Sarah’s mother was diagnosed with kidney disease when she was 55.
“She started peritoneal dialysis (PD), a form of dialysis that uses a catheter, the lining of the abdomen, and a fluid called dialysate,” Sarah explained. “It performs the kidneys’ functions, cleaning out toxins and balancing fluids.”
Her mom’s treatment was successful for seven years. Then, she began experiencing severe infections in the catheter.
“She had to switch to in-center hemodialysis. She couldn’t have a fistula for hemodialysis because her veins were too small,” Sarah said. “She got a catheter in her neck instead.”
This form of dialysis wasn’t comfortable. Worse still, the catheter frequently clogged and needed replacing.
“The last time she ended up in the hospital with a catheter clot, she asked about other treatment options. She was never interested in transplantation but would have considered it at this point,” said Sarah. “But her health was too poor. Her only other choice was stopping dialysis.”
Sarah’s mother took a week to make her decision. She spoke with mental health counselors, her healthcare team, and her family.
“We learned that she’d likely be fine in the first week after quitting dialysis. During the second week, she’d sleep more and may feel ill from toxins building up,” Sarah said. “She’d sleep most of the third week before passing away.”
Sarah’s mother decided to stop dialysis since death was going to be relatively painless. She was coherent for about three weeks before slipping into a coma. She passed three days later, surrounded by her loved ones.
“One of the hardest things for my mother was losing control over her life,” said Sarah. “When she decided to stop dialysis, she regained that control. I’ll never forget when she realized she could eat whatever she wanted—she asked me to get her some really good bologna from the deli. She truly enjoyed that sandwich.”
