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About Hannah Bracamonte

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So far Hannah Bracamonte has created 570 blog entries.

Join Us for Our New Patient Support Group!

2024-03-28T20:59:27-04:00February 11th, 2021|Categories: eNews, Mental Health, News & Events, Patient Support Group, Support|

In March we will be launching our first Patient Support Group meeting by telephone. Having a support group has been one of our goals for years and we are happy to announce it is now a reality. We chose to have the group meet by phone instead of online or in a Zoom meeting because we think most everyone has a phone. And we want the support group to be available to all patients at any stage of kidney disease and to their families. On the second Tuesday of each month, at 3:00 pm Eastern, you can call and join in [...]

Dialysis Patients and COVID-19: Should I get the vaccine? If I get the virus, should I take the antibody treatment?

2024-03-28T20:59:28-04:00February 8th, 2021|Categories: eNews, Immunizations, The Kidney Citizen|Tags: |

Written by: Alan S. Kliger, M.D., Clinical Professor of Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, and Co-Chair, American Society of Nephrology (ASN) COVID-19 Response Team. As 2021 unfolds, the COVID-19 pandemic continues. Dialysis patients continue to isolate at home, socially distance from family and friends, use face coverings and precautions traveling to dialysis and in the unit. How will this pandemic end? Many patients have important questions about the new vaccines and about new treatments for the infection. First, some facts about the vaccines: What is a vaccine? An injected vaccine is designed to stimulate your immune system to produce antibodies that [...]

Heart Health and How it Impacts Our Kidneys

2024-03-28T20:59:29-04:00February 5th, 2021|Categories: eNews, Lifestyle, Physical Health, Staying Healthy|Tags: |

While February is usually associated with hearts for Valentine’s Day, it is also American Heart Month, where Americans are encouraged to adopt healthy lifestyle choices in order to prevent heart disease. The heart and the kidneys work closely together, so when one isn’t healthy, it can have  an impact on the other. If you have kidney disease, you also are more likely to have heart disease. So, what are some ways you can help your heart thrive as a kidney patient? Eat a heart-healthy diet (think fruits and vegetables, high quality proteins, and avoiding foods that contain high levels of sodium, [...]

Black History Month and Kidney Health Disparities

2024-03-28T20:59:30-04:00February 1st, 2021|Categories: eNews, Lifestyle, Physical Health|Tags: , |

As many people know, February is Black History Month, and it is important that we take the time to reflect upon, commemorate, and celebrate all the incredible achievements made by African Americans and the impact they have had on the history of the United States. What many do not know though, is the disparity with which kidney disease and illness affects the black community. African Americans comprise approximately 13% of the United States’ population; however, they make up more than 35% of all patients on dialysis due to kidney failure. Additionally, about 4.9 million African Americans over the age of 20 [...]

DPC Education Center Board of Directors Elect New President

2024-03-28T20:59:31-04:00January 15th, 2021|Categories: About DPC Ed Center, eNews|

Merida Bourjolly was elected as the new president for the DPC Education Center by its Board of Directors, effective immediately. Bourjolly has served as a DPC Education Center Board Member since 2018. “It is a privilege to be selected as DPC Education Center's Board President. I want to thank Nancy Scott for her incredible service as the DPC Education Center's President since it was founded in 2012. I look forward to continuing to work to educate and improve patients' lives in this new role,” said Bourjolly. In addition to Bourjolly's new role as DPC Education Center President, Pius Murray was elected [...]

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 [...]

A New Look on Life

2024-03-28T20:59:35-04:00December 23rd, 2020|Categories: Diagnosis of Kidney Disease, The Kidney Citizen|

By Michael Ramirez The worst day of my life became the best day of my life. ''Your kidneys are failing," my physician said to me. My first thought, "What does that mean?" My doctor confirmed, "You need to see a specialist." I learned that a nephrologist is a kidney doctor, and that was the type of specialist I needed. I trusted my doctor so I asked, "Who should I see? Who do you trust?" My doctor referred me to his choice of nephrologist—and so I made an appointment right away. If your doctor says you need to see a nephrologist, don’t [...]

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 [...]

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