Nephrologist Dr. Dugan Maddux shares answers to your kidney health questions on May’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast. LISTEN NOW. 

During the podcast, we raised the question “How will dialysis affect my relationships?”

Here is Dr. Maddux’s reply: Chronic kidney disease like many other chronic conditions can cause day to day stress, but the goal of kidney care is to help people live as normal a life as possible.  Sharing your care plans and needs with family and friends may help them support you in living with kidney disease and dialysis.  Living well on dialysis includes following a healthy diet and being active which are actions that are good for everyone!People with kidney disease, their caregivers and family should not feel alone in managing life with dialysis.  Dialysis care includes support from a multi-disciplinary team including social workers, dietitians, nephrology nurses, patient care technicians and nephrologists.  This care team can help with feelings of depression, being overwhelmed, and anxiety and they can help solve other common problems like transportation for medical care and how to access healthy food.  Dialysis care does impact daily life, but it should not change your relationships. 

Divabetic Glossary of Terms: What is a Nephrologist?

A nephrologist is a medical doctor who specializes in kidney care and treating diseases of the kidneys. A nephrologist can help people in kidney failure by prescribing medications, offering special diet advice and coordinating dialysis care when the time comes. The term nephrologist comes from the Greek word “nephros”, which means kidney or renal and “ologist” refers to someone who studies. Nephrologists are also called kidney doctors.

People with diabetes may have long-term complications that involve kidney disease and eventual failure. A nephrologist is an important member to add to your healthcare team, if you have symptoms of kidney disease.

Nephrologist Dugan Maddux champions Fresenius Medical Care’s clinical innovation endeavors across the continent and is co-founder of the Gamewood companies, including Acumen Physician Solutions. Blogger, writer, and essayist, she developed the Nephrology Oral History project chronicling early dialysis pioneers.   

Read Dr. Maddux’s recent blog post on the experience of being a caregiver for family or friends with CKD, ESRD or other chronic conditions: https://newsroom.fmcna.com/whitepapers/caring-for-caregiver/ 

We’re talking about secret, hush hush topics in diabetes wellness such as intimacy issues, fears and food issues on Diabetes Late Nite with musical inspiration from H.E.R. courtesy of SONY Music. 

H.E.R. chooses to keep her identity a secret but that’s proving harder to do after winning Best New Artist and Best R&B Song Grammy Awards this past year. Mr. Divabetic’s guests include Janis Roszler LMFT, RD, LD/N, CDE, FAND, Cheryl Farley “Food as Medicine” Nutritionist, Dr. Dugan Maddux and the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach.

Throughout the podcast we will be playing music from H.E.R.’s I Used To Know Her: The Prelude album courtesy of SONY Music. 

Diabetes Late Nite is a fast-paced, full-filled hour of diabetes education and wellness advice that encourages listeners to “laugh a little, learn a lot’.