Medical situation hinders couple

When people pull up stakes and move, they are frequently headed toward a better life. This husband recently had to leave a quaint and quiet North Idaho town where he had lived for 20 years, in order to get more efficient access to dialysis.

"My wife and I just can't make the long drive anymore," he said. "We're too weak and currently I need to go for treatments three times a week."

He has been on dialysis for almost eight years, he said. A combination of a silent heart attack and diabetes brought him to that place.

The need for four-hour treatments forced him into early retirement, the former state worker said.

"Yes, I miss it," he said. "I miss the camaraderie."

This man's wife is also unwell. Several years ago she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

"It comes and goes for her," the husband said. "You never know what will happen. She's taking medication that's supposed to help her, but it's not a cure. She's been in a wheelchair and she's been blind, but every time, so far, she has always come out of it."

He said that he plans to continue with his dialysis because he doesn't believe he is any longer a candidate for a transplant. "It takes six or eight years to get one and, at this time, my heart is not that good, either.

"I take it a day at a time," he said. "Dialysis is just a part of my life like anything else. The best thing I could get this holiday season? I'd love a peaceful and cheerful Christmas."

With our readers' assistance, Press Christmas for All works to brighten the holidays for people like this - the jobless, homeless, those who are barely making ends meet, individuals with disabilities or illnesses. Many are alone this holiday season.

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