I have dialysis down the road and have been doing a lot of research. We live on a hill with the dialysis center downhill and 10 miles away. In case of bad weather or traffic I could not be sure of making any kind of scheduled appointment. Also, if the power should go out I would have a problem. I see PD as my solution because, as I understand it, no electricity is involved, just gravity. A machine to take me through the night would be an option, not a requirement, as I understand it. Am I thinking correctly?
It’s terrific that you are thinking about what will fit your life and circumstances best, Bob. You make a good case that manual PD may make sense, given your location on a hill. PD tends to be a good first dialysis option anyway, because it is easy to learn, easy to do, and gentle. Our My Life, My Dialysis Choice decision aid may give you a bit more insight as well: http://www.mydialysischoice.org. What remains to be seen is whether you are physically a good candidate for PD, which your nephrologist can advise you about. And, you will need to have space to store the supplies, which seem to take up perhaps 60 cubic feet of space.
May I ask what makes a good candidate for PD? Thanks.
Ideally not having significant surgeries that would lead to things called “adhesions” could limit the effectivenes of PD - though it is not totally a contraindication to be on PD. Also having a home or apartment with room to store supplies helps. Otherwise its motivation and desire to be at home which makes a great candidate for PD.
The MATCH-D tool provides information about candidacy for HD and PD. You can download the two tools here. https://homedialysis.org/match-d
Not sure why anyone would pick manual PD AT ALL! It takes your life over, it’s a horrible pain in the arse. If you’re going to do PD at home get on the machine and only use manual when absolutely necessary. Wait until you go through the training, you will see what I mean.