Our Blog – AAKP

National Donor Day

February 11, 2020

By Suzanne Ruff, Living Donor, AAKP Board of Director, Author of the Reluctant DonorYou give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.– Kahlil GibranFebruary 14th is National Donor Day. It’s also St. Valentine’s Day. Most everyone associates the heart with Valentine’s Day – because the heart is the organ that symbolizes love. In reality, though, every organ, every tissue, every single part of our miraculous bodies symbolizes the greatest of all gifts: LIFE!

Food For Thought, Managing Your Potassium Intake: How Much is Too Much?

February 4, 2020

By Sharon Turban, MD, MHSPotassium is a very important mineral needed by the body to maintain proper health. However, most individuals with kidney disease must closely monitor their potassium intake. As Dr. Sharon Turban shows us, we can have too much of a good thing.What is potassium and what does it do?Potassium is a very important mineral. It plays a key role in controlling the function of nerves and muscles, particularly the heart. Potassium is found in many foods, especially many fruits and vegetables.

WHAT IT MEANS TO ME TO BE A MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF KIDNEY PATIENTS

January 23, 2020

By Jim Myers, National Board of Director and Ambassador, AAKP It was 2014, I had just completed my first year of dialysis. I was in my chair at the Fresenius Medical Care Clinic in Crown Point, Indiana, when my doctor, Dr. Vavilala (Dr. V) approached me. He mentioned to me that the ESRD Network 10 was holding a contest, and he felt that if I applied and wrote an essay, I'd win. The prize was an all-expenses paid trip to Las Vegas to attend the American Association of Kidney Patients’ National Patient Meeting. As a budding, new kidney advocate I jumped at the chance. With Dr.

Where are they now? The Payne Family

December 16, 2019

By Emily Payne, mother of Rilynn An update on an aakpRENALIFE cover story from March 2018 on The Payne family. Baby Rilynn, who was diagnosed with ARPKD in utero, has now also beat stage IV liver cancer, and the family anxiously awaits clearance to receive a kidney from a living donor. Read as Rilynn’s mother, Emily, shares an update on her journey with our readers to give hope and faith. I’m currently sitting in a noisy hemodialysis center watching the time count down at what seems like a turtle’s pace.

Anemia Management Signs/Symptoms

December 6, 2019

By Stephanie Wright, DNP, AGACNP-BC, RN, MSN, MBA with the American Nephrology Nurses Association What is Anemia? Anemia is a condition in which the body does not have enough red blood cells. Red bloods cells are important because they carry the oxygen needed by the cells and tissues in the body to function properly and survive. With anemia, the major organs of the body such as the heart, kidneys, lungs and brain may lack essential oxygen to carry out normal functioning and if severe enough, cells may die.1 What Do the Kidneys Have to Do with Anemia?

AAKP Ambassador, Jennifer Jones makes AAKP Delicious! Spiced Pear Muffins

November 12, 2019

By AAKP Ambassador, Jennifer Jones To maintain a healthy lifestyle and to prolong the longevity of my kidney transplant, I incorporate renal-friendly food into my diet. I wanted to change it up a bit and decided to purchase the AAKP Delicious! Recipe Card Series- 5th Edition which has 36 recipes consisting of meals, snacks, and desserts that seems too good to be considered renal-friendly let alone healthy! I decided to make the Spiced Pear Muffins first because they would be great for breakfast and they would appease my sweet tooth!

Medication Management for People with Kidney Disease

October 25, 2019

By Tricia Patterson, BSN, RN Hello AAKP members. My name is Tricia Patterson, BSN, RN. I had the pleasure of attending the AAKP National Patient Meeting in Washington, DC in September and met many of you and heard some great lectures. I am a nephrology nurse and a member of the American Nephrology Nurses Association (ANNA). In recognition of “Talk about Your Medication Month”, I’m partnering with AAKP to blog about the importance of medication management. Since I donated a kidney three years ago, I am also a person with CKD who needs to carefully manage my labs and medications.

Ask the Doc: The Flu Shot

October 15, 2019

By Stephen Z. Fadem, MD, FASN, AAKP Medical Advisory Board ChairmanWhile in most circumstances, the flu (influenza) is a mild seasonal infection that is characterized by fever, achiness, discomfort with a headache, cough and runny nose, it can be more serious, particularly in people who are at greater risk.This risk population includes dialysis and kidney patients, patients with other health problems like chronic lung, heart, liver or hematologic diseases, as well as those over 50 years of age.

Dialysis Technicians – an important part of your health care team!

October 14, 2019

AAKP is celebrating National Dialysis Technician Recognition Week October 14 – 19, 2019. Let’s learn more about the types of dialysis technicians, how they are educated to better help you throughout your care and how you can celebrate this week with YOUR special dialysis technician.