“It is (peritoneal dialysis) a different approach. It has truly given me my life back,” says kidney failure patient Kerry Kozlowski.
Kozlowski has taken control of her health since she first found out she had kidney failure by learning as much as she could about her disease. She opted to learn how to do peritoneal dialysis at home while she is sleeping, instead of going to a center for the more traditional hemodialysis because it gives her more time with her family.
Kozlowski learned the dialysis procedure during a “boot camp” with DaVita nurse, Pat “Pete” Rengert-Sveen, RN.
“I tell everyone “just ask questions, just ask. And you’ll get by okay. My ultimate goal is to give my patients the skills and the knowledge that they need, so they feel confident and can stand on their own and take care of themselves,” says Rengert-Sveen.
In part three of this series, we’ll tell you how Kozlowski continued her journey to get a new kidney.
Kerry is the wife of Christopher Kozlowski, MD, MHA, Vice President, Medical Director of Renown Institute for Heart & Vascular Health.
