can go into congestive heart failure rather quickly.I guess that is the most uncomfortable way.Because of his immune system being so low due to the kidney failure my husband got an infection and died last Oct.I would not want to go through what he did.Only someone who has went through this can understand how it feels.If your father truly wants to quit all you can do is support him.I talked my husband out of it several times and I wish I hadn't.It's never going to be easy but you will get through it.I did.
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Old 02-13-2007, 03:23 PM   #3
kate26444
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Location: MI
Posts: 74
Re: Help! My Dad is Quitting Dialysis!

I'm so sorry to hear about your husband. My Dad's life is so miserable he just doesn't feel it's worth living. Only they can make that decision. Would you mind telling me how long your husband lived after quitting dialysis? I know every case is different and I appreciate your response to my questions. Take care and may God bless you. Kate
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Old 02-14-2007, 11:28 AM   #4
deedee1313
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Posts: 89
Re: Help! My Dad is Quitting Dialysis!

I'm sorry,I should have went into a little more detail.He didn't quit dialysis.I wish he had.Because of his immune system he got an infection.The infection went septic and caused him to have a heart attack and then he died.The doctor insisted on finishing his dialysis treatment before he recieved antibiotics.They couldn't be done together.Because of the delay in receiving antibiotics the infection went septic.The reason I am telling you this is because if he desides not to quit and this ever happens to him,insist on the antibiotics first.My husband suffered more in 2 days then he did during the 2 years he was on dialysis.Never accept everything the doctors tell you on blind faith.Get all the information you can about every decision that needs to be made.I wish I had.If I had insisted on the antibiotics first then my husband might still be here. He was only 53 and way to young to die.I'm sorry for going on about this,but everytime I get started on this it makes me mad and I have to vent some more.I wish you all the best.
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Old 03-26-2007, 06:14 PM   #5
unclecharlie
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Re: Help! My Dad is Quitting Dialysis!

Is there any way for him to get a transplant?
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