ESRD

Do Patients Ever Get Tired of Dialysis?

July 18, 2010

I started my dialysis treatment on September 2003 and has been through it for almost seven years now. I have experienced so many things all that time, have seen fellow patients come and go , but still I’m at it up until now. A friend once asked me if I ever get tired of dialysis? Of [...]

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Hypertension and Kidney Failure

May 21, 2009

Hypertension or high blood pressure runs in our family. Several of my relatives either died of a heart attack or stroke caused by hypertension that’s been left untreated. I had hypertension as early as my high school days, although I am completely unaware of it. It was just brought up to my attention six years [...]

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Food Considerations For Dialysis Patients

May 15, 2009

I recently wrote an article on why dialysis patients must be sensible on their eating habits, and the equal importance of consulting with your Nephrologist and Renal Dietitian before starting a diet plan. This time, I’m writing about the basic minerals found in food that concerns a dialysis patient, like Protein, Potassium, Phosphorus, Sodium, etc. [...]

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Diet and Nutrition For Dialysis Patients

May 6, 2009

Diet and nutrition are two important things a dialysis patient must consider. Food gives you energy and helps your body repair itself Your blood picks up nutrients from your food and carries them to all your body cells. These cells take nutrients from your blood and put waste products back into the bloodstream. Good nutrition [...]

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A Warm Embrace For A Weary Soul

April 29, 2009

“Love is all we can take with us to the grave…” A bit morbid isn’t it? But I must admit that there’s a grain of truth in it. You can’t take money, clothing, and any earthly thing with you when you die. But what about love? Indeed you could take the love of your family [...]

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Are Your Kidneys Okay?

April 27, 2009

CKD can go unnoticed because your kidneys have a lot of spare work capacity. Your kidneys may be able to lose more than 75 percent of their ability to function before you realize that anything’s wrong. Consequently, CKD can be quite advanced before it’s discovered. That spells trouble not only for your kidneys but for [...]

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Raincheck

April 18, 2009

I was waiting for my turn at the dialysis clinic last Thursday when I overheard the conversations of the other waiting patients. Somebody has “Graduated” recently from kidney failure and dialysis treatment. In our clinic, and I’m guessing on others as well, “graduating” has two different meanings. One is that you’ve recently underwent kidney transplant, [...]

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FAQ’s Part IV

April 6, 2009

How is dialysis done? Dialysis is done by using a special fluid called dialysate. Dialysate, a mixture of pure water and chemicals, is carefully controlled to pull wastes out of your blood without removing substances your body needs. A semipermeable membrane keeps the blood apart from the dialysate. This membrane lets the wastes and fluid [...]

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AV Fistula – The Dialysis Lifeline

April 2, 2009

In every dialysis session, a patient’s blood is cleaned through a dialysis machine. The process is quite simple: the machine is hooked through bloodlines in the arm, blood is pumped through the machine, cleaned, and then returned to the patient. This is a continous process in which only 300 millileters  of blood per minute is [...]

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