The school helped

[yardart]

My husband was recently diagnosed and is set for dialysis -- things seem to be moving very fast. We attended a 2 hour "school" educating us on kidney disease -- symptoms and dialysis. I have to say that the class helped me understand so very much more than i did before and i think that it helped ease his mind some too. I would recommend it to anyone facing this .

Of course i'm frightened and it's hard for me to keep a "stiff-upper-lip" and say "everything will be just fine" (with any conviction)

[DoriSchatell]

I'm sorry to hear that you and your husband are facing dialysis. There is no doubt that this is a frightening and stressful time--and you're both doing the right thing by actively seeking information. The class you took is a great start, and you're already seeing that knowledge replaces fear. Since you're on-line, I'd like to also suggest our Kidney School (http://www.kidneyschool.org) as a resource for you both. It has 30-minute modules on many topics like anemia, treatment choices, lab tests, coping, etc., that you can visit in any order, as often as you like, 24 hoiurs a day--and it's free.

You didn't mention what type of dialysis your husband is planning to do, or what type of lifestyle you have together. Most people are sadly not aware that doing dialysis at home (PD or one of the 3 types of home hemo) gives you more cintrol over your lives and schedule and a much less limited and complex diet and fluid limits than on-center hemo. If you'd like to learn more about home treatment options, please visit one of the other Medical Education Institute sites: Home Dialysis Central, at http://www.homedialysis.org.

Please feel free to write back--we'd love to hear how you are both doing as your husband transitions to dialysis.