| What was once merely a polite a question may now take on a more significant meaning as you consider how your life is changing after being diagnosed with chronic kidney disease. |
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Being diagnosed with kidney failure will affect you both physically and mentally. You may go through a range of different emotions, including anger, fear, depression, anxiety, confusion, frustration and helplessness that in turn affect your relationships with family and friends. Your daily life will also change and you will need to start managing your work and other responsibilities differently.
Some of the most common concerns people have when they are diagnosed with kidney disease include:
- Losing your job. If you work, you may be concerned about how kidney disease will affect your job. Talk over your options with your renal coordinator, friends, and family members who understand your situation and how it might affect your job. Depending on your situation, you will need to decide when and how to tell them about your diagnosis so that you can figure out how to make work life easier to manage. One way to approach the discussion would be to highlight the benefits of allowing you to balance your workload with medical needs - fewer days missed from work and less need for and reduced costs associated with hospitalization.
- Burdening friends and family. In good times and bad, friends and family care about your well being. While you may not want to inconvenience them, friends and family will value the chance to show you love and concern. The experience may even bring you closer.
- Planning and finances. Planning is key to your journey with chronic kidney disease. Give yourself plenty of time to arrange the best care and dialysis for your needs. You might find it easier to work through the process with help from your renal coordinator who can also refer you to a medical social worker (MSW). The MSW will be able to provide you with various resources and help you cope with your emotions.
- Feeling depressed and stressed. Adjusting to big changes is never easy. Take things one day at a time, one step at a time, one decision at a time.It's also important to tell your doctor and renal coordinator how you're feeling because weakness and fatigue are common symptoms of CKD-related anemia. As your kidney function declines, your kidney's ability to produce erythropoietin (EPO), involved in making red blood cells, also decreases and may lead to anemia. If you have anemia, treatment will improve the way you feel overall.
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| With planning and preparation, you will be able to manage chronic kidney disease successfully. Your renal coordinator or medical social worker can give you important guidance. They have experience in helping patients with kidney failure accept and adjust to a new life. Your friends and family will also be an important source of comfort and support. Take good care. You are not alone. |
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