FLAGSTAFF, AZ (AZFamily) —According to the American Kidney Fund, over half a million Americans are currently on dialysis for kidney failure.
Treatment is needed three times per week and can take three to four hours, taking its toll on patients, particularly in rural areas.
April 3 is usually a special day for Frances Lugo because it’s her daughter’s birthday. But it was different this year because it was the day she started dialysis.
“It’s scary for anybody,” Lugo said. Since then, she has gone in for treatment three times a week for four hours per day. While not painful, Lugo said it was draining and took time away from being with her husband and nine grandchildren.
“Hard on me,” she said. “Like hard on my body. Hard to come to dialysis.”
Lugo gets her treatment at Fresenius Kidney Care in Flagstaff, where she lives. Director of Operations Lorena Ramirez said that’s not the case for every one of their clients, as there is a lack of medical care and facilities in northern Arizona.
“Some of them travel to us from up in the Page area, which is about two hours. On the reservation, it just kind of depends,” Ramirez said.
But just a few months ago, the clinic started offering at-home dialysis training. Ramirez said it prevents long drive times and lowers dietary restrictions and other medication requirements.
“Just a lot more freedom, a lot more flexibility, and I feel their quality of life has improved in that sense as well,” she said.
Lugo was one of the first to switch to the at-home training. It was four days a week for six hours per day.
“Medical terms that they’re teaching us—it’s like, oh my God, I can’t do this,” Lugo said. “The second week in, I was almost ready to call it quits.”
But now, as she wraps up training with five weeks under her belt, Lugo said she feels ready to do her treatment in their own home.
“It’s an awesome experience, and it’s way better on my body,” she said.
Lugo said her energy has returned, and there’s no more missing sports with her grandchildren.
“Now I can get some of my life back. Whether I’m still on a dialysis machine, I can get my life back doing it this way,” she said.
The clinic is currently training six patients and is preparing to train more from across rural northern Arizona.
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