I have been on hemodyalisis for 3 years now. I had a transplant in 1986 but had to go back on dialysis in 1998. I am not being considered for a transplant due to some liver damage. I am considering going on PD, in order to get some of my life back and possibly be able to do some traveling. I have been doing some research but wanted to get some actual responses from patients who are on pd. Do you recommend it? What are some of the downfalls? Do you prefer pd to hemodyalisis?

Dear Mick:
You are wise to consider all of your treatment options. In a recent study of over 11,000 pre-ESRD patients, when provided with unbiased education, 50% chose PD. This data is consistent throughout various ages, races or ethnic groups. The majority of patients on PD state they are satisfied with their modality choice. As a matter of fact, the National Kidney Foundation found PD patients are more satisfied with their treatment than HD patients, and had better relationships with their physicians. The literature indicates, patients prefer PD because they are more satisfied with their lifestyles, i.e. they are less inconvenienced by diet and fluid restrictions; they find it easier to travel; they have higher levels of employment; they appreciate the fact that PD is needleless; and they are more involved in their communities. I would strongly suggest you discuss this with your healthcare team. If you require any additional information, feel free to post another message.

I had my PD catheter put in last week. I should be able to start using it by mid to late July. I am very excited about it and am confident that I have made the right choice. Althouhg I am still having a lot of discomfort from the surgery, it has gotten a lot better. I will not miss the needles or the long hours at the center. I will definitely not miss feeling like crap on the day after dialysis.

I cannot recomend PD strongly enough. I
was on Hemo for about 4 months before
changing to PD. It is painless, and fast,
and clinic trips are only needed once a
month. I exchange 4 times each day, and
it may seem a bit of a nuisance, but it
beats walking out of the hemo clinic totally
spaced and nauseous and sick as a dog after
hemo.

Andy,

I have been on PD since August and I love it. I do one exchange during the day, one at 6pm and then I hook up to a Cycler when I go to bed. While I am sleeping, the cycler does 3 more exchanges. It has enables me to greatly improve the quality of my life.