David Lum
鈥淭hose dumb mistakes, you learn from. They make you who you are.鈥� A few years ago, David Lum was all about his career, maintaining electronics to keep planes flying on the whole West Coast. 鈥淏urning myself out without realizing it,鈥� he said. 鈥淟iving in airports. Eating terrible stuff. Not drinking liquids. Not exercising. Ignoring my blood pressure and saying I鈥檒l deal with that later. I have no regrets. I got the material goods, I got the career of my dreams.鈥� Life changed with his kidney failure, peritoneal dialysis and the unexpected death of his wife of 27 years. 鈥淭he first thing you have to learn is acceptance. I have a great life, but it鈥檚 simpler now. And now being simple makes me happy.鈥�
Jackie Brown
Jackie Brown was 13 when she was diagnosed with diabetes. She learned that kidney disease is a common complication, but managed to avoid it for years with careful blood pressure management, diet and exercise. In 2010, age 35 and finally facing kidney failure with a husband and two kids, she chose to go home. 鈥淗ome hemodialysis is great 鈥� I have more freedom, free rein on what I do, when I want. I spend more time at home, spend more time with my family. I like doing it by myself and for myself. I have that spirit of independence. Being able to be independent with dialysis lets me feel that I鈥檓 getting revenge on the diabetes.鈥�
Bonnie Martin
Bonnie Martin still entertains almost every day even though she鈥檚 retired from the family business running hotels and restaurants in Buckley. She drives to 天堂影院 in Enumclaw at 5:30 a.m. to be the day鈥檚 first patient. That way she鈥檚 finished in time to stop by the senior center or work at maintaining her status as 鈥済arage sale queen.鈥� 鈥淓verything changed all at once,鈥� when Bonnie鈥檚 husband died and her kidneys failed in 2013. 鈥淚鈥檓 not a candidate for a transplant. I said, 鈥楪ive those kidneys to a younger person.鈥� Without dialysis, they鈥檙e going to throw dirt in my face. I knew I needed to be tough to keep going.鈥�
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