Strength In Numbers
The Birth of a New Kidney Dialysis Support Group
By: Charles Romans
The Ashland Beacon
Kidney dialysis is a life-saving treatment for many individuals with kidney failure and is often accompanied by debilitating fatigue. Ronnie Faulkner shared, “Some days, I feel really drained. Other days, I can still get out and do stuff.” This has become Faulkner’s new reality as he undergoes dialysis treatments three days a week. The treatment, which is typically a three to four-hour process, leaves him feeling drained and the better days for him are usually the days after or before treatments.
According to the National Kidney Foundation, dialysis is a type of treatment that helps your body remove extra fluid and waste products from your blood when the kidneys are not able. Dialysis was first used successfully in the 1940s and became a standard treatment for kidney failure starting in the 1970s. The only other option would be a kidney transplant if a suitable donor organ is available and the patient qualifies.
Some days after Faulkner’s treatments, he comes home and just goes back to bed to get whatever rest he can. This is more than understandable considering that on the days of his treatment he gets up at 4:30 a.m. to begin his 6:00 a.m. treatment that lasts until 10:00 a.m. or after. Faulkner explained, “The doctors tell you they are going to put you on dialysis and then they ship you out of the room, put a port in you, and send you down to the basement of the hospital to get you hooked up to the dialysis machine and walk away from you for three to four hours.”
Faulkner noted that he was not complaining about the doctors and medical staff when he said this, but rather just emphasizing the isolation that dialysis patients feel. His treatments are administered at King’s Daughter’s Hospital in Ashland, and he has nothing but praise for the doctors and other medical support personnel there. Faulkner said that most patients really aren’t aware of the procedures and don’t know what to expect. This is why he and two of his friends have set out on a mission to start a local dialysis support group.
“There’s nothing like that in Ashland,” Faulkner stated. Getting the right kind of support is crucial because the whole process itself is more than a little scary. Faulkner had watched his own mother and brother go through the process of kidney dialysis. Despite having a little bit of knowledge going into his first treatment, Faulkner shared that he still didn’t fully understand the process or the toll that it has on the body. Faulkner remarked, “When they told me I would have to go on dialysis, it scared me to death!”
Faulkner and his friends decided that they wanted to offer any help and support they can to current and future dialysis patients. “We want to let them know what to expect. Perhaps by sharing our experiences with them, it would help them understand the process more. No one should have to go through something like this alone,” stated Faulkner.
Faulkner found out about his condition on Thanksgiving Day of 2022. He had been on the waiting list to receive a kidney but then a separate diagnosis derailed that hope. “I’m going to be on dialysis for a while. I was on the waiting list, but then I was diagnosed with lung cancer. I think you have to be in remission for at least a year before they will even think about putting you back on the list,” explained Faulkner.
The new diagnosis of lung cancer hasn’t changed Faulkner’s goal of creating a support group for others going through the same thing but rather has strengthened it. Knowing he is on treatments for the long haul makes him want to establish the support group even more. If you would like more information on this new group, you may reach Faulkner by telephone at: 606.922.0262.