That kidney is no longer functioning. However, a new in-home dialysis machine is offering patients like Peterson a new option.

The machine is called the NxStage System One.

"And I have a normal life basically, except for 2 1/2 hours I'm on the machine," Peterson said.

The last time Steve was on dialysis it meant going to a center three days a week, about four hours a session.

Now, dialysis happens five times a week for about two hours a session. However, the machine is portable, which allows for things like vacations.
 
Peterson has been using the system since December and said he notices the benefits.

"Once I got the machine and it cleaned my blood, now I feel like a normal person which is considerably different from being ill," said Peterson.

Dr. Erdal Sarac with The Renal Group For Kidney Care, said his practice was the first to offer this system to patients in the Valley. He has 10 patients on the machine and he said there's a number of advantages.

"One example is they have to take less phosphate binders, which is a common problem in dialysis patients when your kidneys fail. You cannot get the phosphates through the kidneys and when the phosphate levels go up, it causes lots of problems, like vascular heart disease and subsequently stroke," said Dr. Sarac.

Dr. Sarac said those using NxStage must undergo extensive training before they're allowed to take it home. Safeguards are built into the machine, and nurses are available 24/7 for any problems that may arise.

"It takes a committed patient or partner to do this type of dialysis," added Dr. Sarac.

Peterson's wife helps him with the process and he also gets a hand from his friend, Ken Yates, who has also learned the ins and outs of the process. 

"And I got up there and got fascinated with the machine and working with Steve on it, and I said, 'I can do this.' I'm not doing anything, you know," said Yates.

Peterson has the coffee ready for Yates in the morning when he comes over to help with dialysis.

"And it's amazing that I got the support of a friend and family," said Peterson.

His wife is currently undergoing tests to see if she can give him her kidney. He's got a lot to live for.

"I have four grandchildren and they keep you healthy," said Peterson.

Dr. Sarac said in-home dialysis can actually be less expensive than traditional options. Nationwide, about 10 percent of people on dialysis do it from home.

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Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is caused by a kidney's inability to filter waste and unnecessary fluids. Without a functioning kidney, excess fluid accumulates, which can lead to a plethora of complications, including anemia, nerve injury and brittle bones. The National Kidney Foundation reports that 26 million American adults have chronic kidney disease, and millions of others are at increased risk.

Causes
Two-thirds of all CKD instances stem from diabetes or high blood pressure. With diabetes, one's blood sugar is dangerously high, which damages numerous organs, including the kidney.

High blood pressure is when the heart pumps out lots of blood, usually to counterbalance narrow arteries. The increased pressure in the blood stream can damage the kidney, leading to CKD. Also, if one has CKD from a different cause, the disease can cause high blood pressure.

The National Kidney Foundation says other factors can spur CKD: urinary infections, obstructions, lupus, malformations that developed as a fetus, inherited diseases and glomerulonephritis.

Symptoms
Since CKD damages kidneys gradually, symptoms manifest slowly over an extended period. Furthermore, the kidneys are adaptable, so symptoms might not appear until they have irreparable damage. To make matters worse, the disease's warning signs could be indicative of other diseases.

According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms include appetite loss, hiccups, muscle cramps, fatigue, nausea, shortness of breath, vomiting, insomnia, persistent itching and chest pain.

Diagnosis
Doctors can understand a kidney's ability to function by determining your glomerular filtration rate (GFR). A doctor can figure out this rate by administering a blood creatinine test and taking age, race and gender into account.

Michael A Kraus, a nephrologist and professor of clinical medicine at The Indiana University School of Medicine, pointed out that African-Americans are at five to six times higher risk of developing the disease than Caucasians.

An imaging test, such as an ultrasound or CT scan, can provide a picture of the kidneys and urinary tract. This will let the doctor know the size of the kidneys and whether a kidney stone or tumor is present.

With a biopsy, doctors determine the specific type of kidney disease and how much damage has transpired.

Treatment
Treatments vary based on the underlying cause.

Ellie Schlam, vice president of communications at the National Kidney Foundation, says, "For those with kidney disease, it's important to manage blood pressure and blood sugar through lifestyle and medication."

Doctors may prescribe medications to lower blood pressure and cholesterol, relieve anemia and swelling, and protect fragile bones.

CKD almost always develops into end-stage renal disease, loss of sustainable kidney function, which necessitates renal replacement therapy. Survival rates for this disease are very poor. Kraus explained that 50 percent of patients starting on dialysis today will be dead by the end of three years.

Schlam said, "Dialysis, or an artificial kidney, can do the work of the kidney for those whose kidneys have failed." Dialysis removes waste from the blood when the kidney can no longer function.

Kraus says patients with end-stage renal disease should understand the options available to them. "They should be educated in transplantation, home hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis and they shouldn't just accept in-center dialysis."

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