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It's Like a Puzzle
Marvin Fifer Jr., 29, is a fast learner. In fact, it only took him a few tries to learn to manage his own hemodialysis machine.
“I catch on to things really quickly,” he says. “The nurse taught me in one day. Now I’m pretty good at it.”
Marvin suffers from high blood pressure and has a family history of kidney disease. He has been on dialysis since 1995. In 1999 he decided to take the self-care route. Now he sets up his own machine, primes the dialyzer, puts in his own needles and draws his own labs. It’s too bad, he says, that some people lose patience before they learn how to use the machine. “I try not to get frustrated. The nurses and techs are here in case I need some help. I figure if I have to do it, I might as well do it myself.”
Marvin works as a small engine mechanic in Olive Branch, Miss., only five minutes away from the Southaven clinic. He believes that his ability to work on lawnmowers, chain saws and lawn equipment has helped him manage self-care and his machine. “It’s sort of like a huge puzzle. I like figuring out puzzles, putting them together in sequence,” he says. “It’s like at the shop. I might have a thousand pieces of a motor lying on the floor, but I can put it back together.”
Marvin now has his blood pressure under control and he’s working to lose more weight in order to qualify for the kidney transplant list. In the meantime, whether at home, work or on dialysis, he’s ready to figure out whatever puzzles life throws at him.
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