New to kidney disease? Not sure about what to expect? Here we have grouped our top questions and answers to help.
Q. Will I have to change my lifestyle if diagnosed with Kidney Disease?
A. Somewhat. For the most part when diagnosed with Kidney Disease the biggest change may be in diet. You may also need to do less physical activity depending on your specific condition.
Q. What are the eligibility requirements for a transplant?
A. To qualify for a transplant, you need to be Stage 5, or on dialysis. You also cannot have any other major medical issues that have not been mitigated, such as heart disease, chronic infection etc. Additionally if you afre a smoker – you need to stop. There are other considerations that will vary per patient.
Q. How long does it take to get a transplant?
A. This depends on several things including your age, blood type, andf physical condition including other health issues you may be suffering through. Generally speaking it could be 3-7 years if you do not have a live donor volunteer.
Q. How long will a transplanted kidney last?
A. This depends on several factors including age, lifestyle choices physical condition the quality of the transplanted kidney and co-morbidities. Generally speaking they can last 10-20+ years if you take care of yourself and live a healthy lifestyle.
Q. Do they remove my ‘bad’ kidneys with a transplant?
A. Not usually! The procedure for most patients is you get a 3rd kidney connected to your system, and placed in your pelvic cavity. The old kidneys remain attached except for situations where keeping them may lead to premature death such as cancer of the kidneys.
Q. What are the negatives to a live donor willing to help.
A. A live kidney donor of good health and kidney function, can generally live a normal long life with no negative side effects.
Q. What does dialysis “feel” like.
A. While on Dialysis you usually will not feel anything. The process of filtering your blood is not invasive, doesnt hurt, and for most no adverse symptoms.
Q. Can I continue to work with kidney disease?
A. In many cases, you can continue to work after diagnosis. If you are suffering from significant symptoms and have difficulty performing certain tasks, you may need to consider going on disability. This would more likely be the case if you are older, or suffer from other chronic diseases or medical issues. Also your type of work may determine how well you can perform the tasks, whereas physical labor may be more difficult that an office desk job. Many employers may offer flexibility, however your mileage may vary.
Q. What blood tests are performed on kidney disease patients, and at what frequency.
A. The most common tests performed are the ‘Metabolic Panel’. This may include testing the following:
- Sodium
- Potassium
- Chloride
- CO2
- Urea Nitrogen
- Creatinine
- Glucose, Bld
- Calcium
- Anion Gap
- Osmolality Calc
- Bun/Creatinine
- Estimated Glomular Filtration Rate (EGFR)
Additional tests may include:
- Phosphorus
- Hemoglobin
- Hemocrit
- AST
- ALT
- AG/Ration
- Total Bilirubin
- Globulin
- Albumin
- Total Protein
- WBC
- RBC
- MCV
- MCH
- MCHC
- RDW
- Platelet Count
- MPV
- Immature Granulocyte
- Seg
- Lymph
- Monos
- Eos
- Baso
- Absolute Neut
- Absolute Nyphh
- Absolute Mono
- Absolute Eos
- Absolute Basophils
- Absolue Immature Granulocyte