Testimonials

testimonials

What Our Patients Are Saying

When our patients and their families learned we were updating our website to promote patient choice for dialysis options in San Diego County and the surrounding areas, we had an outpouring of support to assist with this mission. Most of the photos incorporated on this website are actual patients who expressed a desire to participate and represent that our business model has helped them to successfully manage the chronicity of their kidney disease with home dialysis. Many of our patients have had experiences with in-center hemodialysis, and these patients, in particular, encourage all patients to know their home dialysis options. Learn how our patients have used home dialysis to improve their quality of life.

“When I first was told I would need to have dialysis, I was crushed. I soon learned that I had a fantastic team working for and with me. I am totally pleased with my home dialysis experience. The nurses, staff, and Dr. King are concerned and helpful. They made me feel that they truly cared. I would be happy to advise anyone that needs dialysis to use Home Dialysis of San Diego.”
Betty
“My least favorite treatment option is hemodialysis at the clinic three times a week. I am 42 years old and I have been on dialysis since January 14, 2002. Initially, after going into kidney failure, I was started on hemodialysis at the clinic. After some time, it was suggested to me by my nephrologist to do peritoneal dialysis. This worked well for me for a time, but unfortunately I got peritonitis on two occasions (at this time I was very immune compromised). The second time, there was a lot of scarring and I had gotten very sick, so I was unable to do peritoneal dialysis again and I returned to hemodialysis at the clinic three times a week. At some point, I changed doctors and Dr. King, my new doctor, suggested that I try home dialysis. Now I have been on home dialysis for about 6 years.”
Colleen

Colleen

"My first preference, and by far the easiest modality for dialysis, is peritoneal. I found it extremely convenient and portable. Although I did hook up to a machine during the night, if I needed to, I could be completely portable and do all manual exchanges. With peritoneal, you almost always are carrying around extra fluid in your abdomen and I thought this would bother me, but it really did not. Also, as with any dialysis treatment option at home, there will be a lot of boxes of fluid and supplies and you are responsible for learning the process and the safety concerns. But, overall, peritoneal is the simplest to learn and to do and the easiest to travel with.

My least favorite treatment option is hemodialysis at the clinic three times a week. First of all, there is the inconvenience of having to do dialysis at a specific time and you really cannot miss a day because you are already going every other day, so it would not be tolerable (or healthy). I found the clinic to be a very depressing environment. One of the worst things there was that I was always extremely cold. They would not allow electric blankets and no matter how many regular blankets I brought, I was frequently shivering uncontrollably. At my home, I have a space heater and I am never cold. I can also adjust the heater settings on my dialysis fluid if it seems to be a little cold.

Another thing that came up at the clinic was when I would cramp, I sometimes had to wait for the nurse to be able to attend to me because she has several patients. At home, I can immediately administer saline and stop the fluid removal. Cramps during dialysis come on very quickly and can be extremely painful, so dealing with them immediately is important.

My experience with home dialysis has been fantastic! Yes, it is work and, yes, you will have to learn a lot about how to access and care for your graft or catheter and how to set up, run and troubleshoot the dialysis machine… but it is very worth it. I was told at the beginning of dialysis that this would be my part-time job, and so it is. But given the option of the clinic three days a week and at home 6 days a week, I would absolutely always choose home dialysis.

I cannot overstate the convenience and health benefits of being able to dialyze every day (I do six days a week) in my home when I decide to do it. If I need to rearrange my dialysis schedule, I can. If I need to do dialysis early or late or in the middle of the night, I can. I can also dialyze for longer, or if I have to, stop short and do extra another day (not the best idea, but I can). If I need to do an extra day, I can. I feel almost normal when dialyzing every day. I can drink more fluid and have a little more leeway on the dialysis diet when I am dialyzing every day.

So being able to do dialysis on your schedule is the number one advantage, but being in your own environment is next. I have a comfortable chair and I have my own TV and computer I can use, and I am in my own room! I can adjust the temperature so that I am comfortable and I am in a room by the window and I can look out. Learning the machine initially can be overwhelming, but I promise it gets more routine. My treatment on the machine takes about 2 hours. It takes about 15-20 minutes to set up (really only five, but the cartridge has to prime for 15 minutes). It takes about five minutes for take-down each day. In between, there are other responsibilities such as inventory and ordering of supplies once a month, and a few routine maintenance things if you have a pure flow. There are a lot of boxes and supplies and you will need to find a room to store these.

The company that provides my hemodialysis machine and supplies, Nextstage, has a fantastic customer support service for any technical issues. I have called them in the middle of treatment with a problem and they walk you through the problem very clearly step by step.

Home Dialysis Therapies of San Diego really stands out! Individual attention is given to each patient by all members of the team (doctor, nurse, social worker, and dietician) and they have a wealth of experience and knowledge so that I know I am in good hands. It shows that they care about me and are also invested in making my health and my dialysis experience the best it can be. It is like night and day dealing with HDT versus the traditional dialysis clinics. I really enjoy my appointments. They can be both informative and entertaining from time to time!

