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My Personal Experience with a Rare Condition

2019-05-10T13:48:13-04:00March 29th, 2019|Categories: Diagnosis of Kidney Disease, In-Center Hemodialysis, Lifestyle, Physical Health, The Kidney Citizen|Tags: |

By Mark Scirocco, Patient Ambassador I have been on in-center hemodialysis for three years. It was a rough start, as I went through 11 chest catheters in a little over a year. Two of them just fell out while I was sitting at home; the others got clogged. The last one almost killed me, stopping fluid in my upper body and head. My fistula was barely ready when they took that one out and placed a stent in my chest to allow fluid past my upper body. Three months after starting my fistula, I needed a fistulogram to open it up. [...]

Free Monthly Webinars/Conference Calls

2019-05-10T13:12:23-04:00March 21st, 2019|Categories: About DPC Ed Center, Costs for Treatment, Diagnosis of Kidney Disease, Early Intervention, Employment, Home Hemodialysis, Humor and Laughter, Immunizations, In-Center Hemodialysis, Kidney Transplant, Lifestyle, Medication, Mental Health, Music, Nutrition, Pediatric Kidney Disease, Peritoneal Dialysis, Physical Health, Sex and Intimacy, Stages of Kidney Disease, Stress Management, Support, Symptoms, The Kidney Citizen, Webinar, What Causes Kidney Disease|

The DPC Education Center invites people living with chronic kidney disease (CKD), end-stage renal disease (ESRD), their families and professional staff to join us for our monthly webinars. You can also join by phone or view the recordings online at a later time. The webinars are planned for the fourth Thursday of the month at 2 p.m. Eastern time zone, except for November and December when they will be held during the third week of the month. You can download monthly webinar fliers to share with others and/or register for webinars at www.dpcedcenter.org/news-events/education-webinars. Join by phone by calling 1-877- 399-5186 and [...]

Advance Care Planning

2019-05-10T12:35:19-04:00March 15th, 2019|Categories: Diagnosis of Kidney Disease, Lifestyle, The Kidney Citizen|Tags: |

By David Mahoney, MD As a member of Dialysis Patient Citizens, you have chosen to become involved, speak up for what is important to you and take charge of the management of your health. Dialysis modality, diet, medications, exercise, management of your other health-related issues, all require your informed decision-making and action. But despite this high level of involvement in their health care, few dialysis patients have addressed the issue of advance care planning. “I don’t want to talk about that now.” “That’s for sick people, and I am doing well.” “That really scares me.” “I am NOT ready to talk [...]

Insights from the Dialysis Patient Citizens 2018 Patient Survey: Patients’ Priorities for Quality Measures and New Innovations in ESRD Care

2019-03-18T13:22:49-04:00March 11th, 2019|Categories: Diagnosis of Kidney Disease, In-Center Hemodialysis, The Kidney Citizen|

By Jackson Williams, Director of Regulatory Affairs and General Counsel, Dialysis Patient Citizens Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC) thanks everyone who completed its 2018 Patient Survey. It is another way to make your voices heard. We use our patient survey to get your input on current issues and to convey your opinions to policymakers in Washington, DC. This year, our survey included questions on two recent developments in Washington: Medicare’s “Meaningful Measures” Initiative: In early 2018, Medicare officials announced plans to reduce the number of quality measures it uses to hold health care providers accountable. This meant that for dialysis care, the [...]

New Course – Sepsis and Kidney Disease

2019-03-08T12:56:02-04:00March 7th, 2019|Categories: What Causes Kidney Disease|Tags: |

Print out the flier The DPC Education Center has a new, easy way to help you learn! We are kicking off National Kidney Month with a brand-new course titled, "Sepsis and Kidney Disease." With this free, online mini course you will learn about sepsis, including its causes and symptoms, and how to get treatment for this potentially devastating and life-threatening condition. Explore topics by watching videos, reading articles and participating in online activities. Go at your own pace as you learn what sepsis is and what actions to take. Be an advocate for your health, and get started [...]

Improvements in Dialysis Care Are Outpacing Other Serious Chronic Disease Conditions – Including Cancer and Heart Failure

2019-03-04T15:07:33-04:00March 4th, 2019|Categories: Costs for Treatment, Diagnosis of Kidney Disease, eNews|

Improvements in dialysis care are outpacing outcomes for other chronic disease conditions, improvements that allow patients with End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) to live longer lives – and yielding substantial savings to Medicare – according to a new fact sheet created from the health care consulting firm Discern Health, which analyzed United States Renal Data System (USRDS) data. An analysis of the USRDS data set by Discern Health reveals that, although ESRD patients are among the most complex and costly Medicare beneficiaries to treat, improvements in dialysis care have led to improvements that translate into larger gains in patient survival than other [...]

Growing Up On Dialysis

2019-05-17T16:11:53-04:00February 25th, 2019|Categories: Lifestyle, Pediatric Kidney Disease, The Kidney Citizen|Tags: |

By Julie Crandall, CBCS, CMAA, Patient Ambassador, DPC Education Center Board Member How was it to grow up with end-stage renal disease (ESRD)? Since I didn’t know any other way; for me, it was normal. I can tell you that in my case, my family was the most important people that helped me navigate childhood. It helped that they didn’t treat me like the ‘sick kid’ of the family; I was a daughter and a little sister. I didn’t know what to focus on for this article. It was difficult to narrow down my childhood with ESRD and dialysis to write [...]

When Your Parent is Sick: Tips for Children on Managing Feelings

2019-03-08T09:40:02-04:00February 11th, 2019|Categories: eNews, Fact Sheet, Mental Health, Pediatric Kidney Disease|

By Elizabeth Lewan, Communications & Grassroots Program Coordinator at the American Psychological Association Having a sick parent can be scary and stressful, especially if there are long hospital stays or physically intense treatments. Having a parent diagnosed with a serious health condition, like kidney disease, can seem especially frightening if you don’t know how it will affect your family. It is estimated that one in seven adults have chronic kidney disease.1 Your parents, doctors and family members can help you get through this tough time. Here are some tips to help you manage your feelings: Prepare for change. You may notice [...]

Become Heart Healthy This February

2019-02-14T15:42:39-04:00February 8th, 2019|Categories: eNews, What Causes Kidney Disease|

February is American Heart Month. Did you know heart disease is the leading cause of death for people with kidney disease? Furthermore, you are more likely to develop heart disease if you have kidney disease. You can make healthy changes to lower your risk of developing heart disease and kidney disease. Controlling and preventing risk factors is also important for people who already have these conditions. To lower your risk: Watch your weight Have your blood and urine checked Manage your blood glucose if you have diabetes Control your cholesterol Keep your blood pressure below 140/90 Be active for 30 minutes [...]

When Your Child Is Diagnosed with Kidney Disease: Tips on How to Cope

2019-06-17T13:20:07-04:00January 3rd, 2019|Categories: eNews, Fact Sheet, Pediatric Kidney Disease|

By Elizabeth Lewan, Communications & Grassroots Program Coordinator at the American Psychological Association Parents want to make sure their child has a healthy and happy life, but sometimes a health complication can change things. Having a child diagnosed with pediatric chronic kidney disease (CKD) can leave parents feeling overwhelmed, anxious and scared for their child’s overall well-being, especially in the beginning. However, you can play an active role in your child’s care and treatment by providing the emotional support he/she needs and educating yourself about kidney disease and its treatments. Below are some tips that parents and caregivers may find helpful [...]

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