What is Peritoneal Dialysis like in the long term?
Getting Used to PD People who do PD for a long time say it’s a lot like brushing your teeth. It’s something they do each day, but don’t have to give a lot of thought to. They do each exchange with great care to prevent infection—then go about their work, hobbies, or other activities. The timing of the exchanges can be shifted a bit to fit your lifestyle. So, if you’re out with a friend, for example, you can put off your mid-day exchange for a couple of hours, as long as you fit in as many exchanges each day as your doctor prescribes. You also need to leave enough time for the dialysate to “dwell” in your peritoneum to remove enough wastes. You do the treatments on your own, come in for check up visits once a month, and call the facility if you run into any problems. Since dialysis is going on most or all of the time, you don’t have a lot of ups and downs in how you feel from day to day. Plus, your diet and fluid limits may be close to normal. So, if PD works for you in the long term, y
