Deb Pelaez

By Jennifer Gander, PhD, MSPH, Kaiser Permanente GeorgiaFor people with kidney disease, physical activity and exercise have been found to improve quality of life, physical function, and nutritional parameters (i.e. albumin), and decrease the risk of death.

In 1983, “PENtech Infusions” began as a small regional pharmacy meeting the needs of dialysis patients and patients with severe pain or spasticity. Over the years, we expanded into a leading provider in both industries.

AAKP’s National Patient meeting is an annual convention held in a different city each year, with the exception of the virtual conferences in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19.

Ayla Maher was diagnosed with cystinosis when she was just two and a half years old. Ayla is now five years old and loves to play, read, work on puzzles, and especially loves creating art!

My original diagnosis with stage 3 Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) was years ago, in 2009, where I was left with kidney damage from prescribed Ibuprofen use, an adverse event from another prescribed combination of medications, and the onset of multiple kidney stones.

Payal Shah was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD) at the age of 15 after her bloodwork revealed her kidneys had failed. She was rushed to the hospital to start dialysis. She was on hemodialysis for 6 months and peritoneal dialysis for another 6 months before receiving her kidney transplant from a living donor.

Leigh-Ann Williams is currently a home hemodialysis patient. She has been on dialysis for five years and has done both in-center and home dialysis. Leigh-Ann was a young college student who was always on the go when she found out she had kidney failure that resulted from Lupus.