Kidney Patient Guide

Take a pen and paper!

Take notes, don't be afraid to ask what you feel is a silly question... 999 out of 1000 it isn't. Ask the Dr to explain things that you don't understand, this is your chance to become your own advocate.

Good luck

Mentioned that I was a transplant patient at a recent interview after flying through and impressing.... Funnily enough I didn't get considered for the role - all interview being told I was just what they were looking for. Will know in future that it is something I will only mention after signing a c...

Hi. I am an engineer and office based so I was able to work a ful 38hr week with a Tuesday and Thursday morning spent at dialysis working while having treatment. Would then head to work for the afternoon. Was tough and after my Saturday session I would sleep the rest of the day. But it was what I ne...

Hi Johnny. I went from PD to HD and the only issue I found was the times offered for dialysis slots. As you pointed out, I started on two bags of yellow overnight with an extraneal day fill. My creatinine near to the end of my year pushing PD was 2200 and my BP and fluid overload was 220/165 and abo...

3 years post TX I increased my mortgage and moved. I couldn't get life/insurance cover that included kidney, they were all excluding this and the prices were much more expensive. I checked through a broker, online and through searched transplant specialist companies. Thankfully I have life cover thr...

It's a strange situation with kidney failure. Before knowing I had any problems I was in my early 30's and noticing that my ability to recover after two games of amateur football on a Saturday and Sunday was reducing and my times for 10k and half marathons were slowly increasing, this I put down to ...

I can't comment on the issues your mum seems to be having regarding confusion while on dialysis, however I can comment on steroids and the impact they have on your mood/aggression! Post transplant I was on a 20mg dose that was slowly tapered down to 5mg. The side effects were mood swings, aggression...

It really is a question your PD nurse/Dr will tell you, however there are ways to check if you are taking on excessive amounts of fluid. What you need to do is know your dry weight, once you have this then a fluid balance is what I would do. Measure/best estimate all fluid in and do the same for all...

Mix and match PD: I started straight on the machine without learning manual exchanges which is the reverse of what normally happens. The prescription is given and the machine setup to run for that one 10hr cycle only. But your equipment delivery will also include a range of manual bags and also flui...

Regarding transplant, if the NHS are publishing data on transplant success/reduced risk of rejection then it has some backing. Personally I was against HD due to fistula and needles, so went for PD and did APD overnight, but a word of warning in PD.....until you have the operation to fit the cathete...

That's a strange or new request from the HTA. At Sheffield my donor and I had to be assessed, but it appeared a formality. Both of us emerging fin our meeting with red eyes! What to write on a statement, I really wish I could tell you what I said, but I think I just burst into tears when she asked w...

Sorry to hear this and I hope that you are both going to continue with this and are both fit and well to do so. Life sometimes is a bigger test than we would like, best wishes to you both.

I was the opposite, didn't struggle to gain weight.

Have the Drs raised this as a concern at post TX clinic as I would guess the sores and thrush are not making eating fun. Options you could try are build up/nourishment drinks, but check to make sure this is okay.

Hi,

It could be the transportation of fluid back and forth through the peritunium, if his dwell periods are not consistent then it could be possible he absorbs some of the dialysis fluid. Maybe ask to see if another fill/drain would help keep things consistent?

It's funny that after months of what seems like inactivity.......bang! You are trying to arrange your life and stay fit and healthy for a date you don't want to have to make, but without it..... It's exciting, nerve racking and terrifyingly grounding to get it, for the hospital side it seems routine...