Since her kidneys failed 11 years ago, Monkia Martins needs machines to clear her blood of toxins.
Monika is at Kelowna General Hospital five days a week for four hours at a time. She can’t go more than one day without it.
“I don’t take any day for granted and I am happy to be alive,” Martins said.
KGH offers dialysis seven days a week, but because there are fewer patients now than in the past, that’s going to change.
The hospital is planning to remove Sunday’s from the dialysis schedule.
“If they don’t have a Sunday run i’m going to have to be Saturday, so in hospital dialysing having to go home and sleep and miss out on pretty much
all the things I love,” Martins said.
Monika’s mother often takes her to see her sister and her family on the coast on weekends, but there won’t be time to get there and back before the work week if they have to leave on Sunday.
And Monika is enrolled in free art classes on Saturdays.
She says when so much of her life is spent hooked up to a machine, little enjoyments mean everything.
“If you don’t have that, what’s the point? Why have I been fighting for so long.”
Dr. Michaud is the Director of Renal for Interior Health. She says by removing Sundays from the schedule, the money can be used to hire an extra nurse for the ward.
She also says the unit will be open longer hours on the six days the treatment will be offered and emergencies are always covered.