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Week of July 4th Independent Living with Home
Dialysis
What a great week to talk about home hemodialysis... the week of
Independence Day. Our guest is Hasmik Mouradian, who knows about dialysis and
the independence that home hemodialysis can offer.
Hasmik began dialysis when only 16 years old. Not knowing what was wrong, her
parents took her to the doctor because she had swollen legs. “The next thing I
knew, I had to start dialysis,” says Hasmik, who was living in her native
country of Armenia at the time.
“I was one of the luckiest people,” explains Hasmik, “because I started dialysis
when the big earthquake of 1988 happened in Armenia. Before that, my country
could not provide adequate treatment due to lack of supplies and technology. We
had lots of help from the United States and Europe. Patients survived because of
this help. I was one of them.”
While in the hospital, a nephrologist took special notice of Hasmik, who was one
of the youngest patients there on dialysis. He recommended to her parents that
they obtain a visa and bring her to the United States for treatment so that she
would have a better chance at life. With the help of Medical Outreach, they were
successful.
“The first day I walked into the dialysis unit here, I had all the help I was
expecting,” says Hasmik.
Currently, Hasmik performs home hemodialysis and practices self-care. “It was
very scary at first,” she remembers, “because there was no one I could depend
on. I had a supporter, but they were not trained the way I was trained.” But,
she pushed past the fear and completed her first home hemodialysis treatment.
“When I was done, I said, ‘Oh my God, I did it! This is wonderful. I can do
anything!’”
Hasmik now works for the very nephrologist who noticed her in the hospital in
Armenia. It was through working for him that she learned about home hemodialysis.
If she could tell other dialysis patients anything, she would tell them, “Give
home hemo a chance. I have control of my life, not somebody else. And that’s the
greatest feeling!”
Information on home hemodialysis can be found on the following websites:
Week of July 4th