Skip to main content
  1. Careers
  2. Resource Center
  3. About Us
  4. Contact Us
  5. Español
Thrive On
Fresenius Kidney Care
  • PatientHub
  • Community

Find a Dialysis Center

Find a Dialysis Center

Find a Dialysis Center
Permission to detect location was denied Current location could not be determined
    Try a detailed search

    Need help? Call 1-888-373-1470

    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
      5. Dialysis Travel Services and Information
      6. Tips for Loved Ones
      7. PatientHub
    4. Recipes & Nutrition
      1. OVERVIEW
      2. Recipes
      3. Managing Your Diet
      4. Fluid Management on Dialysis
      5. Dialysis Diet Planning
      6. Cookbooks
    5. Thrive Central
      1. CKD
      2. Dialysis
      3. Diet & Nutrition
      4. Stories
      5. Wellness
      6. See All
    COMMUNITY
    PATIENTHUB
    HOME
    1. I Have Kidney Disease
    2. I’m Preparing For Dialysis
    3. I’m on Dialysis
    1. Take a FREE CLASS on Kidney Disease
    2. Resource Center
    3. Recipes
    4. Request Patient Travel Services Information
    5. Sign Up for Our Newsletter

    Find a Dialysis Center

    Find a Dialysis Center

    Find a Dialysis Center
    Permission to detect location was denied Current location could not be determined
      Try a detailed search

      Need help? Call 1-888-373-1470

      1. About Us
      2. Contact Us
      3. FAQ
      4. Glossary
      5. Media
      6. Careers
      7. Español

      Need help? Call
      1-888-373-1470

      • facebook
      • twitter
      • youtube
      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
          5. Managing Multiple Conditions
          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
        1. CKD
        2. Dialysis
        3. Diet & Nutrition
        4. Stories
        5. Wellness
        6. See All
      1. Home
      2. Thrive Central
      3. Stories
      4. Pursuing Passions While on Home Hemodialysis
      Share:

      Pursuing Passions While on Home Hemodialysis

      Natalie Gwin Jones

      Natalie Gwin Jones loves to craft. She spends her free time sewing, making jewelry, and selling her crafts online. With home dialysis, Natalie has the free time and flexibility to pursue her hobbies, helping her keep a balance between life and her treatments. Besides her hobbies, Natalie spends as much time as she can with her family. “I feel we’re blessed that we can do so much together,” says Natalie of her family. “It helps keep my mind off dialysis. It makes me feel like it's not the only part of my life.”

      Beginning her dialysis journey

      After she was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease, Natalie worked hard to follow a kidney-friendly diet and improve her health. Because of her lifestyle changes, she was able to postpone the start of her dialysis treatments by five years. Once her kidney function dropped to 15%, Natalie’s nephrologist told her it was time to prepare for dialysis. Although she was scared at first, her Fresenius Kidney Care team was there to help guide her every step of the way. “From the beginning to end, they changed my whole mind about dialysis,” she recalls.

      How home hemodialysis helped Natalie

      Natalie decided on home hemodialysis (HHD) early on. She wanted to be able to travel and liked the idea of a more flexible treatment schedule. “Home dialysis frees you up and you can choose whenever works best to do your treatment,” says Natalie. “My care team helped me understand the dialysis machine and gave me the confidence to do the treatments on my own.”

      Dialysis support from her family

      Currently, Natalie dialyzes five days a week, three hours a day. Her husband of 12 years is her care partner and helps her with treatment. They also get lots of encouragement from their 20-year-old son. “They are my greatest support,” Natalie says. “They do so much for me.”

      Sharing her story and her talents

      Natalie likes to share her HHD experience through her blog to encourage and educate others with chronic kidney disease. “I cannot be private about this!” she says. With extra time on her hands due to the coronavirus pandemic, she also put her sewing talents to work by making masks. “I make them for healthcare workers, family, and friends, and my family helps me find the fabrics,” she says. “Since I’m already in the house, home dialysis gives me more time to sew, and more energy to stay busy while we shelter in place.

      August 2020

      SHARE YOUR THRIVE ON STORY

      We want to hear from you if you’re living with kidney disease and thriving—or if you’re caring for someone who is. Your experience can help inspire and empower others.

      Share Your Story

      Suggested topics


      Important information on coronavirus and your health.

      Dialysis Family Care Partners and Coronavirus (COVID-19)

      Dialysis family care partners have risks and precautions to consider during the Coronavirus pandemic. Learn what you....

      Read More
      hub_CovidHome_main_image

      Home Dialysis and Coronavirus (COVID-19): Staying Safe

      Keeping you healthy and safe is our top priority. As the COVID-19 situation continues to change, we are working to protect you...
      Read More
      John Horton's dialysis story

      Embracing Home Hemodialysis as a Family

      John Horton was enjoying a busy life as a husband, father, and full-time mortgage lender in the early 2000s, when he started to feel unwell…
      Read John’s Story
      Back to Top
      1. About Us
      2. Español
      1. FAQ
      2. Resource Center
      3. Contact Us
      4. Glossary
      5. Media
      6. Careers
      1. Website Privacy Policy
      2. Terms of Use
      3. Site Map
      4. HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices
      5. FreseniusKidneyCare.com Web Accessibility Statement
      6. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Data
      7. Limit the Use of My Sensitive Personal Information
      • facebook
      • youtube
      • twitter
      • pinterest
      © 2016-2022 Fresenius Medical Care. All Rights Reserved.