Looking at articles by other creators on note, there are still few personal accounts regarding peritoneal dialysis, so today, I will write down my experiences and thoughts in the hope that they will be useful for the many people who have been told they need dialysis and are likely struggling, confused, and having to make a decision.
This is strictly my personal experience and subjective opinion, so please consult thoroughly with your attending physician and hospital.
Perhaps it is because I went from peritoneal to hybrid to hemodialysis, but looking back, I feel that starting with peritoneal dialysis was the right choice. Especially if you are young, in your 40s or 50s, I feel there are more advantages.
First, peritoneal dialysis can be broadly divided into two types. CAPD, where you manually drain and fill dialysis fluid into your abdomen about three times a day, including during the day. The other is APD, where you are connected to a machine for about 7 hours while you sleep at night to perform it automatically.
These two methods of dialysis are the same, but your life cycle will change significantly.
I basically performed dialysis using APD and performed CAPD as needed on a one-off basis to ensure freedom in my daily life.
The good thing about CAPD is, above all, that it is easy because the machine does it automatically while you are sleeping, and there are no particular restrictions during the day.
The fact that peritoneal dialysis has looser restrictions on diet and fluid intake is also a major advantage.
I had to be hospitalized because I needed to have a catheter inserted into my abdomen through surgery. It was done under local anesthesia, and perhaps because the effect was weak, it was a little painful when the scalpel went into my abdomen.
Preparing for CAPD takes about 3 minutes once you get used to it. When finishing, you just disconnect the catheter, so it is instantaneous.
This has become long, so I will continue tomorrow.
