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Choosing the Right Path: My Journey with Home Hemodialysis

2026-01-09T14:01:19-05:00January 5th, 2026|Categories: Dialysis, Home Hemodialysis, In-Center Hemodialysis, Kidney Transplant, Quality of Life, Support, The Kidney Citizen, Treatment|

Amber Gardner, DPC Patient Ambassador When I was diagnosed with kidney failure in 2023, it came as a shock. I had gone to the doctor for high blood pressure, but soon learned that my kidneys were failing. Suddenly, I was faced with decisions that would affect every part of my life – which treatment option to choose, how to adjust my routine, and what this diagnosis meant for my future. With a background in journalism, research has always been second nature to me. I spent hours learning about dialysis – comparing hemodialysis (HD), done through the arm or [...]

Treatment Options for End Stage Renal Disease

2026-01-09T13:37:42-05:00January 5th, 2026|Categories: Dialysis, Hemodialysis, Home Hemodialysis, In-Center Hemodialysis, Kidney Transplant, Peritoneal Dialysis, Quality of Life, The Kidney Citizen, Treatment|

Nancy Scott, DPC Education Center Project Manager Many patients crash into dialysis and are placed into in-center dialysis centers. Hopefully, more providers are educating patients about treatment options. When patients are engaged and educated about their respective conditions, they tend to have a better quality of life both physically and mentally. The world of kidney disease is forever changing and making a significant impact on the journey of renal patients. Explore Potential Treatment Options for Kidney Failure[1] A kidney transplant is often the best possible treatment option for patients with kidney failure. If you aren’t eligible for a [...]

Finding My Path Through Treatment Options

2026-01-09T13:00:21-05:00January 5th, 2026|Categories: Dialysis, Home Hemodialysis, In-Center Hemodialysis, Kidney Transplant, Peritoneal Dialysis, Quality of Life, Support, The Kidney Citizen, Treatment|

Cheri Rodriguez Jones, DPC Board Secretary I was seven years old when doctors diagnosed me with a rare kidney disease. The 1980s and 90s didn't offer much in terms of treatment – just managing symptoms and preserving kidney function as long as possible. Hospital visits became routine. At 19, after some tests, my doctor called with surprising news: "You need to start dialysis." While unexpected, I'd always known dialysis was coming eventually. By then I was already a mother to my infant son. Discovering What Worked for Me The medical team recommended peritoneal dialysis so I could do [...]

Let’s Get Away!

2025-06-09T16:40:04-04:00June 4th, 2025|Categories: Dialysis, eNews, Hemodialysis, Home Hemodialysis, In-Center Hemodialysis, Lifestyle, News & Events, Nutrition, Peritoneal Dialysis, Quality of Life, Staying Healthy, Treatment|

Are you ready to take a small trip, a vacation or a weekend getaway? Every month, we bring you current renal news articles but we have decided to focus on travel tips for renal patients. Many patients are reluctant to travel for many reasons but hopefully, these tips will help you to feel more confident as you plan to travel. Get excited, plan a trip, enjoy the summer! The following tips are being shared with you from DaVita Kidney Care (www.davita.com). Vacation on Dialysis  People on dialysis can enjoy different types of vacations. You can set sail on a cruise ship, book a [...]

The Importance of Immunizations for People with Kidney Disease

2024-11-13T09:58:16-05:00November 4th, 2024|Categories: Dialysis, eNews, Hemodialysis, Home Hemodialysis, Immunizations, In-Center Hemodialysis, Peritoneal Dialysis, Physical Health, Staying Healthy|

Living with kidney disease presents unique health challenges, including an increased susceptibility to infections. Immunizations play a crucial role in protecting people with kidney disease, including those on dialysis or with a kidney transplant, from preventable diseases. This article will discuss the importance of vaccines in general and those protecting against respiratory illness specifically, the risks associated with not being vaccinated, and concerns related to misinformation on vaccination decisions.

