By George Harper, M.Ed., Ed.S.

On the fifth anniversary of his death on March 22, 2001, I write to remember my dear friend and former AAKP president, Dr. Peter Lundin. I hope the entire renal community will remember with me this extraordinarily compassionate nephrologist and kidney patient.

Under circumstances I have always considered guided by a higher power, I first met Peter aboard a cruise for dialysis patients only two months after I started dialysis in 1980. He substituted at the last minute for the scheduled nephrologist who had to cancel. I was a greenhorn dialysis patient who thought I could live only a few years on dialysis. After all, my two older brothers had fallen before me with the same hereditary nephritis before dialysis was available. I was anxious and clung to a crude parallel plate dialyzer I had brought with me from my home supplies. It was my security blanket for my first trip away from home after starting on home hemodialysis.

I clearly remember the day I first met Peter when he made his first round to each patient on board the cruise ship. He said, “George, I’d like to try you on a hollow fiber dialyzer. I think you’ll get a better clearance and will do fine.” I immediately sensed I was in the presence of an unusual person. My anxiety melted away, and I immediately trusted him.

Later, we dialyzed together in the ship’s hospital. Like Superman might have done, he walked into a telephone booth a nephrologist, and came out a dialysis patient. As we dialyzed together, he talked freely and openly with me like an old friend and discussed dialysis with great zeal. I was spellbound.

I then began to realize that he was not like any doctor I had ever met, nor like any patient. He was someone unique and special. He was an extremely bright and gifted doctor, but at the same time, he was inspirational. He was kind, unassuming, and had little interest in material possessions. His passion was practicing medicine and helping kidney patients. He and his wife Maureen and my wife Irene and I found we had much in common, and a long-lasting friendship began.

When I returned home I was a changed person. He had inspired me, infused me with confidence, and began to mentor me as I, too, became a successful long-term dialysis patient and advocate. At the next appointment, I told my nephrologist I wanted a hollow fiber dialyzer with the highest urea clearance available. I was now taking control of my treatment – one of the keys of long-term survival with kidney failure. Peter quickly involved me with the AAKP also where I met a small core of long-surviving dialysis patients from whom I continued to learn.

With his inspiration, I completed 21 years of home hemodialysis and have now had a kidney transplant for four years. During that time his influence led me to be an active patient advocate and contributing member of the kidney community. From Peter, I learned to nurture and support other kidney patients and hopefully convince them that they can live a long and productive life.

My friend Peter continues to live on in my heart. Shortly after I learned of Peter’s death in 2001, a patient who just had an access put in called me to ask for advice. I responded to the patient with an extra measure of enthusiasm and zeal, and that was when I realized that Peter had become a part of me and continues to inspire me.

George Harper, M.Ed., Ed.S., a 21-year home hemodialysis patient, received a kidney transplant in January 2002. He has been an active patient advocate since 1980 and is a former vice president and board member of AAKP. He and his wife Irene were the 1991 recipients of AAKP’s highest volunteer award for service to the organization – the Samuel Orenstein Award. Since 1987, he has been the Patients’ Perspective editor of Nephrology News and Issues and currently serves on its editorial advisory board, and has written articles for several other renal-related publications as well.

This article originally appeared in the March 2006 issue of aakpRENALIFE, Vol. 21, No. 5.

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