There are many things that mean a lot to me and Kidney Disease Awareness is one of them. This is a big factor of my real life very close to me. I gave my testimony in last year's World Kidney Day blog and I did it to inform people by putting my personal business out there. This year is no different. This disease affects not only me but another sorority sister, Mandalyn. In this blog I will re-post our stories as well as give informative facts in order to help save a life.
World Kidney Day is a global awareness campaign aimed at raising awareness of the importance of our kidneys
World Kidney Day comes back every year. This is done to create awareness. Awareness about preventive behaviors, awareness about risk factors, and awareness about how to live with a kidney disease. This is done because we want kidney health for all.
The Mission
World Kidney Day aims to raise awareness of the importance of our kidneys to our overall health and to reduce the frequency and impact of kidney disease and its associated health problems worldwide.The Purpose
- Raise awareness about our “amazing kidneys” Highlight that diabetes and high blood pressure are key risk factors for Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD).
- Encourage systematic screening of all patients with diabetes and hypertension for CKD.
- Encourage preventive behaviors.
- Educate all medical professionals about their key role in detecting and reducing the risk of CKD, particularly in high risk populations.
- Stress the important role of local and national health authorities in controlling the CKD epidemic. On World Kidney Day all governments are encouraged to take action and invest in further kidney screening.
- Encourage Transplantation as a best-outcome option for kidney failure, and the act of organ donation as a life-saving initiative. (Source: )
- The kidneys are complicated and amazing organs that do many essential tasks to keep us healthy.
- The main job of your kidneys is to remove toxins and excess water from your blood. Kidneys also help to control your blood pressure, to produce red blood cells and to keep your bones healthy.
- Each roughly the size of your fist, kidneys are located deep in the abdomen, beneath the rib cage.
- Your kidneys control blood stream levels of many minerals and molecules including sodium and potassium, and help to control blood acidity. Every day your kidneys carefully control the salt and water in your body so that your blood pressure remains the same.
Did you know?
Your Kidneys:- Make urine
- Remove wastes and extra fluid from your blood
- Control your body’s chemical balance
- Help control your blood pressure
- Help keep your bones healthy
- Help you make red blood cells
Experiences with Kidney disease from two sisters of Eta Sigma Delta....
My Name is Mandalyn, and this is my story on Kidney disease. It affects thousands of people each year, I should know because I'm one of them.
I've been told by my parents that this all started back when I was 2 years old with Renal failure. My mom was told that I was completely fixed, but back then who truly knew. It wasn't until after my 15th birthday that it would come back to haunt me, more than my parents thought of course. I remember it clearly, it was June 15th, right after my mom's birthday, I went in for a normal check up and my mom was told I would go on dialysis that year.
I spent 8 months in the hospital that year, I even had my 16th birthday there as well, what a thrill huh to be 16 and no sweet 16 party to brag about or I got a car for my birthday at school. To think this can happen to you at the age of 16, my thoughts were, “Are they joking? This isn't even possible, I'm 16 and this is my best year ever!” Getting to drive a car and a party is what any one of us thinks about at that time but for me, it wasn't so i spent it in a different way.
The truth of the matter is it can happen to anyone, so getting checked is something I always recommend, don't ignore the signs! I take 9 pills in the morning and 9 pills at night, it's nothing great and fancy but the fact is that, I'm alive to see the sunset and sunrise each day which is the blessing God has given me all these years.
I feel truly alive after all this has happened and it's not the end of the road because it happens to you, it wasn't mine. My mom gave me her kidney so I could live and if it wasn't for her to be my match I could still be in a hospital or not at all but the simple fact, God gave me the reason to live and told me it's not my time and go out there and to help others. I spend two days out of my week which are my days off going to hospitals to speak with others like me to let them know it's going to be alright the best is yet to come. I read stories, or just talk to them, and get to know them. I spend about 8 hours between both days doing so, for me it's my way of giving back to those who are just like me, who are where I was these some odd years ago.
Don’t ever take anything for granted in this life, but if you are just like me in the beginning stages, hold your head up high because you my friend, you're going to make it, I just know it!
Thank you for letting me share my story I hope it enlightens some and encourages others to help out and donate or donate their time at the hospital for this wonderful cause.
Destiny's story...
While I am not directly affected by kidney disease, I am very, very close to it. Almost 5 years ago my one and only brother was diagnosed with kidney failure. When I heard this news it crushed my heart because at the percentage his kidneys were functioning I just knew I was going to lose my brother.... But GOD! My oldest niece, who is my brother's daughter got tested and by the grace of God she was a match and was willing to be a donor for her father. The testing began and then came the surgery and all went well for my brother and my niece, however.... A little over year later we were right back where we started from and he was back in the hospital with something terribly gone wrong. This put my brother into a depression to have to go through dialysis and everything once again, but with prayers from his family and himself, God gave him the strength to move on and get on the list for another transplant.
A year after that, my husband who has sickle cell became gravely ill and it was then that we learned that he too was in kidney failure with his kidneys only functioning at 7 percent. He was immediately put on dialysis and to this day he goes to dialysis 3 times a week. With my husband, he has two very serious diseases and the same goes for my brother. With the sickle cell, this is how my husband ended up with kidney disease. During sickle cell crisis the body organs are broken down and over time organs get damaged. This year in February my husband was sick and hospitalized twice, once again due to Sickle Cell and kidney disease. During dialysis the blood is taken out of the body, cleansed and put back into the body but for him he always has bad side effects such as loss of blood. Dialysis helps him live on but also makes him seriously ill at the same time. With my brother, he has diabetes which also causes organ damage.
Both were told even with a new kidney, it is not a long term solution because of the ailment they already have.
This disease is serious and everyone should know what the symptoms are because if your kidneys are not functioning that means the waste that our body's make on a daily basis is not being removed.
I pray everyday for a better health report for my brother and my husband. I also get involved and have my own self tested as a donor because even if you cannot help financially, donors are needed everyday....
Stay informed...
Signing out
Dr. Destiny Basset aka Big Sister On Point
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