Thanks!

[akbar]

Dear Dori and Beth:
You can bet I'm going to start pushing for home dialysis right away! It's a relief to find that there may be some alternative to acute care. I hope they'll be willing to train me. I live alone in a rural area, quite a distance from the nearest hospital or dialysis center. My solitude is an integral part of my enjoyment of life. Losing it would be unbearable! I will meet with my social workers next week.

[DoriSchatell]

Hi Akbar,

You haven't said where in the country you live, but you can look for a clinic that offers home dialysis in one of two ways:
1. Search the "Find a Center" database in Home Dialysis Central, http://www.homedialysis.org/v1/centers/search.php. Choose a state, then a city. If you live in a small town, you may not find that town in the database. It's important to keep in mind that a home dialysis clinic doesn't have to be right around the corner. Once you finish training, you only have to go to the clinic once a month. So, a home clinic can be as far away as you are willing to drive once a month.

-- Download the coverage map that fits the type of dialysis you want to try. http://www.homedialysis.org/v1/types/maps.shtml. The circles on these maps are for a 120-mile radius (about a 2-hour drive). You may be able to find your town on the map and get other ideas of towns to look up in the database. Sometimes the nearest clinic is in the next state, if you live near a state line.

Let us know how it goes...