Dialysis

Fourty-one year old Eulalio Gonzalez is a high school Spanish teacher from San Antonio, Texas. It’s not unusual for him to work 10 to 12 hour days. This is unusual for most dialysis patients in the United States.

Keith Sloan knew there could be consequences for not controlling his diabetes. But he never thought being a non-compliant patient would lead him to the life he has lived and the mission he is currently on.

This past October, I took part in an important event pointing to the power of community in living with kidney disease. The NxStageUsers Group, a group independent of NxStage Medical, hosted its first NxStageUsers Meet Up and Conference in the Fall in Las Vegas.

Ivan Rivera is a 22-year-old living in Orlando, Fla., who had been an active and athletic person all of his life. But when he started losing energy and tiring easily, his doctor told him his kidneys were failing due to a rare immune disorder called IgA nephropathy. Ivan was devastated by the news.

When you first hear Vera Foreman’s voice, you can’t help but notice a sense of excitement and energy. She’s an on-the-go kind of lady. With two teenage children, a part time job and her volunteer work, it may surprise many that she has end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Vera has always sped through life by embracing the positive.

Through countless interactions with individuals on dialysis, a prominent theme resides, the fear of traveling. There may be mobility issues hindering travel and/or fear of treatment at an unknown facility or simply not enough information available regarding the potential possibilities.

Your vascular access (fistula, graft and/or catheter) is your lifeline to dialysis. It should be treated as any other prized possession… with great care! However, even the best care doesn’t guaranty perfect performance of your access – it improves your chances.

Chez Ray Sewell does not let a thing like dialysis slow him down. This Renaissance man has his fingers pressed firmly on the pulse of life and dedicates his time to communities far and wide. Since being diagnosed with end-stage renal disease (ESRD)

A diagnosis of kidney failure may be a time filled with overwhelming angst. It is important to know that you have choices and to take the opportunity to explore your options. Many patients automatically assume that a kidney transplant is the best option, but this is not necessarily true for everyone.

There is an increased focus on vascular access in our health care delivery system. Several major government initiatives underway are focused on improving vascular access outcomes. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)