Episode 4.2 David Baptist: A social worker who started a non-profit to help his patients

Hosts Maurice Carlisle and Ira McAliley welcome recurring guest Paul Terry. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:21

But who's gonna do it? What technician wants to work there? How about you, Maurice?

SPEAKER_02 0:29

Well, uh oftentimes I feel like I'm already there. Um, but yeah, uh I totally understand what you're saying.

SPEAKER_01 0:36

And um, you know, I mean, uh it seems to me like I mean, there are people that work in in mental health facilities, and and I mean the fact that you're a social worker. I know people who have been social workers who just had to get out because of just their heart couldn't take it. You know what I mean? It's just like you know, I can I can feel your pain and having to even tell the story, you know what I mean? Like I get that that takes its toll on a person. So I don't know if there's like a round, you know, rotation like I got it this week, I'm gonna put it in. You know, I don't know, I don't know what it is, but it it I think it's a great idea. Um, but and I I have to believe that there are human beings out there that would say, all right, I'm gonna take this on, even if it's for a period of time, you know, to be able to have that space available. Um, but yeah, I'm sure it's not people's first choice, you know what I mean? But right, right.

SPEAKER_00 1:33

Well, I would think part of that solution would be like to have a psychiatrist as well as a nephrologist, you know, someone who could give them their meds. I a lot of these people have appointment fatigue. Like even people super anxious, super depressed, you add one more appointment. Yes, I I want to go to therapy, but I don't want one more appointment, one more medicine. No. They're already so tired of seeing doctors and so tired of taking all these meds that even though the hope there of getting better is available and the treatment's paid for and everything's covered, they just don't want to go to another appointment. Wow.

SPEAKER_01 2:17

Wow. So, in that sense, I mean, what are your tools? What do you have that you can, you know, give to those patients?

SPEAKER_00 2:25

Yeah, I have like the hope line. The renal support network has a hope line that's peer-to-peer, just compassion support. It's not therapy, but it's somebody they can talk to. Um there's online like coffee talk support, also renal support network. Great place to look things up. You can check out blogs, which is sometimes helpful. Uh, from the sharp end of the needle. There's some YouTube channels that help people like feel more normal and and deal with their frustrations. I don't think it's the same as therapy, but you know, it helps. Every little bit helps.

SPEAKER_01 3:11

Right. Um, so it when we post this, I hope we can get like a list of some of the resources that you're talking about so that we can list them actually on on screen so people can have access. Um so just to shift gears a little bit, I know you have your nonprofit, the high desert kidney hope. Um, your nonprofit, explain what that does and what that is, and and you know, just let us know, you know, what services are provided that people can take advantage of.

SPEAKER_00 3:44

So we're pretty small uh up in the high desert. We do uh fundraisers, try to earn money, and uh we basically give it away for people who are on dialysis in desperate need. So they don't have a ride, they can't afford their medication copay, their lights are going to be turned off, they're short on their rent. We write them a check, say, all right, you need this. Here you go. This will get you through for now. I wish we had more money available. We would definitely help more people, but that's what we're doing for now.

SPEAKER_01 4:20

That's great. And I think that's a good model for people. I think some, you know, especially when I was younger, like I thought I needed to take on the whole problem, like worldwide, like you know, and as we get older, just know it's like, no, just take care of what you can take care of and inspire other people to take care of what they can take care of. So I commend you for at least taking that bite out of the apple, if you will. Um, you know, and just doing that bit, you know, because I think that inspires people that maybe say, all right, I can do that. I can I can help another five patients or whatever, you know.

SPEAKER_00 4:57

Um yeah, and I get the most support from those people who are seeing it and dealing with it. Technicians, nurses, and other patients are probably the biggest contributors to it.

SPEAKER_01 5:11

Awesome. That's good to know. Um, so we're gonna start to wrap this up, but I'd ask David, what is there that if you had, you know, a nugget or nuggets to give to general population or patients, or what you know, what is it that you would like to let people know coming out of this conversation that they should know?

SPEAKER_00 5:38

Well, for the people who are not on dialysis, be very careful about your diet. Watch the diabetes and high blood pressure. Those are the things that that lead to dialysis the most. Uh for the people on dialysis, I would say look at home dialysis as your module, your way of getting dialysis, your modality. That's really better for your body. It's gonna make you last longer and you're gonna have more freedom. It won't be as much of a burden on home dialysis as it is incenter.

SPEAKER_02 6:18

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 6:20

Great, good, I think, good advice. Um, and that's something that I've learned. My sister does peritoneal. Um, she's actually, we we've had her on and she travels, she's gone to Europe and had her her um solutions sent in the mail and picked them up and taken extra suitcases and gotten on trains and buses and um taking cruises. And she's kind of you know, a two percenter, if you will, but you know, also inspiring people to know that there are some freedoms within. And I think what you just said about, you know, doing home, you know, to try to try to have as much of a quote unquote normal life as possible in the midst of um that. Um Maurice, any anything that you'd like to add to it?

SPEAKER_02 7:08

Yeah, you know, just that the social worker is the key to so many different things. And when patients have problems, what David does is like essential to everything we do. And um, you know, I wish that I could work with the social worker. And I think a lot of other dialogue technicians like me probably want to work with the social worker a lot more because, you know, primarily those are how things are solved. I mean, that is the go-to person in the center when there's problems. And without the social worker, those things don't get don't get fixed. And so just to commend David on what he does.

SPEAKER_00 7:45

Thank you. Yeah, and really I find that to be occupying most of my time is solving issues that you never knew existed. So to say what's in your job description, I'm like the hub of the center, and I solve issues coming from the doctors in, the nurses in, the technician, and the patients, just solving it and making it work to the better. Awesome.

SPEAKER_01 8:11

You're the glue. It takes that.

SPEAKER_00 8:15

Thank you. I appreciate that.

SPEAKER_01 8:17

Yeah. Um, so I hope we can have another conversation moving forward. Um, if there are any things that you feel like we should target and focus on, you know, we can do a special session on that, or if there's you know, some things that you, you know, as now that you've had a conversation with us and know what we're up to, if there's a way that we can help you in any endeavors that you have, whether you're having you know, fundraiser come up or something like that. I don't know, whatever, you know, just let us know. You know, we're building a community, we're building uh, you know, advocates, we're you know, we're building, you know, the team, the big team that is is gonna help help folks out. So um we I'm open to that. I know Morris is because that's who he is. So um we're gonna bring this to a close. Thank you so much, David Baptist, for being a guest with us and for sharing a perspective that I hadn't, you know, I I knew about, but I hadn't heard about and hadn't heard the voice of. So um thank you for doing what you do, you know. Uh thank you for having me. Yeah, sure. And um, with that, we're gonna say goodbye on another episode of What's the Deal with Dialysis? Um, hopefully, having heard this, you've learned some things, gained some perspective on, you know, ways that we can make it better for patients, for their families, for all those involved, for the technicians, for the social workers, for the doctors for that matter. Um, you know, we're gonna keep having these conversations, we're gonna keep inviting more people so that people have a better understanding and we can affect change. So, with that, we're gonna say goodbye, go well into your day, to your night, wherever you are in the world, and just keep inspiring others to inspire others because that's what we do. And um, goodbye. Peace.