What can we expect, end of life with kidney failure

[Whenwintersover]

My Dsis DH is at the end of his life, he’s had cancer for 8 years, had been fairly well until six months ago but things have definitely deteriorated.

The disease (and some of his meds) are fast reducing his kidney function. He’s been told there’s not long to go before he will be in kidney failure and at that point he will have about six weeks to live.

DSIS can only concentrate on one day at a time, is flat out with her DH in hospital and looking after her family. She’s told me at the moment she can’t bear to ask such questions.

I am retired and trying to help her as much as is possible and would like to try find out and understand kidney failure so I can best support them both

will she be able to cope with him at home in those final weeks?
how is he likely to be, sleepy, in pain etc etc.

thank you

Hasn’t he been offered dialysis?
Someone going through the same thing and has been offered it.
Get in contact with the renal department at local hospital and ask for help

My late husband’s kidneys had failed, and while he went on to dialysis followed by a transplant (which subsequently failed) it wasn’t the kidney failure that always the main cause of death.

But what can say is that in the months leading up to dialysis he got increasingly tired, retained a lot of fluid so looked bloated, had very itchy legs and also took on a jaundiced look. Even later in life, some 10 years after the transplant failed and when he was back on dialysis, if he left it too long between dialysis sessions the beginnings of single effects were noticeable. He was (supposedly…) on restricted fluid intake and there were dietary constraints as well. Though that perhaps won’t be such an issue for your BIL.

He never reached the stage where he was in pain…but sleepiness was noticeable. Effectively the body is poisoning itself I guess. Let me know if you have any questions.

If she takes him home they will supply a hospital bed and any other equipment needed such as a hoist. He will need carers - she couldn’t possibly manage without. When DM was End of Life the GP prescribed a carrier bag full of drugs (literally) and the district nurses would come to administer them. A carer would sit with her at night but for the last few nights a nurse from the Palliative Care team at the local hospice sat with her so we could get some sleep.
We had refused to allow DM to be taken back to hospital (she had signed a DNR) but you need to think very carefully about taking someone home as once you do they are no longer the responsibility of the hospital doctors and you have to rely on your GP. Kate Garraway admitted she hadn’t realised this when she took her husband home.