Moving Right Along

With the advent of my friend and co-conspirator's upcoming book, Dancing with Rejection, I am compelled to re-ignite this blog in hopes of continuing to serve all of our fellow kidney patients.

You see, my friend and nearly world-renowned artist Michael Gaudet is in the final stages of publishing his debut book (read more about it here), and when he kindly shared the link for my blog, I realized it needed a little attention!

My aim for this blog is to provide a myriad of resources for pre- post- and current kidney patients and their families. If you aren't sure you fall into one of these categories, ask yourself the following questions:

Have I/Am I/Do I or someone I know...

1.  ... been diagnosed with ESRD (End-Stage Renal Disease)?
2.  ... been diagnosed with ESRF (End-Stage Renal Failure)?
3.  ... on dialsyis?
4.  ... on the waiting list to receive a transplant?
5.  ... received a kidney or kidney/pancreas transplant?
6.  ... seeing a nephrologist (kidney doctor)?
7.  ... suffer from diabetes that has led to kidney complications?
8.  ... have recurrent kidney infections leading to scar tissue?
9.  ... ever donated a kidney?

I propose a challenge!

Let's see how many people we can help with the following experiment:

Ask 6 of your friends to ask six of their friends to ask six of their friends (that's 18 people for each reader to reach out to, however indirectly) if they or someone they know have experience with kidney issues. Use the above list to help you frame your question(s).

My hypothesis is that, regardless of your social circle, you will find at least 5 of those 18 people are  experiencing (or have experienced) severe kidney issues. Or know someone that has.  And as the circle widens, that number will also increase, and probably exponentially.

When you find those people, alert them to helpful resources. Knowledge is power, after all!

Some resources you can share include:

• National Kidney Foundation (U.S.)  www.kidney.org
• National Kidney Foundation (Canada)  www.kidney.ca
• National Institute of Health (U.S.)  http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/kidneydiseases.html
• The Renal Association (UK)  http://www.renal.org/information-resources/the-uk-eckd-guide
• Davita Healthcare  http://www.davita.com/
• This blog!  www.christinadgeorge.blogspot.com
•  Kidney Health Australia http://www.kidney.org.au/
• Body and Health Canada  http://bodyandhealth.canada.com/condition_info_details.asp?disease_id=249
• Renal Support Network  http://www.rsnhope.org/  (Lori Hartwell, author of Chronically Happy)

Also, be sure to see my "Resource" link for more info, including children's literature to help them deal with it personally or indirectly.

Encouraging news!

http://youtu.be/3TrW5bRlX9s

The National Kidney Foundation has encouraging news for people awaiting transplantation as well as for those currently on life-saving immuno-suppressant drugs. Check it out! 

The best part is that it's from '09, so while they say it's a 10-year plan, this means we/they should already be taking steps toward it!

 

Can the un-insured get kidney transplants? YES!

Refute to article

English: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services – Medicare & You 2010, official government handbook. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

While the Ethics of Organ Transplants article on About.com may be interesting, it does have one (at least) glaringly false statement! I’ve never been a big fan of the site anyway. And, really? I have to register with it to comment on Austin Cline’s article? C’mon. And I’m not giving out my email address just to correct some guy whose focus is on atheism and agnosticism anyway (ie; he doesn’t really care about organ donation).
Since I cannot comment (the easy way!), I will address it here. After all, some of you might have the same argument, or might have heard the same issue, and I want you to know that Cline’s argument is JUST NOT TRUE. He claims that, Overall, transplants are a procedure for people with lots of money or lots of insurance.
Listen to me carefully, especially if you or someone you know is need of a transplant: these procedures are NOT just for people with lots of money or lots of insurance. Not at all. My first transplant was covered by my dad’s insurance, yes.  I don’t know if he had good insurance. I know they made us jump through hoops to get it and to do the follow-up visits and I will never personally carry that particular one.
My 2nd one was covered by a combination of my husband’s insurance, Medicare, and the hospital’s kidney foundation/thing-a-ma-jigger/deal. No, I am not of retirement age and that was not a typo – Medicare actually has special clauses for various extenuating circumstances. ERSD is one of them. My 3rd transplant was covered by Medicare, the hospital’s kidney foundation thingy and outside funding/granting agencies due to extenuating circumstances.
Poor people CAN and DO have transplants, all the time. Ask a social worker or a member of your transplant team or your doctor for guidance. They are your first resource and can help!

Related articles

• Save Lives Now – Extend Kidney Anti-Rejection Drug Coverage (bobsnewheart.wordpress.com)
• Darmstadt woman finally cleared for kidney transplant (courierpress.com)
• Altruism Isn’t Working – Should We Be Able to Buy Organs? (bobsnewheart.wordpress.com)
• Financial Help for RA Treatment (everydayhealth.com)
• HCI’s bone marrow transplant unit is newest in Utah (fox13now.com)

Blood Mary's + Healthy Kidneys??

How about a healthy recipe for Bloody Mary's to celebrate National Kidney Month? The Washingtonian provides it for you, along with some helpful tips.

What You Should Know About Kidney Health | Healthy Recipes | Washingtonian

MARCH: National Kidney Month

Here it is, the third day of March, and I only just realized that it is National Kidney Month. So says the National Kidney Foundation. And they would know!

For anyone that is concerned about the possibility of kidney disease, they are offering free screenings. How do you know if you should be concerned? High blood pressure is one factor to consider.

If science telling you this just isn't enough, consider reading the story I just did about a woman whose husband is awaiting a kidney transplant because he didn't realize he had high blood pressure and it all crept up on him and before he knew it he had kidney disease so severe that he is awaiting a kidney transplant. I think I have the facts straight. Check out her blog: Twenty-five Seasons.

Take care of those kidneys. While it's true that you only need one (yes, this woman's husband can get a live donor!), you CANNOT live without ANY. Give your kidney(s) plenty of fluid. Be careful with that salt shaker. Eat 'live' foods - i.e.; produce. This won't just do your kidneys good, but your whole body.

Now raise your glass (of water!) up and say cheers to your kidney(s)! Love 'em and care for them because they are just one more organ or pair of organs that are working hard to keep you alive and well.