By George Rowaxd

By George Rowaxd

Rappahannock News Staff Writer

Who wouldn’t want to go see (impersonators of) Elvis, Neil Diamond, Roy Orbison and Buddy Holly, especially when it’s all for a good cause?

That’s the opportunity the Piedmont Dialysis Patient Fund is presenting music lovers on Aug. 21 at Culpeper County High School. The funds collected will go to help offset the expenses incurred by dialysis patients in Warrenton and Culpeper.

“Dialysis patients have needs for extra funds, to pay for medications, transportation to and from the dialysis centers, even for firewood and fuel,” said Dr. Ken Kometsky, coordinator of the event, and a local doctor of nephrology, which focuses on diseases of the kidneys.

“Most of the costs of the dialysis itself is paid for by Medicare or the insurance companies,” Kometsky stated. “But everyone has medication needs, whether it’s for highblood pressure medications or medications for cholesterol, and because kidney failure is a chronic illness, maintaining a full job is difficult.” Three times a week

For those who don’t know, dialysis is the process whereby a patient’s blood is cleaned of impurities by machines. It’s called for when the patient suffers from full or partial kidney failure. Currently, 300,000 patients are undergoing dialysis nationwide, and 60 in Warrenton.

“Most patients have dialysis three times a week, while some are twice a week, and there are even some who come in only once a week,” Kometsky explained. “In addition to kidney failure, many patients are also suffering from other diseases like diabetes and high-blood pressure.”

The doctor stated that the dialysis centers in Warrenton and Culpeper are constantly on the lookout for grants to help defray the incidental costs associated with the disease.

“We try to get grants from other sources, but you always seem to have more needs than the grants will pay for,” he said.