As a patient services advocate who works with potential transplant recipients at a major hospital, I spend a lot of time correcting misperceptions and educating patients about what they need to do to get on the transplant list. As a kidney transplant recipient, I have a lot of “inside knowledge” that I readily share with anyone who will listen. READ MORE >>

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 >>

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 >>

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 >>

There are two sides to every kidney donation story—the selfless decision made by the donor and the priceless gift received by the recipient. Richard Patterson III almost lost his father to cancer, so when his dad’s remaining kidney failed, he stepped up to become a living donor in June 2014. READ MORE >>

There are two sides to every kidney donation story—the selfless decision made by the donor and the priceless gift received by the recipient. Richard Patterson, Jr. received a kidney from his son, Richard Patterson III, in June 2014. In Part 1, Richard Patterson, Jr. tells his story of cancer and kidney failure, and eventually receiving his transplant. READ MORE >>

A simple question—“What do you wish others understood about living with kidney disease?”—unleashed a torrent of comments on our Facebook page recently. Kidney disease itself is often invisible until the late stages; once it progresses to kidney failure, patients need dialysis or a transplant to live. People living with kidney disease and kidney failure tell us they often feel that others do not understand what they are going through, both physically and emotionally. READ MORE >>

AKF Advocate Ron Krokey is passionate about spreading the word about kidney disease. He joined 11 other Advocates in Washington, D.C., in March for a series of meetings with legislators. Here’s what he had to say about his experience. READ MORE >>