By:Robert Remler
Edward Czerwiniski might have been sitting in a beige, leather reclining chair, but he was hardly feeling comfortable. March might be Kidney Awareness month, but for Czerwiniski, the awareness lasts year-round.
The 69 year-old Valley Stream resident was receiving his second of three weekly dialysis treatments at the West Nassau Kidney Dialysis Center, off Rockaway Boulevard. One of 32 patients who receive treatment at the center, Czerwiniski has been going there since November.
"My kidney gave out and I have high blood pressure," he said.
"There are no drugs to treat chronic kidney problems," said Dr. Vincent Avila, who noted that patients who come to the center are already taking as many as 20 medications to treat illnesses other than kidney failure. "Once you reach this point," said Avila, "dialysis is a better choice than letting nature take its course." He described kidney dialysis treatment as a "life saver."
Each dialysis session runs for four hours. Two sets of clear plastic tubes run from the patient's arm into a 4-foot high by 2-foot wide machine. One set takes poisoned blood out of the body and the other flows purified blood back into it. The blood flows into a disposable filter that is attached to the dialysis machine. The tubes with the poisoned blood are marked with red plastic for the staff's protection. Waste is sent through a pipe to a central drain and later removed under health department guidelines.
Czerwiniski, who looked frail and whose skin was pale, said that at the end of his treatments he felt "fair." His wife, who accompanies him to each treatment, stood beside her husband as his blood was being purified of poisons. "The treatment has helped," she said.
In coming years, as the population continues to age, the incidence of chronic kidney failure is expected to increase, according to the state Department of Health. The major cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension, diseases that affect the elderly.
The West Nassau center opened in October and is one of 15 such centers in Nassau County, according to the National Kidney Foundation. Only two of its available four shifts are operational, but the others are expected to be utilized as time goes on. The 24 chairs in the center are spaced ten feet apart in a series of six rows. State law mandates the distance between machines to prevent contamination. The configuration of the chairs allows the patients to look at one another or watch programs on overhead television sets while receiving treatment.
The machine-dependent process lets patients lead "a normal life" when not undergoing their dialysis treatment, said Mayette Casco, chief administrator at the center. The routine of regular treatments also creates a family atmosphere, she said. "You get to know the patients and their families."
That familiarity has its price, though, because dialysis is only a treatment and not a cure for kidney failure, though patients are known to receive treatment for as many as 15 years. Casco said that the most difficult part of her job is dealing with the death of a patient. She has learned that it is important to be "emotionally strong" in order to help surviving and new patients.
The center has a full-time social worker on staff to address consequences of becoming dependent on a machine for survival, as well as other issues. Stuart Miller said that he helps patients deal with problems that range from not being able to work to anger management. Advice is offered not just to patients but to family members, too.
"We provide emotional support," he said.
Lectures and meetings
Winthrop-University Hospital in Mineola is sponsoring a free lecture for women experiencing urinary incontinence at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 21. Winthrop is also sponsoring a free lecture for parents and daughters who want to learn how to survive adolescence, at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 28. Winthrop additionally will host a lecture for women battling cancer, at 7 p.m. Monday, April 2. Seating is limited for all events. Call (516) 663-2361. ... Free lectures are offered each Tuesday at
Franklin Hospital Medical Center in Valley Stream. On the first Tuesday of each month a support group will meet and discuss "Really Living With Chronic Illness." On the second Tuesday of each month the support group "Caring For Self When Caring For Others" meets. "Cancer, Gaining a New Perspective" is scheduled to meet the third Tuesday of each month. "Stress --What's That?" a management group will meet the fourth Tuesday. All meetings are in Franklin's Shankman Auditorium at 7 p.m. ...
The Heart Center at St. Francis Hospital is planning three events between Friday, March 30 and Wednesday, April 4. A free lecture on "Congestive Heart Failure" is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Friday, March 30. A stress management course will begin Tuesday, April 3 and run through Tuesday, April 24. Class is from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Fee for the four sessions is $100 per person and $150 per couple. "The Heart of Good Eating," a one-hour class, is at 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 4. Cost is $10 per person or $15 for two family members. For further information on these events, call (516) 629-2069.
Volunteers needed
Mercy Medical Center's Volunteer office is seeking people to assist in various programs. Volunteers are needed in the Thrift Shop, pharmacy, Silver Spoon department, front desk and gift shop, messenger unit, patient transportation, patient library and clerical departments. If you or someone you know might be interested in volunteering, please call (516) 705-1391.
