It’s All About the Journey: Jimmie and Dawn Take Their Passion for People and Places to a New Level

Dawn and Jimmie share several common interests, from live music, to motorcycles, to camping. But two things they are particularly passionate about are travelling and teaching people about the benefits of more frequent home hemodialysis (HHD).

“Go big and not go home…”

 
Previously, we chronicled the couple’s 2021 RVing trip, which convinced them to “go big and not go home.” They bought a 31 foot RV and got back on the road, visiting memorable places and people across the US over a 3-month span. They’ve seen some of their best friends, rocked out to some favorite bands, watched the sun set on a New Hampshire lake, and shown hundreds of people that having end stage kidney disease (ESKD) doesn’t mean you’re stuck in one place. We caught up with the pair toward the end of their excursion to ask a few questions:

Telehealth is one reason you could be away from home for so long. Could you explain?

Of course! One of the few benefits that came from the COVID-19 pandemic was that many doctors’ offices started using telehealth more, and now Medicare allows for two consecutive monthly telehealth visits. Jimmie’s doctor is embracing the policy so Jimmie only needs to go see them in person once every three months! That’s how we were able to be on the road for so long, and we came home in time for the third visit. The policy is giving way more freedom and flexibility to home dialysis patients.
 

Besides the length, what was different about this trip compared to the last journey?

The biggest change is the new RV. It’s exactly what we’ve always wanted. It has a giant private bath with a huge shower, a private bedroom, and the dinette folds into another bed. We also have a full kitchen with oven, microwave, refrigerator, and freezer. It has everything we need to be comfortable and for Jimmie to do his HHD treatments.

“We’ve done treatments in so many places. Friends’ houses, campgrounds, truck stops, parking lots. The NxStage system is so transportable, it gives us the freedom to do dialysis when we want, where we want.”*

Is it difficult to do dialysis in an RV, or while traveling?

Actually, it’s very easy for us. We can take the machine out of the travel box and get it set up in about 10 minutes. After that, it’s just like being at home. We’ve done treatments in so many places. The NxStage system is so transportable, it gives us the freedom to do dialysis when we want, where we want.*

How do you make sure Jimmie can comfortably dialyze when and where he needs to?

In the RV there are two big recliners side by side and the machine is right next to him, just like at home. It’s extremely comfortable! We can sit and watch TV while he does his treatments, and visitors can see him from the door. We also made sure our RV has plenty of room to store two weeks of dialysis supplies, including several dozen boxes of bagged dialysate. Lastly, we bought a generator that can run on gas or propane. That way, if we don’t have access to electricity, we can use the generator to power his machine.

How did you manage getting supply shipments while traveling?

We arranged it with our Nurse and NxStage Customer Service ahead of time. We told them we needed seven travel orders and gave them the dates and the addresses. It was easy. If we needed to change any of the details, we just called NxStage and it was handled.

How many states have you visited?

We’ve been to 23 states throughout the Midwest, the South, and the Northeast. It’s been incredible.