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Health

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Martin Sheyer hopes an invention
he made for his mother will help
other dialysis patients.

BILL CARROLL
Special to the Jewish News

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Tough Task

Home dialysis is a difficult physical
task, especially for elderly people, who
tricken with kidney failure
then must get rid of seven-to-eight-
in her early 70s and facing
pound bags of fluid four-to-five-times
arduous kidney dialysis
daily, trying to avoid spilling the con-
treatments, Betty Starr was
tents and maintaining sterile condi-
ready to "give up living."
tions. The process is done mostly for
"Life was no fun ... and it really
patients in hospitals and clinics, but
still isn't," she said. "But, because of
Mrs. Starr is ambulatory and handles
my son, it's bearable now, and at
it herself
least I can get out and do things
Observing her plight in the Oak
once in a while."
Park home they share, Sheyer
Not only is she benefiting from the
invented a device he calls a "bag-
love and devotion of her
buster," which drains the
son, Martin Sheyer, who is
dialysis bags before dis-
Ma rtin
her constant caregiver, but
posal. "I saw that it was a
Sh eyer
other people may benefit
big problem for her and
an el his
soon from a device he
she said she was ready to
bagb uster.
invented to help those in
just give up," he
the same situation as his
explained. "She said it was
mother.
too tough for her and she
A few years ago, Mrs. Starr's kidney
didn't want to go on. I couldn't let
function began deteriorating and she
that happen and I was determined
was placed on peritoneal dialysis, a
to do something to help her."
condition experienced by thousands
Sheyer, who is an independent
of people in the United States. Several
health insurance agent, lived in
times daily, toxins must be drained
Florida for 12 years after moving
from her peritoneum, the watery
from Oak Park. He returned six years
membrane lining the abdominal cavi-
ago when his mother had surgery
ty. It's done through a tube hooked to
unrelated to the kidney condition. He
a catheter in the cavity. The toxins
remained as her caregiver. He has a
normally are eliminated by properly
BAGBUSTER on page. 86
functioning kidneys.