Patient Stories: Gloria Allard
As a new CAPD patient, Gloria Allard vividly remembers all the details about choosing, training for, and starting peritoneal dialysis. After 3 months on the therapy, she is still getting used to her dialysis routine, but she feels good and is "getting back to normal."
Choosing PD
Gloria was faced with choosing a dialysis modality when her transplant failed in March, 2004. "I'd had my brother's kidney for 6 years," says Gloria, "but for some reason it was scarring." Then, Gloria got pneumonia. "I was in the hospital getting sicker and sicker," she says. "I needed to start dialysis."
With little time to prepare, Gloria started on hemodialysis in the hospital, using an intrajugular (IJ) catheter for access. She knew she didn't want to continue with hemodialysis, however. She started to consider her options.
Because Gloria hopes to get another transplant soon, she talked to her transplant surgeon about what to do. "I didn't want to have surgery to create a fistula for hemodialysis," she says, although she did get vein mapping done just in case. Meanwhile, she started to think about peritoneal dialysis (PD). She liked what she learned. "PD is gentler on the body," Gloria says. The flexibility of timing the treatments also appealed to her. "You can fit it into your schedule," she says.
Her biggest concern was the possibility of infection. "I didn't want to get a serious infection that would rule out a transplant in the future," she says. After her dialysis team assured her that good technique during treatments and careful monitoring would reduce her chances of getting a serious infection, Gloria decided to rely on PD while she waits for a new transplant.
Getting started
Gloria had a PD catheter placed soon after she was released from the hospital. Three weeks later, the catheter was healed and ready to use for dialysis. And, Gloria was ready to begin training.
It took 3 full days (8 am-3:30 pm) of one-on-one training to prepare Gloria to do PD treatments on her own. "The staff were really nice, really helpful," says Gloria. Even so, she found the training challenging. "I wasn't feeling very well," explains Gloria, "and it was hard for me to think and to remember things."
Now, of course, she easily handles 4 exchanges a day and thinks the procedure is "really quite simple." "I think anyone who wants to do PD could learn how," she says.
Settling in
Gloria and her family are getting comfortable with fitting PD into their lives. Gloria does her exchanges at 6 am, noon, 5pm, and 9pm, but she can adjust the times to fit her schedule.
Although she is not employed, Gloria keeps busy at home and driving her 12-year-old son to and from school, events, and lessons. "PD is a good choice for people who have active, busier lifestyles," she says. "It's flexible."
Supply delivery has been easy to schedule. "Baxter gives me the day and a 3-hour window," she says. She stores the boxes of supplies in the garage, and her husband and son help her move boxes in as she needs them. For vacation, Gloria made arrangements to have her supplies delivered to her hotel.
According to Gloria, PD is great choice for people who want to take care of themselves. "The responsibility is on you," she says. "You have to do the treatments, take your temperature and blood pressure, weigh yourself, go in for doctor appointments." She knows that she can rely on the PD staff at Northwest Kidney Centers for support, "but it's really up to you," says Gloria.
These days Gloria is feeling good, planning a trip, and keeping her fingers crossed that her kidney transplant will come through. Although waiting is hard, "I'm thankful I have the option to do PD," says Gloria.