Continuing to live a full life with home dialysis

Like many Quebecers, Francine Gagnon (affectionately known as Madame Gagnon) always looks forward to the arrival of spring. The month of March is special for her, not just for the hope of a new season, but because she celebrates an anniversary: she first began dialysis treatment in March 2016. Dialysis steps in when a person’s kidneys no longer carry out their essential function to clean toxins and remove excess fluid from the blood.

When faced with dialysis, Madame Gagnon took an approach of confidence. A new way of life awaited her, but she wasn’t resentful. She wanted to learn what was expected of her. The possibility of at-home dialysis intrigued her when her doctor first spoke of it. She asserted her wishes to take on dialysis at home, though it would require new learning. Madame Gagnon has evaded hospital visits as such.

She and her family recently visited the hospital, however, for an excellent reason: to celebrate her 10-year anniversary of successful dialysis!

Yellow sunlight poured in through the glass windows of the Montreal General Hospital (MGH), signaling the hope of spring… and yellow happens to be Madame Gagnon’s favourite colour. Chocolate cake was divvied up for family, friends, and Madame Gagnon’s care team to enjoy.

“Resilience is what allows your life to continue, what allows you to continue making memories,” she shares with retrospect. “These past 10 years, say I had a dinner invitation or a family function. I would do a session of dialysis at home beforehand and I’d be able to go. I eventually got comfortable bringing my kit along with me to a family member’s house so that I could do a session there calmly. These days, I do dialysis overnight. I don’t have to worry about it at all during the day.”

She still remembers the first time she showed dialysis to her family:

“There were four bright-eyed children in the room with me ten years ago,” she describes with a giggle. “My cousin’s children, the best audience, and the only word to describe them would be intrigued. They stood at a distance and I taught them about health, germs, and safety. They started telling me every visit, Hey Auntie, isn’t it time for your dialysis?  It was never anything scary in our family.”

 MUHC Home Dialysis Program

The McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) offers an excellent home dialysis program. One-on-one lessons with nurses are the first step for patients who qualify. A designated area in the patient’s house is assigned for administering treatment and storing equipment.

“There are 50 patients in the MUHC home dialysis program,” shares Dr. Emilie Trinh, Director of the MUHC Home Dialysis Program. “One of the major advantages of dialysis at home is the independence and flexibility it can give patients. Many patients choose this therapy because it allows them to stay in control of their schedule. They can continue to work, travel, and spend time with family while managing their treatment. Madame Gagnon’s quality of life, her amazing spirit, proves what is possible thanks to home dialysis.”

The MUHC also recently launched an assisted peritoneal dialysis program. For those opting for peritoneal dialysis (which is one of the types of home dialysis where the abdomen lining is used to clean the blood), a Licensed Nurse Practitioner is available to visit the house 2 to 3 times per day to help the patients do their dialysis at home. “The goal is to make patients comfortable doing dialysis at home,” says Dr. Trinh, who was thrilled to attend Madame Gagnon’s anniversary party.

“It’s all about your ability to keep doing what you would like to in spite of what you have,” Madame Gagnon teaches. “We adjust to new requirements. We have to continue. We have to be without fear.”

She emphasizes the importance of trusting those who care for you:

“Dr. Emilie Trinh, Dr. Murray Vasilevsky, and those nurses!” she exclaims. “This is an extraordinary team. If I didn’t have them—and I’m not talking about them as healthcare professionals, but who they are as people—I don’t think I could have stood.”

Finally, Madame Gagnon says she wouldn’t have come this far without her loved ones, whose attitude towards her health has always been helpful.

Madame Gagnon is featured in this video about peritoneal dialysis.