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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 [...]

Insomnia

2024-09-10T15:38:27-04:00September 3rd, 2024|Categories: eNews, Lifestyle, Mental Health, Nutrition, Physical Health, Quality of Life, Staying Healthy|

Insomnia is often a constant complaint for a great deal of renal patients.  It can be especially annoying when one has to get up early the next day for whatever reason. Sleep is necessary and the deprivation of sleep can affect the body in many ways. DaVita Kidney Care has outlined why insomnia may occur and tips to help avoid insomnia. The following information can be found on DaVita's website (davita.com).  Sleep Issues and Chronic Kidney Disease People with chronic kidney disease (CKD) often have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. Your physical and mental health can contribute to your sleep problems. These are some [...]

Don’t Sweat It! – Tips for Renal Patients During Summer Heat

2024-07-10T15:38:16-04:00July 3rd, 2024|Categories: Dialysis, eNews, Kidney Transplant, Lifestyle, Physical Health, Quality of Life, Staying Healthy|

Summer is here and this time of year can be especially challenging for dialysis patients!  No matter how thirsty you are, you must still monitor your fluid intake. At the Dialysis Patient Citizens Education Center, we are continuously researching and sharing information that can improve the quality of life of renal patients. This article focuses on fluid intake and thirst tips and is provided by Fresenius Kidney Care (freseniuskidneycare.com) and DaVita (davita.com). The following information is provided by Fresenius Kidney Care. Dialysis works to remove excess fluid from your blood, so it’s important to manage your fluid intake. Fluids are typically [...]

Merida Bourjolly: Taking Control of Her Care and Finding Meaning Through Advocacy

2024-04-26T15:34:31-04:00April 26th, 2024|Categories: Dialysis, Employment, Hemodialysis, In-Center Hemodialysis, Kidney Transplant, Lifestyle, Physical Health, Quality of Life, Staying Healthy, Support, The Kidney Citizen|

Merida Bourjolly, President of DPC Education Center Board of Directors Merida Bourjolly had a kidney removed when she was just three weeks old, though it wouldn’t be until much later that her experience with dialysis would begin. By then, she already owned her own business and had both a teenage daughter and her mother to take care of at home, which meant starting dialysis came with big adjustments. She did her best to continue working five to six days a week like she had before, but found she was increasingly tired while styling her clients’ hair. Eventually, she [...]

Enjoy Your Life!

2024-03-28T20:57:10-04:00February 8th, 2024|Categories: Dialysis, eNews, Lifestyle, Mental Health, Physical Health, Quality of Life, Staying Healthy, Stress Management|

Dialysis does not mean the end of your life! You are still able to perform many of the tasks that you did prior to dialysis but patience and planning are necessary. Please read the following tips provided by Fresenius Medical Care (www.freseniusmedicalcare.com). Talking to the staff at the dialysis centers. Writing down questions ahead of time and inform family members about changes in treatment. Finding out as much as possible about the illness through a National Kidney Association or Society, local or national support groups, written materials, and educational classes. Staying involved in the pleasures, activities, and responsibilities of daily living. [...]

Reducing Mortality Risk Through Physical Activity – Is There an Activity Pattern That is Best?

2024-03-28T20:57:42-04:00December 6th, 2022|Categories: eNews, Lifestyle, Physical Health, Staying Healthy|

Can you get the mortality risk reduction benefits being a “weekend warrior” instead of just regularly active? A recent systematic review and meta-analysis of four published cohort studies on the topic suggest just that. The four studies, published between 2004 and 2022, totaled 426,428 participants (weighted mean age, 44.5 years) and looked at the relationships between different physical activity patterns and the risk for adverse CVD outcomes. “Weekend warrior,” which is one or two sessions per week, “regularly active,” which is multiple sessions spread out over the week, and inactive were all looked at to see if weekend warrior and regularly [...]

Blood Sugar Testing to Manage Type 2 Diabetes in Patients Who Don’t Need Insulin

2024-03-28T20:58:05-04:00June 1st, 2022|Categories: eNews, Lifestyle, Nutrition, Quality of Life, Staying Healthy, The Kidney Citizen|

Checking your blood sugar daily may not help you manage your type 2 diabetes. If you have type 2 diabetes, it’s important to keep the amount of glucose, or sugar, in your blood at a healthy level. Many patients check their blood sugar at home each day. Patients place a drop of blood from their fingertip onto a test strip; then they insert the strip into a home glucose meter. This test measures your blood sugar level at that moment. People who use insulin check their blood sugar often so that they know how much insulin to take. But if [...]

Telehealth with a Mental Health Professional: What to Know Before You Start

2024-03-28T20:58:07-04:00May 5th, 2022|Categories: Dialysis, eNews, Kidney Transplant, Lifestyle, Mental Health, Stress Management|

By Kirsten Weir If you or a family member are managing chronic kidney disease, you’re probably thinking a lot about physical health—the health of the kidney and the rest of the body. Caring for your mental health is just as important. And with telehealth options that let you see a mental health professional from your home, it’s more convenient than ever. “The increased availability and acceptance of telehealth might be one of the few positive changes to come out of the [COVID-19] pandemic,” says Amy Walters, PhD, a clinical health psychologist and the director of Behavioral Health Services for St. Luke's [...]

Exercise for Both Physical and Mental Health

2024-03-28T20:58:08-04:00May 2nd, 2022|Categories: eNews, Lifestyle, Mental Health, Physical Health|

It is well known that exercise is important to maintain physical health, but new studies have shown that the benefits of exercise extend to mental health as well. Researchers looked at 15 existing studies that contain data on exercise and depression and have found a correlation between depression risk and physical activity. Even when someone wasn’t exercising as intensely or as often as advised by the US Department of Health and Human Services, there were still significant mental health benefits. The 15 studies used, which included over 191,000 participants total, found that people who did half the recommended amount of physical [...]

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