IG Live – May 22nd: The DPC Education Center’s Health Care Consultant, Dr. Scantlebury, went Live on Instagram this month to talk about all things kidneys. She talks about mental health and some of the challenges both dialysis and transplant patients face while on their kidney journey, some of the resources available on the DPC Education Center's website, as well as the importance of still having a primary care doctor as a kidney patient, and many other kidney-related topics.

Even though mental health can be difficult to talk about, it’s so important to call attention to it and try to destigmatize it. Dr. Scantlebury discusses some of the unique circumstances dialysis and transplant patients face and highlights some resources available for help. One of those resources is the DPC Education Center, which has tons of information available on everything from nutrition and exercise to support groups to local state-based resources. Dr. Scantlebury also discusses the importance of having a primary care doctor as a kidney patient, in order to make sure you are also taking care of your general health. Additionally, a primary care doctor can also be an excellent referral source for a mental health professional.

Give us a listen to hear all this and more important information for living well with kidney disease. If you have your own questions you’d like to have the doctor answer, tune in for our Live events on both Instagram and Facebook:

- IG Live @patientcitizens the first Wednesday of each month, 12:30pm EST
- Facebook Live www.facebook.com/patientcitizens the third Wednesday of each month, 12:30pm EST

FB Live – May 15th: In our May Facebook Live, Dr. Scantlebury discusses the different dialysis options and what to consider when looking at modalities, what patients can do if they aren't feeling heard by their healthcare provider, the importance of staying up-to-date on required tests/exams when on the transplant list, and many more important kidney related topics.

When considering your options for dialysis, it’s important to have a conversation with your nephrology team so you have all the information you need to make an informed decision. If you know ahead of time that you will have to go on dialysis, you can look into vein mapping and possibly having a fistula placed in advance, or discussing home options such as peritoneal dialysis. Dr. Scantlebury elaborates on these and other options, and highlights some of considerations patients should keep in mind. On this episode, Dr. Scantlebury also discusses some of the things patients can do if they don’t feel like they are being heard by their healthcare provider, including other people they might be able to talk to. She also takes some time to explain how staying up-to-date on your required tests and exams while on the transplant ensures that when you’re called for a kidney, you’re actually able to receive the organ.

We invite you to join us for our live events and ask your kidney-related questions! Find us on both Instagram and Facebook:

- IG Live @patientcitizens the first Wednesday of the month, 12:30pm EST
- Facebook Live www.facebook.com/patientcitizens the third Wednesday of the month, 12:30pm EST

FB Live – April 17th: April is Donate Life Month, and Dr. Scantlebury dives right in on all things transplant. She discusses the different transplant options, living vs. deceased donation, how long a kidney transplant lasts, and recent advances in the transplant space. She also answers questions about sinusitis' impact on kidney failure, resources for eating better, and many more important kidney related topics.

Having been a kidney surgeon for over 30 years, Dr. Scantlebury knows the ins and outs of transplant process extremely well and provides patients with a wealth of knowledge. She very often gets asked about the difference between living and deceased donation options and what the processes entail. With living donation, patients often have an advocate that they are close with who helps them with the process of asking for a kidney or with tough questions. Advocates can also help with utilizing all avenues for a patient when searching for a kidney, such as clubs or neighborhood group they might be involved in, places of worship, family, or friend circles. For deceased donation, patients can be on multiple transplant lists as long as they are not in the same area. Other considerations would be that the patient can get to the transplant center in a reasonable amount of time when called and that they would then be able to stay in the area post-transplant during their recovery. Dr. Scantlebury also discusses the recent transplant that was done with a pig kidney and goes into more detail on how these types of transplants, known as xenotransplant, are done, what the considerations are for a patient to receive the transplant, and where the science is going.

