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Ask the Doctor September 2024

2024-09-23T13:54:19-04:00September 23rd, 2024|Categories: Dialysis, Hemodialysis, Kidney Transplant, Medication, Physical Health, The Kidney Citizen|

Velma Scantlebury, MD, DPC Education Center Health Care Consultant 1. I have been on dialysis for three months. After treatment in the dialysis facility, I am tired and feel bloated. When will I begin to feel better? Dialysis removes excess fluid and waste products. This happens by shifting fluid from one compartment so that the dialysis process can remove the extra fluid. This «dialysis fatigue» is experienced by about 50% of patients. Anemia, electrolyte imbalance, and stress can also be contributors to the condition. Many recommend getting plenty of rest, eating more protein, eating a balanced diet, and [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

DPC Raises Alarm on Health Workforce Shortages

2024-04-26T15:39:25-04:00April 26th, 2024|Categories: Dialysis, Hemodialysis, In-Center Hemodialysis, Kidney Transplant, The Kidney Citizen, Treatment|

Jackson Williams, DPC Vice President of Public Policy Fifteen years ago, the Institute of Medicine report, “Retooling for an Aging America: Building the Health Care Workforce,” warned of looming health workforce shortages due to demographic changes. Has the era foreseen by that report arrived? Media reports indicate numerous instances of hospitals declaring “contingency standards of care” or ordering ambulance diversions due to staffing shortages. Average emergency department visit times have risen to 160 minutes, up from 143 minutes in 2020, according to government statistics. Medicare beneficiaries who are intermittent users of health care facilities will probably not know [...]

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 [...]

How Transplant Changed My Life Forever

2024-04-26T15:38:46-04:00April 26th, 2024|Categories: Costs for Treatment, Dialysis, Hemodialysis, Kidney Transplant, Mental Health, The Kidney Citizen|

Adrian Ropp, DPC Patient Ambassador It was Christmas and I was home to visit my parents for the holidays. It was the first time I had traveled there in a year without my dialysis equipment or a schedule to visit a clinic. A brave police officer named Albert had recently lost his life, but he had registered as an organ donor. Because of this, I was celebrating a Christmas I had not expected. It happened (and believe me, it is a story that would take this whole article) that my savior’s family - his wife Lori and their [...]

Ask the Doctor April 2024

2024-04-26T15:35:18-04:00April 26th, 2024|Categories: Costs for Treatment, Dialysis, Hemodialysis, Kidney Transplant, Medication, The Kidney Citizen, What Causes Kidney Disease|

Velma Scantlebury, MD, DPC Education Center Health Care Consultant 1. Will a transplanted patient who receives a kidney from a diabetic individual become diabetic? Diabetes results from a lack of the ability of your body to produce/and or use insulin effectively. If a kidney is used from a deceased donor who is diabetic, it is often biopsied to make sure that the kidney is not damaged from diabetes. Some transplant patients are at risk of becoming diabetic due to the anti-rejection medications used, including the use of steroids to treat rejection episodes. Therefore, your risk of becoming diabetic [...]

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 [...]

For Gene Blankenship, Family is Everything

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

Eugene Blankenship, DPC Board of Directors Gene has had a front row seat to life with kidney disease for as long as he can remember. His entire family has been affected by kidney disease, and he was diagnosed himself in 2003. While it has come with challenges, Gene has continuously pushed forward, bolstered by the loving support of his family and those in the dialysis community he’s met along the way. After three years on dialysis, Gene was finally able to receive a kidney transplant this year. Persevering through dialysis treatments can take a toll, but Gene learned [...]

How does my loved one qualify to become a Living Kidney Donor?

2024-03-28T20:57:15-04:00September 26th, 2023|Categories: eNews, Kidney Transplant, Treatment|

By V. Scantlebury, MD, FACS If someone you know is thinking about becoming a living donor, then they obviously want to help save a life or drastically improve the quality of life for the person they care about. This is one of the most obvious benefits to living donation. So, what is the criteria to become a living kidney donor? Most of all, you must be at least 18 years of age and have two functioning kidneys. Potential donors must also be in good health, and this is determined by the transplant center’s medical workup. Each transplant center’s criteria may be [...]

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