I have been at HDT since January 17, 2007, and I am very grateful to be there. As a result, I don’t dread dialysis. I look forward to my appointments and my health has greatly improved so that I rarely have hospital visits. I am willing to speak to anyone who might want to talk to me regarding my experiences and the process and HDT.”

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“To face the reality of dialysis due to failing kidneys is not easy. It involves apprehension of the unknown dialysis process and the degree to which it will be a life-changing experience. So, it was a relief that my first encounter with Home Dialysis Therapies of San Diego was encouraging with the assurance by staff of full support of my decision to choose Peritoneal Dialysis as a preferred treatment.”
Erika

Erika

“From the beginning, I felt comfortable with the supportive and caring attitude of my nurse. I was a slow learner and, must confess, there were moments of discouragement; but, she never wavered in her conviction. She said, “I can do it”. The thorough, competent follow-up by the entire team –- nephrologist, nurse, dietician and social worker – made me feel to be in good hands. One year later, I feel the same way and I am grateful.”

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“My dialysis experience began while I was on the operating table having heart surgery. The tests that confirmed that I had almost complete heart artery blockage also reduced what little kidney function I had remaining to near zero. So my first hemodialysis session was while I was “on the table”. After surgery, I chose home peritoneal dialysis (PD) as the best fit for my lifestyle. I was still working and wanted to continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Since a catheter must be placed before this type of dialysis can begin, I endured many weeks of in-center hemo before I could be ready to train to do in-home PD.”
Kevin

Kevin

“During my healing from the heart surgery and catheter installation, I had a chance to closely observe the in-center hemodialysis process and its effects on a wide range of people. It became clear to me that home PD was the way to go. Also, by using a cycler while sleeping, the impact on my time would be relatively minimal. For me, home PD allows time for daily activities, like employment. I feel much better, have more energy, and I like the idea of having more control over my treatment.

I chose Home Dialysis Therapies even though I was recruited by another clinic. The clinic that contacted me was associated with the hemo clinic in which I had been treated. I was not impressed with the quality of care at that clinic. When I heard that my nephrologist was associated with another clinic in the area, I contacted the staff and received a great introduction to peritoneal dialysis treatment and lifestyle.

I have been with Home Dialysis Therapies for about four years now. I continue to appreciate the professionalism of the staff and their attention to detail. I feel as if they are truly focused on me and my health. I travel past several closer clinics to take advantage of the service I receive at HDT. I have recommended them and can continue to do so”.

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“I wanted to thank you for the excellent services that Home Dialysis Therapies of San Diego has provided for my father and my family. The comprehensive and intimate care that my father has been given while undergoing Peritoneal Home Dialysis has been remarkable and reassuring. You have created a model program in which personal and professional attention to detail and service is unsurpassed!

Your staff has shown themselves to be a dedicated team of professionals, from the nurses, dietician, social worker, receptionist, who work together as a highly capable and nurturing group. Attention to detail and diligent infection control standards is clearly evident.

We are so grateful that an otherwise difficult medical condition such as kidney failure can be treated in a manner that promotes compassion, respect, empathy, empowerment and dignity to the medically-compromised patient. We feel lucky to be under your care at Home Dialysis Therapies of San Diego!”
Lisa
“This story started when I was 18 years old. I was diagnosed with insulin dependent diabetes which brought on many complications over the years. I started on in-center hemodialysis when I was with Kaiser in 1999. I was fortunate to get a kidney and pancreas transplant in 2000; my life changed, it was perfect again.

In 2009, my transplanted kidney began to peter out. Due to changes in my insurance, I started seeing Scripps doctors at that time. Dr. King is the best thing that ever happened to me!”
William

William

“I had to start dialysis again. In-center hemo is not a congenial atmosphere, and it drains you. I was always worthless the day after my treatments. It was hard to juggle work and in-center hemo with a 4 ½-5 hour time commitment on someone else’s schedule 3 days a week. Dr. King encouraged me to consider peritoneal dialysis.

As a result, I have been very lucky ever since. I’m in bed 10 hours a night, but I get to do whatever I want during the day. The differences between how I felt on in-center hemo and peritoneal dialysis are remarkable.

And, yes, the team at HDT continues to support me as I wait for another transplant. Everybody at HDT works together. They are a fabulous team, from the nurses, the social worker, to the dietician, and the secretary to Denise, she runs a tight ship. I’ve been in medical care much of my life. I enjoy the experience here.”

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Next Step

Interested in speaking with one of our patients about their dialysis experience? Or, are you a family member considering being a care partner or caregiver for a loved one on home dialysis? Contact us and we will be happy to make the connection for you to speak directly with someone who has been where you are now.
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