News & Events
Discover new information and educational offerings that we provide. Explore our newsletters, blogs and upcoming webinars/conference calls.
Contents:
CDC Helps Patients and Their Families “Get Ahead of Sepsis”
Each year in the U.S., more than 1.5 million people get sepsis, and at least 250,000 Americans die as a result. CDC’s Get Ahead of Sepsis education effort encourages patients and caregivers to prevent infections that lead to sepsis and seek immediate medical care if they suspect sepsis. Sepsis is the body’s extreme response to an infection. It is life-threatening, and without timely treatment, sepsis can rapidly cause tissue damage, organ failure, and death. Anyone can get an infection, and almost any infection can lead to sepsis. Certain people are at higher risk including: adults 65 or older; people with chronic conditions such as diabetes, lung disease, cancer, and kidney disease; people with weakened immune systems; and [...]
Smell Loss and Kidney Disease
Our sense of smell is not only used to appreciate new blooms in Spring and the aroma of a great meal but is essential when we taste our food as well. Recently, researchers have found those with advanced kidney disease may experience a loss of smell. While the cause is unknown, researchers are looking for ways to improve the sense of smell in kidney disease patients in order to decrease rates of malnutrition. When your sense of smell is reduced, your ability to taste food is also reduced. This could lead to food aversion and eating less. As a kidney disease patient, eating less will quickly lead to malnourishment which is one of the leading [...]
The Waiting Game: How to Endure the Transplant Wait List
By Kirsten Weir If you are on the organ transplant waiting list (or hoping to be listed soon), you have probably experienced all kinds of emotions: Excitement, nervousness, anxiety, fear, joy, guilt. Maybe all in one day! The average time spent on the waiting list for a kidney varies from region to region. But for most patients, that wait is measured in years, not months. As the years go by, some people go about their daily lives and forget they are waiting for a life-changing call. Others feel mounting anxiety and hopelessness. All of those feelings are completely normal, says Heather Ambroson, PsyD a psychologist and postdoctoral fellow at University of North Carolina Transplant Clinic. [...]
Next Education Call: Relationships and Kidney Disease
Join us Tuesday, September 19 at 1:00 PM Eastern to discuss relationships and Kidney Disease. A companion call to our previous presentation on "Intimacy and Kidney Disease" two patients will discuss how dialysis has changed relationships in their lives. They will offer their perspective on handling different types of relationships while being a dialysis patient. We hope you can join us for this important topic. Watch the Recording:
Remembering Christina Esposito
Dialysis Patient Citizens and the DPC Education Center are saddened to learn of the passing of board member Christina Esposito, 37. Christina was a tremendous advocate for ESRD patients across the country and especially in her home state of New York. She had four kidney transplants over the course of her young life which lasted a total of approximately nine years. For about another twenty-five years prior to, sometimes during, and post failed kidney transplants she dialyzed. Christina experienced and mastered every modality ranging from in hospital Peritoneal Dialysis (PD), to Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD) at home, to Hemodialysis in hospital and then in center, to Home Conventional Dialysis, to Nocturnal Hemodialysis, to Self-Care [...]
The Kidney Citizen Issue 6
Get tips on going gluten free on dialysis, read more about the importance of charitable assistance and how to cope with waiting on the transplant list.
Summertime S’mores
Nothing is more iconic of summertime and family time then s’mores. "But," you say, "s’mores have…shhhh [whisper] chocolate." No worries here though! Chocolate never shows up on the “Do Have” renal diet list, due to its high phos content. A classic s’more with two graham crackers, 1/2 bar chocolate, and one large marshmallow has 97 mg phosphorus, 128 mg potassium, and 151 mg sodium. This does not mean that s’mores are out though. Non-chocolate s’mores are fancy, trendy, and super yummy. We experimented with 3 different non-chocolate s’more variations to keep the dietary phosphorus at bay: Butterscotch Chip S'more, Lemon Curd S'More and Cookie Butter S'more. Butterscotch Chip S'mores Cookie Butter [...]
Researchers Think They’ve Found the Cause of Organ Rejection
Receiving a kidney transplant is the preferred treatment for end-stage renal disease (ESRD). However, wait times to receive a transplant can be long, and the cost of medication to maintain the transplant is very high. Transplanted organs typically last around 10 years, if taken care of well. However, researchers at the Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute at the University of Pittsburgh may have found the answer to prevent organ rejection. Fadi Lakkis, the scientific director at the transplantation institute, believed ideally, an organ transplant would last the rest of the patient’s life. Not only this, but the drugs that suppress the immune system, which are necessary to keep the transplant healthy, increase the risk of [...]
Pressed Vegetarian Picnic Sandwich
Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 40 mins Serves: 4 SERVINGS Ingredients Sandwich 2-9" French baquettes 1 cup green beans, trimmed ½ c roasted red pepper, sliced (can by packed in vinegar or make your own in oven) 1 medium eggplant, sliced into disks 1 Tbsp low sodium black olives (~5) 3 eggs, hard boiled and sliced Tapenade (can also use store bought tapenade) 1 Tbsp calamata olives (~ 5) 1 Tbsp black olives, low sodium 1 Tbsp green olives, low sodium if available Vinaigrette ¼ c Olive Oil 1 Tbsp Fresh Parsley, coarsely chopped 1 Tbsp Fresh Basil 1½ tsp Shallots, coarsely chopped ½ tsp Sugar ½ tsp Dijon Mustard [...]
DASH Diet Linked to Lower Risk of Gout
Gout is caused by an accumulation of uric acid crystals in the joints and other tissues. Over time, these crystals can lead to painful attacks of gout, typically beginning in the big toe. The relationship between gout and kidney disease is two-fold, those with gout are 83% more likely to have kidney disease and those who have kidney disease are more likely to suffer from gout. Since the kidneys typically process uric acid, those with decreased kidney function will have a more difficult time eliminating excess uric acid. Typical treatment of gout includes taking uric acid-lowering medications, however many of these medications may be harmful to the kidneys. Because of this, those with decreased kidney [...]
A Tomato Free Cinco de Mayo!
What is Cinco de Mayo without a little bit of chips and salsa? “But, I can’t have tomatoes!” you say. And that is where this magnificent creation comes in, because you "can have" chips and salsa even without tomatoes! This wonderful low potassium recipe will make you forget that tomatoes ever existed in pico de gallo. This recipe is sans-tomatoes. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Even better, it is low in sodium! It pulls its flavor from fresh lime juice and cilantro and little bit of crunch from some fresh jicama. Paired with a low sodium corn chip you don't even notice the tomatoes aren't there, nor will you miss them. RED PEPPER PICO DE GALLO Author: [...]
