Lupus is a prominent name among the myriad chronic inflammatory conditions where the body’s immune system begins attacking its own tissues. This autoimmune condition can impact virtually any organ of the body. It is incurable, the clinical presentation is widely variable with sometimes debilitating flares and the complications, potentially fatal in some cases when left untreated. Among other organs, Kidneys are a prime target here. So, as a portal dedicated to nephrology, let us walk you through the what-why-how of this challenging autoimmune disorder with specific focus on Lupus Nephritis – its kidney chapter. It is Lupus Awareness Month (May) after all!
Tag: #kidneyfailure
Kidney Transplant: Hospital Recovery after the Surgery
Imagine this. You’re yet to open your eyes, but you’re conscious. You can hear hushed voices around you, sense a strong ambient smell, get a feeling of being “lifted & wheeled somewhere”. At a point, you feel a sudden pain on one side of your lower abdomen. It’s only a matter of time that you open your eyes nice & wide and if health & luck are on your side, you recognize most of those masked faces, where you are and what you just underwent. Wondering what’s this all about? Well, that’s my own experience of waking-up after my Kidney Transplant Surgery.
Of course things may differ individually, depending on how the new kidney works in a recipient and his/her general health. Despite variable experiences, once you do wake up, you officially enter the Transplant Survivor Club. Congratulations!
So how does the rest of your hospital stay look like?
That is what we aim to walk you through, with this article.
Continue reading “Kidney Transplant: Hospital Recovery after the Surgery”
Kidney Disease in Transgender Individuals
On Transgender Day of Visibility, we came across a number of relevant articles on the need for better representation of the Transgender community in various spheres of life.
Invariably, our attention turned towards their representation, inclusion & access to healthcare, especially with respect to kidney disease. This basic thought drove us to present you with evidence based insight into the risk & prevalence of kidney disease in the Trans community that can be linked to Gender affirmation treatments.
Continue reading “Kidney Disease in Transgender Individuals”
Kidney Transplant: Before the surgery – II
Transplant
Hello kidney warriors & knowledge seekers! Today, we continue from our previous article on all steps that kidney patients & kidney donors need to follow before getting admitted to the hospital for a Transplant surgery.
The article today explains the basic workflow involved for every kidney patient scheduled for a transplant & their donor starting from hospital admission until they finally get to go under the knife.
Continue reading “Kidney Transplant: Before the surgery – II”
Kidney Transplant: Before the surgery – I
Kidney transplant
Every patient with End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) or in other words, Kidney failure needs to go on treatments that would “fill the gaps” in the errant functioning of the unwell kidney or completely replace it with healthy functioning. Dialysis is a way to fill the gaps while a Kidney Transplant is a complete replacement.
In our previous article, we explained the bare basics of a Kidney Transplant.
This article covers an outline of what an average pre-transplant preparation for the patient and the kidney donor may entail.
Kidney Transplant – Basics
Contents
- What is kidney transplant?
- Who needs a kidney transplant?
- Who can be a kidney donor?
- Kidney transplant vs Dialysis for life
- What is pre-emptive kidney transplant?
- Who makes up your kidney transplant care team?
1. What is Kidney Transplant?
Kidneys are essential for sustaining life. Individuals who end up with very little or almost no kidney function, either due to an incurable disease, birth defect or extensive injury, require a solution to regain/assist with their kidney function. Kidney Transplant is one of the methods to do so.
This involves a surgical procedure of “transferring” a healthy, matched kidney from a willing donor to “implant” it in the belly of the patient requiring the organ. Hence the name, Transplant.
Here, the donor kidney is securely removed with Continue reading “Kidney Transplant – Basics”
Peritoneal Dialysis
Following up from our article on Dialysis Essentials , we present below, a comprehensive insight on one of the preferred types of Dialysis in kidney failure – Peritoneal dialysis.
Find the Table of Contents below. Click on your topic of interest to go to the section directly or scroll down to read the full article (recommended!).
Haemodialysis
Following up from our article on the What-Why-When of Dialysis, presenting here a comprehensive insight on one of the commonest treatment modalities in kidney failure – Haemodialysis.
Find the table of contents below. Click on your topic of choice to get to your section-of-choice directly or scroll down to read the whole post (recommended!).
High Blood Pressure in CKD
High blood pressure is almost always present at the time of diagnosing Chronic Kidney Disease. And as time passes during your CKD journey, controlling your blood pressure becomes an essential part of your treatment plan to delay kidney failure.
But why does your blood pressure rise in chronic kidney disease in the first place?!
That, and the basics that you must understand about high blood pressure in CKD is what today’s storytelling is about.
Renal Diet: What can you really eat?!
Renal Diet
Being a Kidney Patient is difficult. It is not just the health challenges it poses on a day-to-day basis. It is also the “restrictions” that are suddenly “imposed” on us even with something as basic as “what we EAT”! Admittedly, the Renal Diet appears all the more challenging when it is a festive season!
But, focusing on what we CAN eat with kidney disease in tow, instead of what we CANNOT opens a whole new horizon of food options & possible food combinations which may go unnoticed otherwise.