Background: Chronic kidney disease and its treatment through dialysis represent a profound life transition. While clinical outcomes are well-documented, the subjective, lived experience of patients navigating the dialysis journey is less understood but critical for providing holistic, patient-centered care.

Methods: This qualitative study employed a phenomenological approach. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 25 patients undergoing in-center hemodialysis. Data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis to identify key themes and patterns.

Results: The analysis revealed four central themes characterizing the dialysis experience: ^[1] Loss of Autonomy and Identity, where patients grappled with the treatment's all-consuming schedule and its impact on their sense of self;  ^[]2 Navigating a New Reality, encompassing the physical toll of treatment and the complex process of dietary and fluid management; ^[3] The Dialysis Unit as a Dual Space, describing the unit as both a lifeline and a site of anxiety, and a community of shared suffering; and ^[4] Psychological Turbulence, which included experiences of anxiety, depression, and existential uncertainty about the future.