TIPS FOR NEW DIALYSIS PATIENTS

Dear new dialysis patient, you may not have any or not enough knowledge about what dialysis is. Things we don't know, especially if they affect our lives, can often cause anxiety. However, dialysis will not be scary over time, it will become a savior and a part of your life. We will give you some suggestions so that you can adapt to this treatment faster. These tips provide information that will increase your overall quality of life for both hemodialysis and other types of treatment.

1. First of all, taking care of your health comes first. Your family, doctor and friends are doing their best for your health. Help them so that they can contribute more to you.

2. Starting dialysis treatment is not the end of the world. You can still enjoy life during this treatment process.

3. If you have been doing physically tiring work before, you may get tired more quickly after dialysis. However, dialysis can partially relieve this fatigue.

4. If your job requires brainpower, remember that your mind is still active. You are only on dialysis because your kidneys are not working enough. Continue your job.

5. Know your kidneys and your disease. Learn about what kidneys do, where they are located, their diseases and your kidney disease.

6. Try to learn about both your kidneys and the dialysis machine.

7. Schedule your dialysis appointments regularly and keep these appointments.

8. Get information about yourself from your doctors and nurses. Learn your blood pressure and laboratory results.

9. Learn what the medications you are given are, why they are used and their side effects.

10. It is better to take precautions than to be upset. Learn the names of your medications clearly, do not call them with names like green beans.

11. Keep a good scale at home and keep your weight at the specified level.

12. Pay attention to your diet. Learn whether foods you do not know are good or bad for you.

13. Follow your monthly routine laboratory tests. Consult your doctor and dietician about the meaning of the test results and what precautions you should take.

14. Never skip the time and duration of your dialysis sessions.

15. Check your social security (such as SSK) regularly.

16. Do not decide on alternatives other than dialysis (for example, transplantation) without consulting your doctor.

17. Be respectful and kind to the dialysis team, because they work for your health.

18. Do not hesitate to share your thoughts, criticisms and suggestions about your treatment or dialysis center with the relevant people.

19. You are not the only one who goes on dialysis. Make friends with other dialysis patients and benefit from their positive experiences.

20. Dialysis treatment is personalized; each patient's dry weight, diet and dialysis session durations are different. Therefore, do not shape your own treatment according to the diet of others. Follow the advice of your doctor and dietician.

21. If you need to go to another dialysis center temporarily, have your doctor contact that center and provide you with information about it.

22. Always look to the future and make a long-term life plan. Continue your education or work life, find a job if you are looking for a job and have a productive activity.

23. Love your dialysis team and have a positive attitude towards them.