Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
My mom went into acute kidney failure last yr after going on the antibiotic Bactrim. She was in the hospital for a month and did 7 dialysis treatments. When she got the permacath put in, for unknown reasons (her heart was in great shape, according to drs after ecg), she went into A fib for about 3 hrs.
The next morning, she was unresponsive for about 8 hrs. Took her home into hospice after drs told me they didnt know if she would survive another dialysis, since they didnt knowcwhy she went into A fib/unresponsive.
She came home, and was lucid and alert until 3 days before she died. She died, 12 days after her last dialysis. It was peaceful.
Most people live a couple of weeks after quitting dialysis.
Thanks everyone. I'm going to let my mom know this...she'll feel better about letting my dad make this decision.
How old is your dad? How long has he been on dialysis? How do you feel about your fathers decision?
I have a good friend (in her 50's) that was on dialysis over 10 years, she finally got a new kidney almost 2 years ago. There were 4 times when she thought they found her a kidney but they weren't usable for one reason or another once they were harvested. Unfortunately she now has heart issues from being on dialysis that long.
How old is your dad? How long has he been on dialysis? How do you feel about your fathers decision?
I have a good friend (in her 50's) that was on dialysis over 10 years, she finally got a new kidney almost 2 years ago. There were 4 times when she thought they found her a kidney but they weren't usable for one reason or another once they were harvested. Unfortunately she now has heart issues from being on dialysis that long.
Yes, heart and kidney issues often go hand in hand. My mother has polycystic kidney disease, a genetic condition in which one is born with microscopic cysts on the kidneys that begin to grow and take over the healthy kidney tissue, usually in your forties. You can live with it by watching diet and controlling the high blood pressure it causes, but little by little the kidney function goes down. Several of my siblings have it (there's a 50-50 chance of inheriting PKD from a parent).
When she was 86, the doctor told her to expect that she would be in kidney failure by the end of the year and had a fistula put into her arm in anticipation of dialysis. The fistula needs about two months to be ready, but right after she had it put in her arm, she began to feel extremely weak and tired. Finally after about three weeks, she felt so awful that my sister took her to the ER. We thought she was in kidney failure. Instead, it was heart failure.
She had a quad bypass and started dialysis while she was in the hospital. It's been four years, and she did very well with both recovery from the by pass and managing dialysis three times a week. Most days she drives herself to and from the dialysis center. I notice, however, that over the past six months she has been weakening. Gets tired more often, has more trouble getting out of her chair.
Dialysis is really quite an amazing thing, though.
How old is your dad? How long has he been on dialysis? How do you feel about your fathers decision?
I have a good friend (in her 50's) that was on dialysis over 10 years, she finally got a new kidney almost 2 years ago. There were 4 times when she thought they found her a kidney but they weren't usable for one reason or another once they were harvested. Unfortunately she now has heart issues from being on dialysis that long.
He will be 93 this year. He’s been on it for at least a year...maybe 2 years even. I really can’t remember. Both my parents started dialysis within a couple of months of each other.
He hates it...but he hates everything now and says he hurts all the time...he’s miserable. It will be much easier on my mom with him gone, emotionally, but financially it will leave her in a very bad way. They basically live off of their SS and his pension. That is what worries me the most about it, but I know it’s terrible to say that.
I’m a dialysis nurse- Just speaking statistics, if you’ve been on dialysis for more than six months, quitting usually results in death in just a couple of weeks - often just a few days. Patients who make the choice not to start dialysis, or who only undergo treatments for a short time sometimes live much longer - sometimes a year or more. It depends on how much kidney function is remaining- (the qualifier for end stage renal disease is a “gfr” of 15).
Some docs start patients on dialysis at a gfr of closer to 20, and those patients could possibly live much longer without treatment.
Uremia, fluid overload (causing hypoxia) and chemical imbalances - (things like K+ (potassium) and calcium levels causing arrhythmias) would be the actual cause of death.
If withdrawing treatment is on the table, a frank and unfiltered conversation with the full family and the Doc is definitely warranted - including discussion about hospice and DNR orders. Anyone involved in the care of the patient needs a copy of those orders. If the primary caregiver is out of touch & another family member calls 911, they’ll have to do cpr unless they have a properly executed dnr order presented to them.
I only point that last part out because at my clinic we had a couple of patients recently who had opted to continue dialysis, but who had orders signed with their care facilities specifying no CPR. If they had arrested during treatment, without having the orders at our clinic- we would have had to initiate CPR & call 911 - even with a “DNR” wristband. These are awful, awkward conversations- but they’re also completely necessary to ensure that your father’s wishes are carried out.
They both have DNRs, so I don’t think that is an issue.
They are going to speak with their kidney doctor on Thursday to discuss this.
If he elects this, he’ll have to be in hospice at the hospital. There is no full time caregiver and my mom is not able to handle that. I know he would want to stay at home...but that won’t be possible.
They both have DNRs, so I don’t think that is an issue.
They are going to speak with their kidney doctor on Thursday to discuss this.
If he elects this, he’ll have to be in hospice at the hospital. There is no full time caregiver and my mom is not able to handle that. I know he would want to stay at home...but that won’t be possible.
The clinic that he goes to for dialysis will have a social worker that can probably help arrange and coordinate things for you - including the family meeting & the meeting with the doc. Personally, I’d want a social worker there to mediate and make sure that no one gets steamrolled by aggressive family members or a doc stuck on continuing treatment.
The clinic that he goes to for dialysis will have a social worker that can probably help arrange and coordinate things for you - including the family meeting & the meeting with the doc. Personally, I’d want a social worker there to mediate and make sure that no one gets steamrolled by aggressive family members or a doc stuck on continuing treatment.
Yes, they told her when she set up the appt for Thursday that they coordinate all that. There are no other family members to worry about. My brother and sister are several states away, but would be completely agreeable.
They both have DNRs, so I don’t think that is an issue.
They are going to speak with their kidney doctor on Thursday to discuss this.
If he elects this, he’ll have to be in hospice at the hospital. There is no full time caregiver and my mom is not able to handle that. I know he would want to stay at home...but that won’t be possible.
If there is any way for one of you kids to take a couple of weeks off (or each do 5 days) and have him go home into hospice, and you stay with him, it might be very worthwhile to consider. Hospice will provide nurses to come in and make sure he has pain relief and teach you how to make him comfortable. They have aides that will help bathe him. They provide hospital beds, oxygen, drugs, hygeine essentials etc. But your dad would probably be much more comfortable at home. We are only talking about a couple of weeks at most.
When you and your siblings look back at things later on, you would probably be glad you did that for him. I know not everyone can, but if there is a way to make that sacrifice for a couple of weeks, you won't regret it.
No matter how nice the hospice facility, it isnt "home".
If there is any way for one of you kids to take a couple of weeks off (or each do 5 days) and have him go home into hospice, and you stay with him, it might be very worthwhile to consider. Hospice will provide nurses to come in and make sure he has pain relief and teach you how to make him comfortable. They have aides that will help bathe him. They provide hospital beds, oxygen, drugs, hygeine essentials etc. But your dad would probably be much more comfortable at home. We are only talking about a couple of weeks at most.
When you and your siblings look back at things later on, you would probably be glad you did that for him. I know not everyone can, but if there is a way to make that sacrifice for a couple of weeks, you won't regret it.
No matter how nice the hospice facility, it isnt "home".
I would not be able to do that. If my siblings wanted to, that would be up to them. But I doubt they would be able to take off that kind of time to be honest. I think for our situation, the hospital would be best, but I understand what you are saying. And honestly, my mom would just not be able to handle that, emotionally.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
