When Estevan’s kidney dialysis unit opened in November 2007, it was a time of celebration and relief for a lot of people.
The local healthcare community spent a lot of time lobbying for the highly sought-after unit. And for southeast Saskatchewan residents in need of dialysis, they knew they wouldn’t have to travel two or three hours to Regina, up to three times per week, for dialysis any longer.
The dialysis unit celebrated its 10th anniversary on Friday. Lunch and birthday cake were served for current and former patients and staff, and it was also a chance to socialize.
Kelly Storlie was a nurse at the dialysis unit from when it opened in 2007 until her retirement in August. She still works there on a casual basis.
Storlie said the unit allows patients to receive care closer to home.
“I never realized how bad it was until I was up there (in Regina) for my training for the three months,” she told the Mercury. “Then you realize just how tired people get. This has been fabulous for these patients, because they no longer have to make that horrible trip.
“Some of them, when they get off dialysis, are really exhausted, so then you have to get home.”
When she found out Estevan would be getting a dialysis unit, she spent time at the unit in Regina to see if it was an area where she wanted to work. Storlie had worked in almost every other department at St. Joseph’s.
Her husband’s best friend is on dialysis, which was a factor in her decision to work in the unit.
“I was really hoping that they would get a unit so that he can be here,” said Storlie.
The unit has been even more beneficial than she expected.
Storlie said patients who have received treatment have been very appreciative of the staff and the service.
When the unit opened, up to 12 patients could receive treatment three days a week, with six in the morning and six in the afternoon, although it took some time before the unit was at capacity. The unit is still open three days a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, but the number of patients has increased to 18 a day, with nine in the mornings and nine more in the afternoons.
Most patients are there three days a week, but some need treatment once or twice a week.
“We’ve had two successful transplants happen since we’ve been here,” Storlie said proudly.
But some people who received treatment have died, she said, and that’s tough to see.
“You get very attached,” said Storlie. “They become like family.”
Chad Evans, who lives in the Frobisher area, is one of the people who received treatment at the dialysis unit and has gone on to receive a kidney transplant. He was on dialysis for five years, and has been off since the transplant in June.
Evans’ kidney failure was caused by what he called an unknown auto-immune complication. There wasn’t an official diagnosis for what caused it.
He was pleased to be back at the hospital for the 10th anniversary celebration.
“It’s great to come and see everybody, and see how everybody is doing,” said Evans.
He still visits the dialysis unit occasionally because he has to go through post-transplant outpatient evaluations.
The care he received at the dialysis unit was outstanding, he said.
“The nursing staff felt more like family than nurses by the time I was here for even a few weeks,” he said. “I felt more like I was being cared for like a family member than as a patient.”
He believes he would have had to relocate to the Regina area if not for the presence of dialysis at St. Joseph’s Hospital.
Evans had to relocate as it was, as he was living close to Redvers at the time.
He said he was able to get a transplant because of his age, health and finding the right match.
But he still had standards to meet. Kidney transplant recipients need a certain body mass index, and Evans was thin enough on the operation side. Lifestyle factors are also considered.
Evans said he feels pretty good now. The kidney is working very well, and he has noticed a difference.
“I’ve been told my colour has improved greatly,” said Evans. “Personally, I have noticed my stamina and stuff has started to come back to somewhere better than what it was before. My freedom for what I eat and so forth is a lot greater now that I’ve had a transplant.”
Bud MacArthur travels from Kipling each week for treatment. He spent a month receiving treatment in Regina, and when the opportunity arose to come to Estevan, he jumped at it.
He has been coming to Estevan for six years.
“It was quite a change for me, because there’s more of a home environment here,” said MacArthur. “You know everybody, and you get along with everybody.”
He recalls there was a snowstorm the same day as one of his treatments last year. He spent a couple of nights at the hospital, rather than going to a hotel.
Another dialysis patient, Julie Chase, stressed that it is important for people to fill out their organ donor forms.
“There are so many people who need a kidney, and a lot of times family members are not a match,” said Chase, who has been a dialysis patient for four years.
Chase echoed statements about the care she receives locally, saying the patients and nurses are like a family.
“I have come in after a weekend, and they will say ‘We were thinking about you on the weekend. How are you feeling?’ They really care. It’s really close here,” said Chase.
