Pictured: Top Jeff Collins and son Deontra, bottom: Jeff on his candy apple red motorcycle
Jeff met me at the door still wearing his blue and white scrubs, he is smiling happily and reflecting the picture of health. We sha ke hands and Jeff invites me into his home, a warm comfortable house complete with a scruffy little white Terrier named Missy.
Jeff Collins works as a transporter at Nash General Hospital, he has held that position for about 10 years. “A transporter, what do you do exactly Jeff?” I asked. He transports patients between the different units of the hospital, MRI, Day Hospital, endoscopy and sometimes even a last stop…the morgue. Jeff has a unique perspective for patients about to undergo dialysis and especially those trying to choose between the self administered home system called “PD (peritoneal dialysis)” or the in facility process called “HD (hemodialysis)” In his early thirties Jeff found out thorough his doctors that his kidney’s had been deteriorating due to high blood pressure which he did not know that he had for there were no symptoms. Jeff notes that his blood pressure was so high that he was close to a strok e.
Each afternoon around 6:00pm for the past 5 years, Jeff starts the ritual that keeps him alive, the process takes most of the night but when it’s over, he doesn't feel drained or lacking. Jeff administers the PD (peritoneal dialysis) system of dialysis and is glad to have this choice, it suits him and his lifestyle. Peritoneal dialysis according to Davita.com “allows blood to be filtered i nside the body. The fluid is called dialysate, it stays in the abdomen for several hours and absorbs waste and excess fluid from the blood, you drain it out and replace with fresh dialysate.” Jeff explained in detail and displayed the bags of fluid needed to cleanse his system and the cycler machine that he will be connected to for about 10 hours during the night. Peritoneal dialysis uses the thin membrane, called the peritoneum which lines the abdomen to perform dialysis treatments. A cleansing fluid is put into the patient’s abdomen through a small, flexible tube called a PD catheter.
Surrounding the machine which is located in his bedroom, he has all of his electronics, TV, computer, telephone and comforts because the tubing will not allow him to travel the entire house. He encourages others, mainly new dialysis patients at the hospital to try this process and not to be deterred by those who have a lot of negative remarks to say about the home process. Jeff says the Lord has blessed him and he wants to encourage others he tells them the good and the bad, “the good news is that they have a choice the bad news is not doing either one.” But first he asks them “Do you enjoy living?”
Jeff’s son Deontra a fifth grader who has been in and out most of the interview is a wonderful joy and support to Jeff as well as his wife Phyllis who would be home later that evening. In spite of this nighttime ritual=2 0Jeff keeps active, at 47 years old he enjoys biking, bowling, skating nothing is off limits and he certainly enjoys riding his sporty candy apple red motorcycle! Jeff says “Just because I’m on dialysis, it’s not the end of the world, you have to keep active, the more active the better off you will be. Just don‘t give up” I asked Jeff how he kept out of the “why me” syndrome. He stated that it is just a test. One of the contemporary gospel songs that keeps Jeff motivated and up lifted is “Never Could Have Made It” by Marvin Sapp.
With his son Deontra begging to go outside and play and Missy trying to catch flies, we’re about to wrap up and I ask Jeff what keeps him happy and content. “Yeah, he just walked out, that’s what keeps me going right there and of course my wife. I am going to do whatever I can to be here for him.” Jeff was spea king about Deontra his son, he keeps him happy and content.
