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    1. About Kidney Disease
      1. OVERVIEW
      2. Understanding Chronic Kidney Disease
      3. Kidney Disease Stages
      4. What Is a Nephrologist?
      5. What to Expect with CKD
      6. Kidney Disease Management
      7. Understanding Acute Kidney Injury
      8. How Kidneys Work
      9. Take a FREE CLASS on Kidney Disease
    2. Treatments
      1. OVERVIEW
      2. Dialysis Basics
      3. Benefits of Home Dialysis
      4. Home Peritoneal Dialysis
      5. Home Hemodialysis
      6. Sign up to Talk to a Home Dialysis Expert
      7. In-Center Hemodialysis
      8. Transplant
      9. Insurance & Managing Costs
      10. Choosing Not to Treat
    3. Life On Dialysis
      1. OVERVIEW
      2. Your Emotional Health While on Dialysis
      3. Staying Engaged
      4. Staying Healthy
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      6. Tips for Loved Ones
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    Find a Dialysis Center

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      1. About Kidney Disease
        1. Understanding Chronic Kidney Disease
          1. Symptoms
          2. Risk Factors
          3. Causes
          4. Diagnosis and Testing
          5. GFR Calculator
        2. Kidney Disease Stages
          1. Stage 1
          2. Stage 2
          3. Stage 3
          4. Stage 4
          5. Stage 5
        3. What Is a Nephrologist?
        4. What to Expect with CKD
        5. Kidney Disease Management
          1. Kidney Diet Basics
          2. CKD Medications
          3. Your Kidney Care Team
          4. Diabetes
          5. High Blood Pressure
        6. Understanding Acute Kidney Injury
          1. Acute Kidney Injury Treatment and Recovery
        7. How Kidneys Work
        8. Take a FREE CLASS on Kidney Disease
      2. Treatments
        1. Dialysis Basics
          1. How Does a Hemodialysis Machine Work
          2. Starting Dialysis
          3. Types of Dialysis Access
          4. Your Care Plan
          5. Dialysis Medications
          6. Monitoring Your Lab Results
        2. Benefits of Home Dialysis
        3. Home Peritoneal Dialysis
          1. What to Expect
          2. Getting Prepared
          3. PD Access
          4. PD Training
          5. PD Monitoring
          6. Your Care Team
        4. Home Hemodialysis
          1. What to Expect
          2. Getting Prepared
          3. HD Training
          4. HD Monitoring
          5. Your Care Team
        5. Sign up to Talk to a Home Dialysis Expert
        6. In-Center Hemodialysis
          1. In-Center Treatment Options
          2. What to Expect
          3. Types of Vascular Access for Hemodialysis
          4. Your Care Team
          5. How to Choose a Center
        7. Transplant
          1. Finding a Kidney Donor
          2. Considering Kidney Donation
        8. Insurance & Managing Costs
          1. Understanding Medicare Coverage
          2. Understanding Medicare Advantage
          3. Understanding Employer Plans
        9. Choosing Not to Treat
      3. Life On Dialysis
        1. Your Emotional Health While on Dialysis
          1. Managing Your Emotions
          2. Talking About Dialysis
          3. Intimacy
          4. Body Image and Dialysis
          5. Building Your Dialysis Support Network
        2. Staying Engaged
          1. Tips for Working While on Dialysis
          2. In-Center Activities
          3. Hobbies
        3. Staying Healthy
          1. Managing Your Time on Dialysis
          2. Dialysis & Exercise
          3. Weight Management
          4. Avoiding Infection
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          6. Fighting the Flu
        4. Dialysis Travel Services and Information
        5. Tips for Loved Ones
          1. In-Center Hemodialysis
          2. At-Home Hemodialysis
          3. At-Home Peritoneal Dialysis
        6. PatientHub
      4. Recipes & Nutrition
        1. Recipes
        2. Managing Your Diet
          1. Eating Well on a CKD Diet
          2. Eating Well on a Dialysis Diet
          3. Salt and Kidney Disease
          4. Potassium and Kidney Disease
          5. Phosphorus and Kidney Disease
          6. Talking With Your Dietitian
        3. Fluid Management on Dialysis
        4. Dialysis Diet Planning
          1. Kidney-Friendly Shopping
          2. Eating Out
          3. Holiday Diet Tips
          4. A Chef’s Advice | Chef Aaron McCargo on Kidney Friendly Meals
        5. Cookbooks
      5. Thrive Central
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      1. Home
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      4. Dialysis at Home and at Work: Brian Coleman’s Kidney Disease Journey
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      Dialysis at Home and at Work: Brian Coleman’s Kidney Disease Journey

