Paying for Dialysis
Immediately you will have to find a way to pay for your dialysis. First, if you have health insurance, phone your provider and inquire, if they will cover your dialysis therapy. If they will, you are indeed fortunate, because the financial burden of dialysis is great. If not, contact Medicare. They have made a special provision for people of any age that need dialysis to buy Medicare Part B for a little over a hundred dollars a month. As long as you are on dialysis you can get this insurance for a low price.
Two Kinds of Dialysis
If your kidneys fail, you need help immediately. You must be dialyzed to remove the toxins from your body that your kidneys can no longer eliminate. You must decide at the beginning of your treatment whether you want hemodialysis or peritoneal. You and your nephrologist will make the decision together. You need basic information in order to decide which option is the best for you.
Hemodialysis
Hemodialysis is a process whereby your body is cleansed of the toxins by removing them from your blood. Your surgeon will make a fistula in your arm, making it possible for you to connect to a dialysis machine that will filter your blood, cleanse it, and return it to you. For at least seven weeks, all dialysis patients will have hemodialysis. You will go to a dialysis center three times a week for three or four hours each time for your therapy. You will be advised to bring with you a blanket and some snacks. Dialysis centers are placed in convenient locations, and there is probably one near you, if you live in a metropolitan area.
As to advantages of hemodialysis, the technicians at the dialysis center will handle the entire therapy, while you relax in a reclining lounge chair. The main disadvantage is the length of time you will have to spend going to and from the center and the hours you will have to spend there. Also because people who are ill go to the centers, it is possible to contract some infection or disease in one of them.
Peritoneal Dialysis
If your doctor believes you are a good candidate for peritoneal dialysis, your surgeon will insert into your abdomen a catheter that will make it possible for you to connect to the dialysis machine in order to introduce a glucose solution into your abdomen. There is a membrane surrounding your abdominal organs. The glucose solution filters through this membrane and removes the toxins that have accumulated. Peritoneal dialysis does not work with blood at all.
The main advantage of peritoneal dialysis is that you can have your therapy in your own bed, while you are asleep at night. It takes approximately eight hours from the time you are connected to the dialysis machine until the end of therapy. You will have your days free to do as you please. Peritoneal dialysis is much gentler on the body that hemodialysis. It will permit you to continue your life with little inconvenience.
Even if you opt for peritoneal therapy, you will spend the first seven or eight weeks on hemodialysis, because it takes that long for the catheter installation in your abdomen to heal.
For this reason, when the surgeon inserts your peritoneal catheter, he will also place a second catheter in the upper part of your chest that will run up into your neck. You will use this catheter and hemodialysis until your abdomen is healed sufficiently for peritoneal dialysis, and then it will be removed.
As to disadvantages, the patient carries out the therapy by himself. Some people find it too difficult to connect themselves to the dialysis machine. Also if you are not careful, you can get an infection in your body that is known as peritonitis. It can be cured with an antibiotic.
Your Decision
If your kidneys fail, you can rest assured that you can get Medicare Part B to pay for it. You will have to choose which type of dialysis you want to have. You will make the decision with your kidney specialist. If he thinks you can handle peritoneal dialysis, go for it. Your days will be free. This would be especially important if you have employment.
For Further Reading
Medicare.gov., "Medicare's Coverage of Dialysis and Kidney Transplant Benefits: Getting Started."
Medicinenet.com, "Dialysis."
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