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Why do I need my Parathyroid glands removed?

2024-03-28T20:57:17-04:00August 22nd, 2023|Categories: Dialysis, eNews, Physical Health, Staying Healthy|

By V. Scantlebury, MD, FACS Chronic kidney disease is associated with phosphate retention due to a decrease in the ability of the kidneys to filter phosphate, especially as your kidney function falls below 25 ml/min. Once you start renal replacement therapy, there is an accumulation of phosphorus that is not removed by dialysis treatments. This occurs because of both decreased filtration and decreased excretion of phosphate in various areas of the kidney. High phosphate levels are a stimulus for hyperparathyroidism: the over secretion of parathyroid hormone (PTH) from the glands. There are usually four parathyroid glands located in the neck, all [...]

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 [...]

ESRD and COVID-19 VACCINATION

2024-03-28T20:57:20-04:00June 30th, 2023|Categories: Dialysis, eNews, Immunizations, Kidney Transplant, Physical Health, Staying Healthy|Tags: |

By V. Scantlebury, MD, FACS, DPC Education Center Healthcare Consultant Patients with ESRD have a reduced response to immunizations compared to the general population. This is because the response of their immune system is suppressed, leading to the inability to adequately form an antibody response or maintain antibody titers over time.  The low antibody response appears to be correlated with the degree of kidney failure. Despite the inadequate antibody response, getting vaccinated is still recommended and is most important for patients who are immunocompromised. Just as the annual influenza vaccine is updated every year to cover the most prominent strains of [...]

Dialysis Cruising

2024-03-28T20:57:21-04:00June 14th, 2023|Categories: Dialysis, Hemodialysis, Quality of Life, The Kidney Citizen|

Joanne Smith, RN, Kidney Care Advocate, Fresenius Kidney Care Whether you are on in-center hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, or home hemodialysis taking a cruise is an option for you. It takes a bit of planning, but what vacation doesn’t? I have experienced several cruises that have offered services for dialysis patients. The treatments were performed in staterooms on the lower level of the ship, close to the infirmary. We used a portable reverse osmosis machine attached to the water from the bathroom to provide the purified water needed for the dialysis treatments. We used jugged acid and bicarbonate solutions [...]

Fighting Back Against Implicit Bias in Health Care

2024-03-28T20:57:23-04:00June 14th, 2023|Categories: Additional Resources, Mental Health, Physical Health, Quality of Life, The Kidney Citizen|

Tips for how to speak up and speak out against discrimination in a medical setting Kirsten Weir The receptionist requests two forms of identification from you, yet the White person in front of you required no identification to be verified. A nurse who uses a condescending tone of voice: “you people are all alike.” A doctor who doesn’t listen to you: Having just told the doctor you have knee problems, he recommended that you walk 30 minutes every day. Are they just having a bad day — or is it implicit bias? Implicit bias is an attitude or [...]

Andrew Carr Knows There’s More for Him

2024-03-28T20:57:24-04:00June 14th, 2023|Categories: Dialysis, Kidney Transplant, Mental Health, Stress Management, The Kidney Citizen|

Andrew Carr Kidney disease has been part of Andrew’s life since he was 7 years old, when he was diagnosed with Hydronephrosis. Now 29, Andrew has had kidney disease for the majority of his life, but he’s guided by the principle that his kidney disease doesn’t control his life, he does. Andrew began dialysis treatments when he was 19. While Andrew’s exposure to kidney disease happened so early in his life, he does not remember how he felt about it at its outset, but vividly remembers the beginning of his dialysis treatments. For three-and-a-half years Andrew persevered through [...]

Four Things You Should Know About the New Medicare Dental Rule

2024-03-28T20:57:24-04:00June 14th, 2023|Categories: Additional Resources, Physical Health, The Kidney Citizen|

Andrea Moore, LMSW, Health Equity Specialist, Quality Insights Renal Network 5 1. Before January 1, 2023, Medicare would pay for a dental exam only for patients who were actively seeking a kidney transplant. Now, the new Medicare dental rule will pay for a dental exam and dental treatment (e.g., dental filling, teeth removal, replacement of teeth, etc.) for patients actively seeking any organ transplant. If you are living with kidney disease--with or without dialysis--Medicare will not pay for preventative care, like teeth cleanings. What this means for you: If you have Medicare and are actively seeking transplant, meaning [...]

The Making of An Advocate

2024-03-28T20:57:25-04:00June 14th, 2023|Categories: Dialysis, Kidney Transplant, Medication, Mental Health, Support, The Kidney Citizen, Treatment|

Gene Blankenship, DPC Board of Directors Thinking about Life Sitting in my recliner watching the leaves fall like big fat orange snowflakes, I see the trees begin to change colors. My immediate first thought is “How many more seasons of change will I see? Is this my last fall”? Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) is a constant passenger in my life. Anytime you have a passenger with you for long periods of time, you will go through events together that stamp your life. For example, as a child, I watched Eugene Taylor Jr., my dad, hook himself up every [...]

For Mike Guffey, Working Was Key to Staying Positive

2024-03-28T20:57:27-04:00June 14th, 2023|Categories: Diagnosis of Kidney Disease, Dialysis, Employment, Hemodialysis, In-Center Hemodialysis, Kidney Transplant, Mental Health, Quality of Life, The Kidney Citizen|

Mike Guffey When Mike Guffey began dialysis treatments in 2008, one of his top priorities was to ensure he had a reason to keep moving forward, something to look forward to when he got out of bed which would allow him to push through his treatment regimen. For him, that meant returning to work as quickly as he could after starting his treatments, especially given how quickly he crashed into life on dialysis. Normally based in Kansas City, Mike was working temporarily as a project manager in Colorado when he noticed something was off. He went to the [...]

8 Ways to Be a Safe Patient

2024-03-28T20:57:28-04:00June 14th, 2023|Categories: Immunizations, Medication, Physical Health, Resources, Staying Healthy, The Kidney Citizen|

When you have surgery, receive dialysis, or visit your doctor, you deserve safe care. Everyone plays a role in patient safety and quality health care. CDC and its partners provide expertise, data, and programs for safe health care to support public health, healthcare workers, patients, and caregivers. How Can I Be a Safe Patient? Speak up. Talk to your healthcare provider about any questions or worries. Ask what they’re doing to protect you from infections. Keep hands clean. Make sure everyone, including friends and family, cleans their hands before touching you. If you don’t see your healthcare providers clean their [...]

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