"They're singing deck the halls,
but it's not like Christmas at all.
I remember when you were here,
and all the fun we had last year."
Cher & Rosie O'Donnell Christmas
I was born with bad kidneys. The exact diagnosis is called Congenital Nephrotic Syndrome. Until the age of 6 my kidneys worked fine. Then I had to be placed on peritoneal dialysis to function in place of my kidneys. There are two main types of dialysis - CAPD which stands for continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis, APD stands for automated peritoneal dialysis and Heamodiaylsis which is where you have the machine and you have needles connected to your arm. I opted for CAPD/APD. On Peritoneal Dialysis I had to take vitamins and other medications as well to function in place where the dialysis leaves off.
Before I could start on CAPD or APD I needed an operation to insert a catheter into my peritoneum. The machine works in a similar way to CAPD except you do it overnight. The patient goes on it for about ten hours each night.
In 1988 I was given the gift of life with a donation of a kidney transplant. It gave me freedom from peritoneal dialysis which was used to cleanse my blood of toxins so that I could lead a normal life. A transplant for me meant a more normal life. In 1992 my first transplant rejected, but I was given the gift of life for a second time.
I lost my second kidney after 8 years due to chronic rejection. There is no treatment yet for chronic rejection.
I was home with my 3rd kidney transplant, this time being a living-donor transplant. As of June, 2007 I had to go back on dialysis, this time hemodialysis due to choric rejection again.
This site is copyright 2007 Peter V. Tretter All Rights Reserved.
Before I could start on CAPD or APD I needed an operation to insert a catheter into my peritoneum. The machine works in a similar way to CAPD except you do it overnight. The patient goes on it for about ten hours each night.