First Nations patients who relocate from rural areas to cities for dialysis face significant challenges, the Canadian Journal of Rural Medicine reports (2003;8[1]:19-24).
Researchers interviewed patients from across Northwestern Ontario who had been undergoing dialysis for from 6 months to 5 years. Patients who had to leave home for treatment had physical symptoms, such as loss of appetite, following the move, and also felt less independent because they were less self-sufficient and missed being able to contribute to their own community. “I don't have any friends any more,” said one. — Brian Whitwham, CMAJ