Research Spotlight: Reporting and Management of Hemodialysis Symptoms

For people with kidney failure, hemodialysis is a life saving treatment. On average, people can live for 5 to 10 years on dialysis, but many have lived 20 to 30 years. Hemodialysis also comes with some distressing symptoms like muscle cramps, itching, and fatigue. Doctor Jennifer Flythe and Precious McCowan, a dialysis patient and kidney advocate, are here to talk about a new study that aims to better monitor and help manage the symptoms of hemodialysis.

Dr. Jenny Flythe, MD -is a nephrologist and clinical investigator at the University of North Carolina (UNC) Kidney Center, Associate Professor and Vice Chief of Nephrology and Hypertension at the UNC School of Medicine, and Director of Dialysis Services at UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill, NC. She conducts patient-oriented qualitative, epidemiologic, and prospective research aimed at improving outcomes and experiences among individuals with kidney disease.

Precious McCowan, BS, MS, ESRD- At the age of nine, I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes; living with this condition for over 25 years progress my kidney failure.  By the age of twenty-seven, I was placed on in-center hemodialysis. In 2010 I received both a kidney and pancreas transplant; unfortunately, I had to return to dialysis and insulin shortly after transplantation.  In 2019 I received my second kidney transplant. Before my second kidney transplantation, I did dialysis for nine years. I have served as a Facility Patient Representative (FPR) for my dialysis facility throughout this challenging yet rewarding journey. I heartily work to advance patient health engagement and renal education to better care while on dialysis. Acquiring the passion for assisting those affected by End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) promoted my affiliation with the ESRD Medical Review Board (MRB) and the ESRD Patient Advisory Council (PAC) of Texas. Also, I am a member of the Kidney Patient Advisory Council; as an advocate partnering with ESRD caregivers and medical professionals to effectively meet the needs of those living with kidney disease.

 

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