Dialysis: cruel and unusual treatment Agonizing wait for a life-saving kidney transplant

Chestnut Hill Local, Philadelphia | Claudio Bordo
Claudia is seen on July 5, the day after her kidney transplant operation at Jefferson Hospital, with her sisters (from left) â€" Jane Pelullo of Lower Gywnedd, Monica Sinker of Ambler, Lois Rosenberg of Ambler and Brenda Gissy of Orlando, Florida. Claudia is holding a “get well” gift from her sisters.

(Ed. Note: Claudia Bordo, 61, was born and raised in South Philadelphia, but she has lived in Chestnut Hill for the past 20 years. Claudia was a much-loved employee of the Chestnut Hill Local from 2001 to 2010, when she had to leave for medical reasons.)

Waiting for a kidney that can save your life is no easy feat, and it’s not for the weak. How do I know? On a hot July day in 2009, I went to the Chestnut Hill emergency room, where the kidney specialist on call told me that I needed to start dialysis right away.

This was something I was trying desperately to avoid. I had gone to the ER because I couldn’t eat or drink for days. I was in total kidney failure, but I tried to keep my composure.

At 16 years of age I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, a chronic inflammation of the small intestines. Two operations left me often malnourished and dehydrated. Kidneys don’t like being dehydrated, and they form stones, which interfere with kidney function.

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