It is important to recognize that each patient’s experience with dialysis can be unique and should be assessed on an individual basis.

That being said, there are several attributes that are commonly associated with military training that could potentially be beneficial for dialysis patients. For example:

  1. Discipline: Military training emphasizes discipline, which can be helpful for patients who need to follow strict dietary and fluid intake guidelines while on dialysis.
  2. Resilience: Military training often requires soldiers to push through physical and mental challenges, which can be beneficial for dialysis patients who may experience fatigue, discomfort, or other side effects of the treatment.
  3. Attention to detail: Military training emphasizes attention to detail and following protocols, which can be helpful for patients who need to adhere to specific medication regimens or take other precautions while on dialysis.
  4. Teamwork: Military training often requires soldiers to work together as a team, which can be beneficial for dialysis patients who may need support from family members, caregivers, or healthcare professionals.

Let’s look in more depth at the second item above, resilience. A dictionary definition is a capacity to withstand or to recover quickly from difficulties, or toughness. Further, resilience is the process and outcome of successfully adapting to difficult or challenging life experiences, especially through mental, emotional, and behavioral flexibility and adjustment to external and internal demands. Isn’t that what’s going on and how Dialysis impacts all of us? We need a degree of resilience to be successfully engaged in dialysis, FOREVER!

US Navy SEALs adhere to the 40% Rule initially compounded by a SEAL named David Goggins. The 40% rule is simple: When your mind is telling you that you’re done, that you’re exhausted, that you cannot possibly go any further, you’re only actually 40% done. Since Dialysis is “never done” for many of us, mentally grab ahold of the 40% Rule for yourself. Internalize it. Make it yours.

Never ring the bell.