Abstract
Background: Any chronic illness puts a person and
family at risk of long term suffering, financial depletion
and burden on the caregiver. When it comes to
chronic kidney disease (CKD), the sufferers have to be
dependent on maintenance dialysis weekly twice or
thrice that demands a lot of time and finances. Apart
from that, they face physical symptoms of fatigue,
anaemia, nausea, muscle cramps, fluctuating blood
pressure and many other symptoms. They are asked to
maintain a strict dietary, fluid and medication regimen
in order to support the kidneys. Aims and Objectives:
The current study aimed at exploring the lived experience
of persons undergoing haemodialysis. Material
and Methods: The study was conducted among ten
patients undergoing maintenance dialysis who were
diagnosed as having chronic kidney failure from the
dialysis unit of Kasturba Hospital, which is a tertiary
health care centre in South Karnataka. A qualitative
approach with phenomenological research design was
adopted. Data was obtained through interviews using a
background proforma and semi-structured interview
schedule. The data was analysed using Husserl's
method. The transcripts were coded and analysed for
common categories and themes were derived out of
them. Results: The themes emerged at the end of the
study were mental agony, physical limitations, coping,
financial burden, lack of support, feelings towards the
machine and dialysis, search for hope and betterment,
spiritual coping, marital relationship and sexuality and
uncertainty and fear of tomorrow. Conclusions: The
authors conclude that the individual's life is centred on
negatively oriented cognitions that can be modified
with theoretically oriented interventions like cognitive
behaviour therapy.
Citation
ID:
151155
Ref Key:
valsaraj2014journala