NN&I - August 2010

Empowerment 36 Nephrology News & Issues August 2010Subscribe to our free eNewsletter at www.nephronline.com concern to me as a patient was the 21% decrease in physician reimbursement that is proposed. It makes me wonder if I will receive 21% less care from my physician. And, if not, how are the physicians supposed to make up for this decrease in compensation? In my view, each of these issues is a threat to my life and needs to be addressed in a seri-ous and professional manner. I can say with all sincerity, and without fear of contradiction that when we were voic-ing these concerns to our public offi-cials on Capitol Hill, we were met with open ears and sincere and objective conversation. It was a great feeling to come back to my home clinic and report to my fellow patients that there actually are real people in our government that truly care about our well-being. We all understand that there is a fine balance between Medicare reimbursement and optimal care for the dialysis patient. It was very refreshing to see firsthand that our government is not our adver -sary when it comes to Medicare, but rather our ally and a very important part of our team.Living: The best therapy for CKDBy Jim Smith Mr. Smith has been a home hemodialysis patient since 2007.Taking responsibility for oneself is the strongest medicine you can get when you have kidney disease. We all hope that our nephrologists and nurses and all those we come in contact with us at our dialysis center will always work for our best interests. Remembering that they are also human and have other problems on their minds means that they may keep you safe, but may not keep you healthy. You are the ultimate authority on your health and well being because you know how you feel and what feels good. Now that we know that our longevity is directly related to the type of dialysis we receive (in center is the least ideal and nocturnal home hemodialysis is the best), we must take every oppor -tunity we can to turn the odds more in our own favor. Here are some things you can do that will make a major difference in your life: Education is your \037 best weapon against the effects of kidney disease. Be ready to meet with and discuss your condi-tion with doctors and other profes -sionals. Read all you can find on kid-ney disease. There are some excellent national conferenc -es you can attend that offer valuable information. Stay in good health because over - \037 weight dialysis patients suffer far more coronary problems than those who maintain a healthy weight. Dialysis is not a weight reduction methodthink -ing that your dialysis treatments will always keep your weight in line is false hope. Too many patients use their ses-sions to get their excess fluid off rather than exercising moderation in their fluid intake. Look at the benefits of home ther - \037 apy; not only will your overall health improve, you will take control of your time and schedule and not be stuck on the clinic's schedule. Increase your life expectancy by getting out of the center and into your home. Learn how to buttonhole and make \037 your own sticks (self-cannulation). Plan something fun \037travel, visit friends, see the sites. If you dialyze at home you can have the benefits of mobile equipment (like the cycler for peritoneal dialysis, or the NxStage equipment) and if you dialyze in-cen-ter you can still travel all over the world and find centers that will wel -come you. Advocate for yourself and take con-trol of your own life. You determine the quality of your life. As the armed servic-es ask you to do: "Be all you can be." Smith can do his daily dialysis therapy in his motor home while he travels and also sees the country on his motorcycle. You are the ultimate authority on your health and well being because you know how you feel and what feels good. Empowerment_NNI-0810_8.indd 36 7/28/10 2:31:35 PM