…itched and/or flaked from my scalp to my feet. My legs and feet would expand between treatments due to the fluids retained in my body. To this day, I break out in dry patches, or in pimples on my face and back. These changes are hard to look at in the mirror every day. They can make patients feel ugly and not want to be seen by others, increasing their isolation.
READ: 4 Steps To Clean Your Kidneys
Many patients, myself included, experience extreme fatigue and a sense of confusion or forgetfulness. We nickname this “Kidney Brain”—you feel “fuzzy” or have problems remembering things or find yourself losing your place in thought. I have heard patients say they feel this sense of “fuzziness” is often at its worst right after their dialysis treatments.
This is not an easy topic to write about but it’s something that we need to bring into the open.
We need dialysis care teams to have this conversation with patients not once, not twice, but ongoing. I believe we need more collaboration between the mental health community and the renal community so that caregivers can help identify patients who are isolated or may be depressed. In an ideal world, dialysis centers would have a mental health professional—a psychologist, therapist or some form of counselor—on staff or at least affiliated with the center. Since patients are at treatment so often it would be convenient if there were a mental health professional available for them on-site.
I am doing my part to help patients in my community reduce isolation by creating opportunities to meet others facing similar challenges for socialization, fun and recreation through a small nonprofit, For Kidney’s Sake. I don’t think the only time a patient goes out of her house should be to go to the doctor’s office or dialysis. I don’t think a patient should be embarrassed by how he looks. I am convinced that the lives of dialysis patients can be improved dramatically by creating these kinds of connections.
READ: 9 Ways To Take Better Care Of Your Kidneys
This issue should become a national movement. If we talk about it, we can improve it. We can improve the lives of dialysis patients, one day at a time!