      Brian Coleman is a patient care technician (PCT) from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and he understands exactly how people on dialysis feel. That’s because he’s on dialysis too.

      Kidney disease has always been a part of Brian’s life, and he has made the most of it by using his experiences to help other people on dialysis thrive. He joined the Fresenius Kidney Care team after receiving transplants, peritoneal dialysis (PD), in-center hemodialysis (HD), and now home dialysis. Brian says, “I can relate to every single person here in the dialysis center because we’re all in the same boat.”

      Well-Prepared for a Lifelong Journey

      Brian was born with a rare condition that damaged his kidneys, so he began peritoneal dialysis as an infant. By age two, he needed his first kidney transplant. Fortunately, his mother was a match, and she was able to donate a kidney to her son. Brian was successful with his donated kidney for 17 years before he needed another transplant. Incredibly, his father was also a match. This time, though, the kidney only lasted six years as a result of complications. “One of my medications was doing more harm than good,” Brian remembers. “The doctors found the issue in time and some of my kidney function did come back so it lasted a little longer, but not forever.”

      At that point, the doctors informed Brian that he could no longer rely on his kidneys and would have to start dialysis. He knew this would happen someday. “A lot of people ask me how I handled it, but it was something I was always prepared for,” he says. “It was just another milestone in my life.” And Brian still had many more milestones ahead of him.

      Exploring New Options

      Brian knew from an early age that he wanted to work in healthcare. His condition made him more likely to get sick, so he was in the hospital often. “That’s what I was always around,” he says, recalling his childhood. “I’ve seen how hard medical professionals work to care for other people. Without them, I wouldn’t even be here.” Brian was so inspired, he decided to train to become a medical assistant.

      While he was in school, Brian continued with his regular in-center dialysis treatments. His medical training made him more interested in the process of dialysis, and Brian says, “One day, I just got a little curious and asked if I could insert my own needle.” He practiced self-cannulating — that is, inserting the needle into his own access — and from then on, he prepared his in-center treatments himself. He says that after a while, “The people at the center were like, ‘You should do this at home! You would be perfect for home dialysis.’”

      After some consideration, Brian agreed that he was ready to take control of his own dialysis treatments. “I did the home training first and I enjoyed it,” he says. “They were so helpful.” Brian and his doctor decided he would be more successful with an additional treatment per week. He says that extra treatment gives him more energy and he feels better overall. “It was one of those things where I was like, ‘Why didn’t I do this earlier?’” he laughs.

      Finding Freedom with Fresenius Kidney Care

      Even though Brian does dialysis both at work and at home, he doesn’t let his life revolve around kidney disease. Instead, he uses it as an opportunity to make his own flexible schedule and feel his best. “Home dialysis was the reason I was able to work here full time,” he says simply.

      As a PCT at a Fresenius Kidney Care center, he works closely with people on dialysis by assisting with treatments, tracking their progress, and sharing experiences. “The people at the center say they love having someone there who really understands what they’re feeling,” Brian says. “It’s a joy to see them come in and leave feeling a little better. That’s the highlight of my day.”

      Home Dialysis Opens New Doors

      As much as he enjoys spending time with the people who visit the center for treatments, Brian wants other people who have experienced kidney failure to find their freedom. He uses his unique position to encourage other people to try home dialysis if they’re able. “There are challenges, just like everything else, but take it from me — you bring home dialysis into your life, and you’ll see so many doors are going to open up to you.”

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