Sometimes It’s a Blessing in Disguise

2024-09-23T13:54:22-04:00September 23rd, 2024|Categories: Dialysis, Hemodialysis, Home Hemodialysis, In-Center Hemodialysis, Lifestyle, Mental Health, Peritoneal Dialysis, Physical Health, Quality of Life, The Kidney Citizen|

By Layce Ryan, DPC Patient Ambassador I remember when I first learned about my kidney disease. I was a college student living in Kalamazoo, Michigan, when I suddenly fell very ill. After running some tests, the doctors diagnosed me with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), a type of chronic kidney disease (CKD), which is the early stages of full kidney failure, also known as End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). In an instant, my life changed dramatically, and I was faced with the reality that the worst was yet to come. It would be 10 years before I began dialysis [...]

DPC’s 2024 Advocacy Day and 20th Anniversary Celebration

2024-09-23T13:54:12-04:00September 23rd, 2024|Categories: Costs for Treatment, Dialysis, Hemodialysis, Home Hemodialysis, In-Center Hemodialysis, Kidney Transplant, Peritoneal Dialysis, Quality of Life, The Kidney Citizen, Treatment|

Megan Hashbarger, DPC Vice President of Government Relations This past May, DPC hosted our annual Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C., where we brought together patients, family members, and care givers to meet with their Members of Congress to elevate the patient story for dialysis patients. This year, we had 65 advocates attend, representing 25 states, who had almost 80 Congressional meetings. Our patients spoke to Congressional offices asking them to support H.R. 6860 – The Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act and H.R. 5027/S. 4469 – The Chronic Kidney Disease Improvement in Research and Treatment Act. These two [...]

DPC’s 2023 Advocacy Day

2024-04-26T15:39:19-04:00April 26th, 2024|Categories: Dialysis, Hemodialysis, Home Hemodialysis, In-Center Hemodialysis, Kidney Transplant, Peritoneal Dialysis, The Kidney Citizen|

Megan Hashbarger, DPC Vice President of Government Relations In October 2023, DPC held its’ annual Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C. This year, we were able to bring over 50 patients to D.C. from 23 different states. Unfortunately, due to Covid complications and for the best safety of our patients, we did end up having to make their Hill meetings virtual. Despite this, we were still able to meet with almost 60 Congressional offices about issues facing dialysis patients such as the need for access to Medigap and private insurance. We were also able to host a day of [...]

A Look at Home Hemodialysis

2024-03-28T20:57:18-04:00August 3rd, 2023|Categories: Dialysis, eNews, Hemodialysis, Home Hemodialysis, Peritoneal Dialysis, Quality of Life, Treatment|

Summary by V. Scantlebury, MD, FACS Home dialysis modalities, which include home hemodialysis (HHD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD), offer several benefits for patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). Home dialysis is associated with improvements in blood pressure, less issues with mineral metabolism, better sleep quality and improvement of left heart enlargement. It also allows patients the flexibility of adjusting their own dialysis schedule with more time and less cost of traveling to the dialysis center. However, despite these advantages, only 2% of all dialysis patients in the d U. S.  and 3-6% in Canada are on HHD.  The authors from a [...]

Ask the Doctor

2024-03-28T20:57:29-04:00June 14th, 2023|Categories: Costs for Treatment, Dialysis, Hemodialysis, Home Hemodialysis, In-Center Hemodialysis, Kidney Transplant, Medication, The Kidney Citizen|

Velma Scantlebury, MD, DPC Education Center Health Care Consultant 1. Four hours is too long for me to sit in dialysis. Do I have to attend every treatment? Answer: Think of dialysis as being the only way to get the toxins out of your body from the food that you consume everyday - three times a day. When you lose kidney function and are on dialysis, you are usually then only cleansing your body every other day. Those toxins will build up and can cause your body to deteriorate over time. Missing dialysis is harmful to your body. [...]

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