Being on dialysis is a tough experience. If somebody you know and care about is on dialysis, here are some things they want you to know, based off a blog post I recently read:
You don’t understand what it’s like: You’ll never understand what it’s like to be on dialysis, but that’s okay. Somebody on dialysis will always appreciate the effort you make to understand their situation and cater to their needs.
They’ll be upset sometimes, but it isn’t about you: Even if somebody on dialysis is upset when you visit them, that doesn’t mean they want you to stop visiting them altogether. If they’re upset, it might have to do with any of the things that could make dialysis an unpleasant experience. Don’t take it personally, it has nothing to do with you, and it doesn’t mean you should stop visiting.
They’ll have to cancel plans a lot: Sometimes somebody on dialysis doesn’t feel like getting together because they’re sick or tired, it has nothing to do with you. Dialysis patients crave social interaction just as much as everybody else, and still want to do the same fun stuff they used to enjoy, but it might not always be possible. Related to the previous point, just because somebody on dialysis keeps canceling plans, it doesn’t mean that they don’t want to see you.
There’s no cure, just treatment: This is a hard thing for anybody to wrap their head around: there’s no cure for ESRD, simply treatment. If they stop getting treatment, they’ll die. This is a scary thing for somebody on dialysis to live with: every day they need to make the conscious decision to live.
They’re probably bitter: Kidney failure isn’t fun. Interminable hours spent on dialysis, keeping track of everything you eat and drink, massive needles and constant doctors appointments take their toll. It can be hard to handle.
They’ll pretend things are better than they actually are: When somebody on dialysis says they’re “okay”, there’s a chance they are some things they’d rather not discuss. There’s always something going on with a dialysis patient, though they might not think you need to worry about everything.
