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“You Want to Slit My Throat?”: What is a Parathyroidectomy?

2024-03-28T20:59:33-04:00December 30th, 2020|Categories: Fact Sheet, Physical Health, The Kidney Citizen|

By Keith A. Bellovich, DO and Mirjana Dimitrijevic, MD Parathyroidectomy is the surgical removal of one or more of your parathyroid glands. It stems from the Greek ektomia = "cutting out" which means to surgically remove something from your body. The parathyroid glands are made of tissue slightly larger than a single grain of rice, located around your Adam’s apple that produce parathyroid hormone (PTH) and control the levels of calcium in your body. PTH stimulates the conversion of calcidiol (25-hydroxyvitamin D) to calcitriol (activated vitamin D) within kidney tubular cells, which leads to the absorption of calcium in your diet [...]

The “How To’s” to Building a Top-Notch Immune System with Physical Activity and Nutrition

2024-03-28T20:59:42-04:00November 18th, 2020|Categories: Fact Sheet, Nutrition, Physical Health, Stress Management, The Kidney Citizen|Tags: |

By Collette Powers, MA, RDN, LDN, ACSM EP The year 2020 has proven to be a challenging year. Not only have many had to fight COVID-19 head-on, but millions have experienced the repercussions of the pandemic such as job loss, increased anxiety and stress, food insecurity, and social isolation to name a few. As our nation continues to fight this fight, we now have to consider and prepare for other illnesses commonly seen around this time of year such as upper respiratory infections (also known as the common cold), influenza (flu) and pneumonia. With fall here and winter around the [...]

New Online Course About Exercise

2024-03-28T20:59:48-04:00October 6th, 2020|Categories: eNews, Online Courses, Physical Health|

The DPC Education Center just launched a new online course called: Exercise and the Benefits to You and Your Kidneys. Exercise is important for our physical and mental health. This course explains why exercise is important, how it benefits people living with kidney disease and how you can develop a personalized exercise program that will work for you. Check out the Course

Supporting Your Health and Wellbeing Before, During, and After Kidney Transplant

2024-03-28T20:59:52-04:00September 3rd, 2020|Categories: Additional Resources, Fact Sheet, Kidney Transplant, Lifestyle, Mental Health, Physical Health, Stress Management, Support, The Kidney Citizen|Tags: |

By Elizabeth Steinberg Christofferson, PhD and Leah Grande, MA Preparing for and receiving a kidney transplant, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, can be an uncertain and overwhelming process. This article discusses tips to promote positive mental and physical health for yourself or your loved ones. Preparing for a Transplant There are many different emotions associated with deciding to go on the transplant list, and all of these feelings are normal and valid! You may feel excited about the potential for improved health and energy, fewer restrictions on what you can eat and drink (although you still want to eat a [...]

Understanding Chronic Pain and Depression

2024-03-28T21:00:02-04:00July 13th, 2020|Categories: Fact Sheet, Mental Health, Physical Health, The Kidney Citizen|

How Chronic Pain Can Impact Your Mental Health When You Have Kidney Disease By Hannah Calkins Chronic pain and depression are closely linked and because as many as 60 percent of hemodialysis patients report moderate to severe chronic pain, it’s likely that many of them have experienced depression—or are at risk for it. But it may not look or feel the way you expect, according to psychologist Robert Kerns, PhD. “Depression among people with chronic pain may not be experienced as profound sadness,” says Kerns, a professor of psychiatry, neurology and psychology at Yale University. “Other symptoms may be more likely [...]

Spoon-Saving Strategies

2024-03-28T21:00:07-04:00June 15th, 2020|Categories: Fact Sheet, Lifestyle, Physical Health, Stress Management, The Kidney Citizen|

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

2024-03-28T21:00:08-04:00June 8th, 2020|Categories: Fact Sheet, Mental Health, Music, Physical Health, Stress Management, The Kidney Citizen|

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 [...]

Beyond Sanitizing and Social Distancing–A Healthy Circadian Rhythm May Keep You Sane and Increase Resilience to Fight COVID-19

2024-03-28T21:00:20-04:00April 20th, 2020|Categories: eNews, Lifestyle, Mental Health, Physical Health|Tags: |

By Satchin Panda, University of California San Diego Social distancing and washing hands have become the frontline in the fight against COVID-19, but there is another powerfully protective resource immediately available to all: your circadian rhythm. I head a lab that researches circadian rhythms, the daily cycles of bodily functions that form the foundation of good health. These body clocks, found in nearly every organ of the body and part of the brain, are central and vital to a properly functioning immune system. A synchronized circadian rhythm in the lungs, heart, kidney and brain ensures that the processes in our [...]

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