Get Active in the New Year

2024-03-28T20:59:32-04:00January 12th, 2021|Categories: eNews, Online Courses, Physical Health|

With 2020 behind us, now is the time to plan your resolutions for 2021. Exercise has been shown to positively impact renal function among peritoneal dialysis patients, and the DPC Ed Center has a free course to help you set and reach your exercise goals. 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. By the end of this course, you will be able to: Identify the four components of a well-balanced exercise program Develop a personalized exercise program Identify some [...]

“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 [...]

Are There Living Kidney Donor Registries?

2024-03-28T20:59:36-04:00December 11th, 2020|Categories: Additional Resources, Fact Sheet, Kidney Transplant, The Kidney Citizen|Tags: |

By Harvey Mysel I’ve often been asked: “Where can I register to get a living donor?” Unlike deceased donation where there’s one national list, (although you can multi-list because some areas have a shorter wait time) there’s no such list for someone looking for a living donor. You must find your own living donor. When you do have someone that is able to be a living donor, many are not compatible with their recipient. Thirty to 50 percent of donor/recipient pairs are not compatible with each other. In such a situation the incompatible donor could still help the person in need [...]

Make Your Wishes About You (My Way)

2024-03-28T20:59:37-04:00December 4th, 2020|Categories: Fact Sheet, The Kidney Citizen, Treatment|

By Elizabeth Anderson, LCSW, DSW and Dale Lupu, MPH, PhD When I was first told I had chronic kidney disease (CKD), I was grateful that there were lifesaving treatments, but I was also scared because I didn’t have a plan. I worried that I might be in pain or become a burden to my family. I felt better when I was able to discuss my desires and healthcare decisions with my family and healthcare team. What kind of medical care would you want if you were too ill to express your wishes? Like most people, you may not have thought about [...]

Having a Kidney Transplant During COVID-19

2024-03-28T20:59:40-04:00November 27th, 2020|Categories: Additional Resources, Fact Sheet, Kidney Transplant, Mental Health, Stress Management, Support, The Kidney Citizen|Tags: , |

By Jewel Edwards-Ashman I started the year 2020 anticipating that I’d enter kidney failure and have to undergo my second kidney transplant. But I didn’t expect to start doing home dialysis and eventually have transplant surgery in the middle of a pandemic. Transplant surgery in ordinary circumstances comes with a high level of stress and anxiety. Having a kidney transplant during a public health crisis only exacerbated those feelings for me. To reduce my stress and manage my emotions, here are three things I did: I prioritized self-care. Most Americans, even those who aren’t living with chronic illness, have been experiencing [...]

Older Americans Can Get Help with Their Homes

2024-03-28T20:59:41-04:00November 24th, 2020|Categories: Additional Resources, eNews, Lifestyle|

Habitat for Humanity has a program called Housing Plus/Aging in Place to help older Americans improve their home living conditions and quality of life. Rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach, Habitat assesses and addresses the unique living needs of each person, which may include home repairs, installations of ramps and grab bars, and more. In addition, Habitat connects recipients with other services they need that may address health, isolation, hunger and transportation. Lookup your local Habitat for Humanity to ask about aging in place program availability in your community. Read the full article.

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 [...]

Should I Get a Kidney Transplant?

2024-03-28T20:59:43-04:00November 5th, 2020|Categories: Additional Resources, eNews, Kidney Transplant|

Dialysis patients who are considering whether to pursue a kidney transplant can check out a new resource to help them make that decision. The resource—a guide that was written by patients with End-Stage Renal Disease—provides an overview of the decisions that need to be made when getting a transplant, the rewards and risks involved, and what to expect after the transplant. Patient stories, questions to ask transplant facilities and additional resources are also included in the guide. Download the guide.

COVID-19 Mental Health Toolkit

2024-03-28T20:59:46-04:00October 29th, 2020|Categories: Additional Resources, eNews, Mental Health|

If the global pandemic is starting to negatively impact your mental health, there is a resource that can help you better understand and cope with the feelings you are experiencing. This toolkit includes suggestions for: increasing public awareness, building community capacity, using telemedicine and how to stay ahead of the potential emerging issues. Check out the toolkit.

Medicare Advantage Now Open for Enrollment

2024-03-28T20:59:47-04:00October 15th, 2020|Categories: Costs for Treatment, Fact Sheet, The Kidney Citizen|

Between now and December 7, dialysis patients are, for the first time, able to choose a Medicare Advantage plan for their coverage. Medicare Advantage is an alternative to traditional Medicare run by private insurance companies. To help kidney patients explore their options, Dialysis Patient Citizens has established Dialysis Plan Choice, an online tool designed in collaboration with Consumers’ Checkbook for dialysis patients to quickly and easily compare their current Medicare Fee-For-Service plan with the options available to them through Medicare Advantage. DialysisPlanChoice.org helps patients and caregivers more easily understand what plans are available to them, the costs are associated with those plans, and, most importantly, which plans [...]

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