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Tips for writing a letter or social media post to your friends, family, and/or community: Make it personal, tell YOUR story (what is treatment like, how do you feel) Use information on kidney.org to include facts on kidney disease, living donation, and transplant.  Include a photo with...

By Janelle E. Gonyea, RD, LD After receiving a new kidney, you naturally look forward to freedom from the restrictive diet you needed to follow while you were waiting for a transplant. There are so many "no nos" while following a diet designed to preserve remaining kidney function and maintain a...

I have an Employer Group Health Plan (EGHP). I have private insurance through the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). I have Medicare I have Medicaid I have an Employer Group Health Plan (EGHP). If you are eligible for Medicare, your EGHP will be your primary insurance (pays first) for 30 months...

To find a transplant center in your area visit the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) website. Then follow these steps: Select "Transplant Centers by Organ" under Member Type Select "Kidney" for Organ Type Select your state or region

Though dialysis is the preferred choice for some people, many other people with kidney failure choose to have a kidney transplant. Transplantation has many advantages, such as a lifestyle free from dialysis and fewer fluid and dietary restrictions. Kidney transplants, when successful, usually...

What blood tests will I need to find out if a patient and a potential donor are a kidney match? There are three main blood tests that will determine if a patient and a potential donor are a kidney match. They are blood typing, tissue typing and cross-matching....

Deciding whether to write to your living donor or donor’s family is a personal choice. It may help to know that usually donors or their family members express appreciation for the letters or cards they receive from transplant recipients. Nevertheless, some recipients will choose to write to their...

Anti-Rejection Medications. Medications that are taken every day for the rest of your life after receiving a transplant. When you get a kidney transplant, your body knows that the new kidney is foreign (that is, not originally part of your body). Your body will attack the new kidney and try to...

Kidney cancer overview Kidney cancer is a disease that starts in the kidneys. It happens when healthy cells in one or both kidneys grow out of control and form a lump (called a tumor). Kidney cancer signs and symptoms In the early stages, most people don’t have...

By Carrie A. Schinstock, M.D. Antibodies are important, right? Our immune system naturally forms antibodies as a protective response against bacteria and viruses. In the context of transplantation, antibodies are good when they are ready to attack foreign invaders that can lead to illness, but...

What is BK virus? BK virus is a virus that most people get in childhood. Symptoms can feel like a common cold. Once you get a BK virus infection, the virus stays in your system for good. But it does not cause a problem for most people. This is called latent, or like being ‘asleep’ in your body....

How diabetes affects your whole body When diabetes is not well controlled, the sugar level in your blood goes too high. This is called hyperglycemia. High blood sugar can cause damage to many parts of your body, especially: kidneys heart blood vessels eyes feet nerves Diabetes is the leading...

How many kidneys do I have? Most people have two kidneys. Kidneys are inside the body. They are about the size of your fist. Where are your kidneys? Kidneys are in your lower back. What do kidneys do? Kidneys are busy! They are like washing machines for the blood in the body.  The kidneys...

As a donor family member, you may or may not decide to write a letter or note to the recipient of loved one’s organ. Living donors who gave to an anonymous recipient may also choose to write.   It is completely up to you and you should feel no pressure to act in one way or another. The...

Bladder: An organ in your body that holds urine (pee) produced by kidneys. Blood pressure: The force of blood pushing against the inner walls of blood vessels. High blood pressure means the force is too high. Chronic: Constant, long-term, does not go away. Chronic disease: A health problem...

Hepatitis C Hepatitis C virus infection (HCV) is associated with increased risk of liver fibrosis or cirrhosis and development of hepatocellular carcinoma.1,2 HCV infection is also a common indication for liver transplant in the United States. The HCV genome is a single-stranded, positive sense RNA...

Martha Walker, DPT, CSCS Chris L. Wells, PhD, PT, CCS, ATC At the time of your organ transplant, you were placed on a regimen of immunosuppressant medications to prevent your immune system from rejecting the donor organ. There are many different immunosuppressant medications you may have been...

A new baby is a joy for any family. But pregnancy can put a lot of stress on your body. If you have kidney disease or kidney failure, it can put you and the health of your unborn child at risk. Are you thinking about pregnancy? If so, you should discuss it beforehand with your doctor or other...

Dialysis & COVID-19 Find answers about dialysis during the COVID-19 outbreak here. Kidney transplant & COVID-19 Find answers about transplant during the COVID-19 outbreak here. What happens when your kidneys fail? Healthy kidneys do many important jobs. They keep your whole body in...