March is World Kidney Month, Get to Know Your Kidneys
Submitted by Barbara Breckenridge
The kidneys are very important for the well being of the body. They are considered the filtering system for the body. They remove waste through the urine, balance water, salt and minerals, get rid of excess fluids, help to control blood pressure and many other functions.
You can lose up to 60 percent of your kidney functions before you realize there is a problem. Because of the prevalence of diabetes and high pressure in the African American Community, we are three to four times more likely to develop kidney disease and end stage renal disease (kidney failure) than the white population.
When end stage renal disease occurs, the kidneys are no longer working. This requires some form of treatment, a kidney transplant or dialysis. The word dialysis, to most of us, is very frightening. We do not want to acknowledge it or want it attached to us. For as much as dialysis is feared, it can save and extend your life.
Of course your life will change. Dialysis does not have to be the END ALL!! You can live. There are also different options that may better fit your lifestyle and will be less restrictive with less stress on your body.
There is also transplantation if you are an eligible candidate. You can test to be put on a waiting list or you can look for a living donor.
If you receive a diagnosis from your medical team, please work with them for your best outcome. You can also speak with someone who has experienced kidney failure or is now living with the disease. Join a support group, you are not alone.
I am a twenty-five year kidney transplant recipient who received hemo-dialysis treatments for three and one half years. I went through a period of fear, anger, frustration and depression. After a year of living with all these negative emotions, I realized that I was just existing, and not living. I chose to live.
I found a mentor who assisted me in educating myself on how to live with my disease and treatments. I then began to live my life as best as I could and not just exist. In 1999 I was transplanted and our world changed, mine and my family.
If you receive a diagnosis or have received one, please remember you have choices and options. We have peer mentors who are willing to assist you in navigating your journey.
If you make a decision not to take dialysis treatments, understand what your out come will be. That decision is yours, however please speak with loved ones about your illness and your decision. They will be able to move forward more peacefully. Remember Dialysis does not have to be the END ALL !! You can live, you will just live life differently!
Transplantation may not be for everyone, however it can be the best form of treatment for those who are eligible. Speak with your Doctor to see if you are a candidate.He can give you a referral. You can also contact your Transplant Center. Our transplant center for the Western New York area is located at The Erie CountyMedical Center. We have an amazing kidney/pancreas transplant program right in our own backyard. You may contact them at 716-898- 5001.
We need more organ donors and living donors so that many lives can be saved. Please consider organ donation and become a HERO ! For addition information: Kidney Health Together,Inc. 716-510-6702 or kidneyhealthytogether.org Kidney Foundation of WNY 716-529-4390 or kidneyfoundationofwny.org KidneyConnection.org.