Recounting the days of his life – Features

In his softly lit bedroom, former SJSU photojournalism professor Joe Swan looked down at the nonexistent bump in the bed sheet where his legs should be.

“I’m pretty well bedridden,” Swan said in his slow Texas twang. “If I keep getting healthier – if you can use that term for somebody fatally ill – I might try to convert to a wheelchair.”

Within the last year, Swan, 78, has had both legs amputated and has been on dialysis, a process of filtration used when the kidneys stop working, because of complications from diabetes.

He stopped dialysis almost one month ago.

According to the Kidney End-of-Life Coalition, most patients who stop dialysis die within eight to 12 days, although some do live weeks or months.

“‘Brave’ just comes to mind when you’re doing something that will probably actually take your life,” said Debbie Gorman, Swan’s daughter.

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