Filipe’s story
I started dialysis on 19 April 2017, and initially I didn’t talk about it much. I was in denial, while also hoping, unsuccessfully, for a kidney donor.
However, ten days later, my son Guilherme was born, and I remember thinking: now, I choose to live for you. And I became interested in the disease and the dialysis process, deciding that the disease wouldn’t be stronger than me, and understanding that dialysis isn’t something bad. On the contrary, I am so fortunate that the treatment exists, allowing me to continue my life with those I love, and doing what I enjoy.
Working in tourism
Shortly before I started dialysis, I had opened a tourism company, and become self-employed. I’d invested a lot of money in order to pursue something I really enjoyed, but I was worried about whether I would be able to do it, alongside the tiredness of each dialysis treatment. After much soul-searching, I decided that the days when I had dialysis would be my days off, and that the days without treatment would be my “best” days, when I would need to work twice as hard to compensate for the days when I had to rest. I went to work with a sense of purpose, approaching my potential customers with a reinvigorated spirit. Sales soared, I met the goals I set for my company, and realised the importance and value of adapting to reality.
Travelling for pleasure
At the start of dialysis, I worried that I would never travel again, and thus lose an important pleasure which I shared with my family. And this is where Diaverum has been so inspirational. With the help of my clinic, I learnt that it is easy to continue dialysis while travelling. There are many clinics around the world, but I also needed reassurance that I would find the same level of professional care when away from my home clinic. My first step was to try treatment at a different clinic in Portugal. After that, I decided to go abroad. Prague was the first place I chose. And I remember it as if it were yesterday. Since that time, I have travelled to – and had dialysis in – places that I would never have thought I could visit, including Cuba, Taiwan, Indonesia, Turkey and Israel. The logistics were challenging, ensuring that there were suitable clinics in our chosen destinations. And now we plan our trips around those places. But I can travel, and that’s enough for me: knowing that I can be “on the road”, despite needing regular dialysis, makes me feel good about myself. On a practical level, when travelling in Europe, I don’t have to pay for my treatment, thanks to the European Health Card. And in Europe and beyond, Diaverum clinics in several countries enable us to have our holidays, recharge our batteries and create new family experiences and memories. I feel that, today, I am very much the same Filipe as I was before my treatment started.
Visiting Braga, Portugal
We are an adventurous family, and love each day to be different. Travelling, meeting new people and experiencing new cultures fulfils us as individuals. And that is one reason why, in 2019, two years after I started dialysis, we travelled around the world with our two-year-old son Guilherme. But first, I slowly tried dialysis treatments in Diaverum clinics “out of town” from my home city of Lisbon in Portugal. In these places, I found excellent professionals who always made me feel welcome and at home. They knew my medical background and gave me a lot of confidence during my treatments. While in the north of Portugal, I had the opportunity to go to the Diaverum clinic in Braga and visit one of the most emblematic towns in the country. The small and narrow pedestrian streets, magnificent squares, houses and churches make it such a charming place. The Bom Jesus do Monte Shrine is an essential visiting viewpoint; it will take your breath away. Its huge stairway gives you a perfect view over the town and allows you to enjoy an awesome sunset. The Diaverum clinic is great, located just 10 minutes from the town centre, and I met such nice people there, happily discussing new travel ideas with other patients. Braga is definitely an incredible place to visit in my country.
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