One of these people is David S., a freelance writer from California. David's kidneys failed in 1985. According to David:

"When I first heard that I had to go on dialysis, I can remember thinking that my goose was cooked. That was actually what went through my head! I thought that at the age of 35 my life would end, and I kind of rationalized it in my own mind. I think I was ready to give up. I could never picture myself being hooked up to a machine on a constant basis to keep my life going. I just couldn't accept that at the time. So I was really ready to die."

What does David think about dialysis now? Keep reading this module to find out.

 When should dialysis start?