What Dialysis Really Looks Like for Me
People often assume dialysis is simple — like getting an oil change. You walk in, sit for a bit, and walk out fixed. I wish it worked that way. Dialysis isn’t a quick appointment. It’s a lifestyle… and not a fun one.
One of the hardest parts is the food and fluid restrictions. I’m limited to 36 ounces of fluid a day, and that number includes more than most people realize. Fluid isn’t just drinks — it’s anything that melts, softens, or turns into liquid in your body:
– Ice cream
– Jell‑O
– Soups and broths
– Sauces and gravies
– Popsicles
– Even the ice in a cup
And then there are the foods I can’t eat because of potassium, phosphorus, sodium, or fluid retention. These aren’t preferences — they’re medical limits. Some of the biggest “no” foods for dialysis patients include:
– Bananas, oranges, tomatoes, potatoes
– Avocados
– Dairy like milk, cheese, and yogurt
– Nuts and seeds
– Beans and lentils
– Dark sodas
– Processed or salty foods
– Chocolate
– High‑phosphorus whole grains
Every meal becomes a calculation. Every sip becomes a choice.
But the part people understand the least is this: I do all of this while working a full‑time job.
Dialysis doesn’t pause for meetings.
It doesn’t care about deadlines.
It doesn’t wait for a slow week.
When you’re doing home dialysis, you’re not just the patient — you become the machine operator, the nurse, and the technician. Before and after work, you’re:
– Setting up the machine
– Checking lines, needles, and connections
– Monitoring pressures and alarms
– Keeping everything sterile
– Breaking down and disinfecting the equipment afterward
It’s hours of work wrapped around a full workday.
It’s managing fatigue while trying to stay sharp.
It’s showing up for your team while your body is running on half power.
It’s pretending you’re fine because the alternative is falling behind.
There’s no “off day.”
There’s no skipping treatment.
There’s no catching up later.
This is the part people don’t see.
This is what dialysis really looks like — the restrictions, the work, the exhaustion, and the constant vigilance layered on top of a normal life that still has to keep moving.
I’m sharing this because I’m still searching — still hoping — for a living kidney donor who can help give me my energy, my freedom, and my life back.
If you want to read my story or see if you could be a donor, visit:
http://www.akidney4brian.com
Tag: #savealife
Every Safety Check Helps Me Keep Searching
Every time a new dialysis solution is made, I check the chloramine levels to make sure the fluid is safe for my treatment. It’s a simple step that protects my health and keeps my home dialysis running safely. I’m grateful to Fresenius Kidney Care Fredericksburg Home Dialysis for teaching me how to do it the right way.
Without this step, chlorine could enter my bloodstream — and that can be dangerous, even deadly, for someone on dialysis. This safety check is one of many that must be done to keep my system working properly and to keep me strong enough to continue searching for a living kidney donor.
See my story at www.akidney4brian.com.