[The experience of a person with chronic kidney disease in hemodialysis].

Our aim was to understand the experience of sickening of a person with chronic kidney disease in hemodialysis. This was a qualitative study, of the case study kind. Data collection was made from February to July 2008, by in depth interview, that happened in a private institution accredited by the Brazilian Single Health System (SUS), in the State of Mato Grosso, Brazil. The data were analyzed through the content analysis method, that made appear the meaning of body, labor daily life, hemodialysis and the machine. From these, we could reach the category "the entrance to the world of hemodialysis". The results showed that living with chronic kidney disease and hemodialysis imposes the need to experience ambiguous feelings of anger and gratitude towards the machine and promotes a biographical rupture. Our conclusion was that professionals who worked with these patients lead an important role in stimulating and emphasizing their patient's autonomy and that this role must be based in the understanding of the each patient's individual values, desires, beliefs and priorities.