discontinuing kidney dialysis

My 78-yr old mother, a Type 1 diabetic for 62 years, decided to quit her kidney dialysis after much consideration.  After a heart attack, her kidneys finally failed, and she was on dialysis for approx 2 years before she decided to quit.  She never felt any better after the dialysis treatments, in fact she felt worse on those days, and she also gained other symptons such as sharp body pains and fainting spells.  It has been 13 months now since her last dialysis treatment, her creatinine level remains around 3.3, and she has many of the sypmtoms of end stage renal failure, but she keeps on going!  Everything we read on the Internet says most people pass away within weeks/months of discontinuing dialysis, so we don't know what to expect.  She doesn't want to continue feeling lousy all the time, and her doctors keep increasing her medications - to help with nausea, tiredness, recent drastic vision loss, etc.  Do you know of many cases where someone lives for over a year with minimal kidney function?  Her doctors aren't any help explaining what's happening to her, and I live 6 states away!

[khicktx]

I don't know about that condition, but my grandfather passed away last Thursday after a long bout with COPD, Emphsyma, Congestive Heart Failure, and Type 2 diabetes. He has been in and out of the hospital about 10 times since February. The last time they told him it could be within the next week...he made it approx. 4 more weeks...the thing is that what a Dr. will tell you is what the organs and body look like, and what physical nature of things are, by this they give you a certain amount of time that they expect things to go on working. However, they aren't God (or whatever you believe) and cannot predict dates and times.

I have to say that I commend your mother for her courage to quit, but not give up. She seems to be fighting the good fight. Good luck to you and your family as you continue this constant battle of life.

[JDRF-VOL-RL]

Hello.  I'm not a medical professional, just the parent of a kid with diabetes.  Since I'm not a medical professional, I can't really explain what you're seeing with your mother.  I do know that people with a strong will to live, and are surrounded with love, will survive long after what the doctors say they will.  People are amazing sometimes.