Is a Transplant Right for Me?
During this webinar You will learn about 1) The risks vs benefits of a transplant, 2) The choice of a deceased vs living donor, 3) How to find a living donor, and 4) Tips from patients’ own transplant experiences.
4 Cereales integrales para incorporar en tu alimentación
Por María Eugenia Rodríguez León, MS, RD, CSR, LND, Nutricionista Dietista Licenciada https://menutritionpr.com Una de las recomendaciones para llevar una alimentación saludable es que la mitad de los cereales y farináceos que comemos sean integrales. Se ha demostrado que los cereales y farináceos integrales ayudan en la prevención de algunas enfermedades (ej. diabetes, cáncer, alta presión y enfermedades cardiovasculares).1 Un grano integral tiene las tres partes originales de la semilla: salvado, germen y endospermo.2 Salvado: es la parte comestible del exterior de la semilla. Contiene antioxidantes, vitaminas del complejo B y fibra. Germen: es el embrión de la semilla. Es [...]
4 Whole Grains to Add to Your Diet
By María Eugenia Rodríguez León, MS, RD, CSR, LND, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist https://menutritionpr.com One of the recommendations given for following a healthy diet is choosing half of your daily grains as whole grains. Whole grains can help in preventing some diseases (e.g., diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure and heart disease).1 A whole grain has the three original parts of the seed: bran, germ and endosperm.2 Bran is the edible part surrounding the seed. It contains antioxidants, B vitamins and fiber. Germ is the seed embryo. It is the part that has the potential to become a new plant. It contains [...]
Spoon-Saving Strategies
By Sara Naveed Raise your hand if getting out of bed feels like an accomplishment to you, if you have ever felt the need to nap after taking a shower or if being tired feels like it's a part of your personality now! How about constantly finding yourself in a push/crash cycle—pushing way past your limit one day and then paying the price for it in the form of heightened symptoms and having to rest several days in order to recover? Don't worry—you're not the only one! We currently live in an era where we are constantly fed the narrative that [...]
Managing Chronic Pain in Dialysis Patients
By Amanda Nelli, MD and Padma Gulur, MD Pain is a complex symptom and a common concern for all patients with a chronic illness. In particular, end-stage renal disease (ESRD) poses unique challenges. It has been found that 37-50 percent of patients with ESRD on hemodialysis experience chronic pain, and more than 80 percent of these patients experience moderate to severe pain.1 Pain in dialysis patients often goes undertreated, which may be because it is often caused by multiple problems. The pain experienced in dialysis patients is often a combination of physical, social and psychological influences.2 There are multiple medical [...]
Are You Scared or Anxious about COVID-19?
Updated September 10, 2020 We are living in a time of uncertainty with the COVID-19 pandemic, which can lead to stress, fear, depression, and anxiety. We may feel overwhelmed at times and bored at other times. We may be at a loss for how to cope with social distancing, not seeing friends and family, and the possibility of getting sick. If you are a dialysis patient, receiving treatment either in-center or at home, your facility social worker is a great resource for you. Or, if you are a transplant patient, you can talk to your transplant social worker for support. [...]
Bone Mineral Disorder: Calcium, Vitamin D and Phosphorus
During this webinar, you will learn about: 1) The relationship between kidney disease and your bones, 2) Bone Mineral Disease and 3) How diet impacts renal bone mineral disorder.
Advancing Care Coordination for Dialysis Patients: An Update
By Jackson Williams, Vice President of Public Policy, Dialysis Patient Citizens Efforts to modernize the delivery of quality care to dialysis patients reach several milestones in 2020: Medicare’s first care coordination program for kidney care, the Comprehensive ESRD Care Model, expires at the end of this year; providers have been invited to participate in a new program, the Comprehensive Kidney Care Contracting Model; end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients will, in October, for the first time have access to their choice of Medicare Advantage plans effective January 1, 2021; and a new bill is being introduced in Congress to create another integrated [...]
Treatment of Hyperkalemia in Dialysis Patients
Hyperkalemia is a potentially life-threatening electrolyte disorder and is more often seen in people who have End Stage Kidney Disease than the general public. For people WITHOUT kidney failure, potassium, an important mineral within the body, helps regulate fluid balance, muscle contractions and nerve signals. When people eat more potassium than their body needs, the kidneys filter and excrete out any extra through the urine. However, when the kidneys do not work, potassium can build up in the blood and cause hyperkalemia/high potassium. You can learn more about foods high in potassium and hyperkalemia in Issue 10 of our patient newsletter, [...]
Reflections from 45 Years on Dialysis
By Jack Reynolds, DPC Board Member I have survived on in-center hemodialysis for the last 45 years. I have also received Medicare for all those years to pay for most of my dialysis and other medical needs. I currently reside outside the village of Palmyra, Iowa. One of the first group of Patient Ambassadors to advocate in Washington, D.C. in 2005, I have visited Capitol Hill many times since. Because of the cost, time and effort it takes to keep a kidney patient healthy, I feel that it is important to be aware of issues and legislation that can impact our [...]