Dialysis, isolation, depression, anger. Each of these words has a separate meaning but they seem to go hand-in-hand with each other. For many dialysis patients, these words combine to form a “new normal” state brought on by living with kidney failure. READ MORE >>

It took Steve Winfree of Knoxville, Tennessee, 12 years to be comfortable talking about living with kidney disease. “I want my story to be proof that kidney disease is not a period in my life, but rather a comma just before the next amazing journey in my life.” READ MORE >>

What are the most important things you need to know about kidney disease? Our infographic breaks it down into five quick facts. READ MORE >>

Last week, to kick off National Kidney Month, American Kidney Fund (AKF) patient-advocates from around the country came to Washington to educate their elected officials about the financial challenges kidney patients experience, and to urge lawmakers to put an end to discriminatory practices among some health insurers. READ MORE >>

Julie Lippke and her daughter Alexandra, an eighth-grader, are taking on the challenge of hiking Hadrian’s Wall in northern England during Alexandra’s spring break this month. They are doing it to test their own limits—and to honor Alexandra’s grandfather Jerry Lippke, who has been living with kidney failure for over five years. READ MORE >>

A diagnosis of kidney disease often comes as a shock, but you don’t have to face it alone. Our Facebook community includes thousands of people who are living with kidney disease or kidney failure. We recently asked what advice they would give someone who is newly diagnosed. READ MORE >>

Anytime we hear about someone who suffers from a chronic disease, it’s easy to use the disease as a label to describe the person: “There's so and so, she has cancer,” or “He’s a diabetic.” Everyone is guilty of doing this at one time or another, and I have noticed that many doctors unknowingly make this mistake, too. READ MORE >>

Kidney disease and kidney failure affect African-Americans more than any other race or ethnicity. Nearly 1 in 3 of Americans with kidney failure is African-American. Learn more about this silent killer from our infographic. The good news: most cases of kidney disease could be prevented by controlling diabetes and high blood pressure, the two leading causes of kidney disease. READ MORE >>