We invite you to join us for our live events and ask your kidney-related questions! Find us on both Instagram and Facebook:

- IG Live @patientcitizens the first Wednesday of the month, 12:30pm EST

- Facebook Live www.facebook.com/patientcitizens the third Wednesday of the month, 12:30pm EST

FB Live – March 20th: For this latest episode of Kidney Questions for the Doctor, DPC Education Center’s Dr. Velma Scantlebury answers questions from both dialysis and kidney transplant patients. This episode covers many different aspects of living with kidney disease, including different access types and when one might be used over another, updated COVID vaccine guidelines for kidney patients, a common virus doctors watch out for in transplant patients,

When patients “crash” into dialysis or when acute dialysis is needed, typically you doctor will place a catheter in order to begin receiving treatment immediately. Though there are instances where an individual might need to keep a catheter, it is more common that you’ll have another access site, either a fistula or a graft, to lessen the chances of infection. Dr. Scantlebury also talks about the recently updated vaccine guidelines for patients age 65+ or immunocompromised patients and ways to keep yourself health if you’re gathering with family or friends. Patients who are immunocompromised are also more susceptible to BK virus, which Dr. Scantlebury explains in-depth on what that virus is, who is at risk for infections, symptoms, and how it’s treated.

We invite you to join us for our live events and ask your kidney-related questions! Find us on both Instagram and Facebook:

- IG Live @patientcitizens the first Wednesday of the month, 12:30pm EST
- Facebook Live www.facebook.com/patientcitizens the third Wednesday of the month, 12:30pm EST

IG Live – February 28th: This month, the DPC Education Center got to speak with Elizabeth Jones, MSW, LCSW, a Clinical Social Worker for Nephrology and Transplant at Walter Reed National Medical Center. Elizabeth discusses how social workers provide support for dialysis and kidney transplant patients, with additional emphasis on supporting veterans.

Tune in to learn some of the resources a social worker can provide to their patients and ideas for how patients can utilize social workers at their facilities, even if privacy is a concern. For home dialysis patients, Elizabeth explains how social workers can arrange to do home visits and discusses some veteran specific statistics on kidney disease and resources that veterans and all patients can use to find the care that’s right for them.

Give us a listen to hear all this and more important information for utilizing your renal social worker. If you have additional kidney questions, tune in for our regularly scheduled Live events on both Instagram and Facebook:

• IG Live @patientcitizens the first Wednesday of each month, 12:30pm EST
• Facebook Live www.facebook.com/patientcitizens the third Wednesday of each month, 12:30pm EST

IG Live – February 7th: February is American Heart Month, so Dr. Scantlebury dives right in on the connection between heart disease and your kidneys. This month, we also discussed what goes into figuring out your dialysis time, why skin color changes happen while on dialysis, what is meant by "perfect match" when on the transplant list, and many other important kidney-related topics.

As a dialysis patient, what can you do to help keep your heart healthy? It turns out, a lot! Dr. Scantlebury discusses ways patients can improve their cardiovascular health and lower their risk of heart disease. Another way patients can make sure they stay healthy is by adhering to their dialysis time, which is affected by several different factors. Hear what goes into calculating a patient’s dialysis time and why it is so important to adhere to it. Additionally, Dr. Scantlebury explains what a “perfect match” means for transplant patients, which is based on six genetic markers, and why it’s far more common to have a “zero mismatch”.

Give us a listen to hear all this and more important information for living well with kidney disease. If you have your own questions you’d like to have the doctor answer, tune in for our Live events on both Instagram and Facebook:

• IG Live @patientcitizens the first Wednesday of each month, 12:30pm EST
• Facebook Live www.facebook.com/patientcitizens the third Wednesday of each month, 12:30pm EST

IG Live – March 6th: March is National Kidney Month and Dr. Scantlebury highlights the importance of sharing your kidney story and encouraging everyone to know their numbers. This month we also discussed how hemoglobin is maintained if you have kidney disease, how anti-rejection medication works in the body, the importance of keep up with labs and bloodwork, even after you've had a transplant, and many other important kidney-related topics.

Many times, kidney disease is silent, and patients don’t know there’s an issue until they crash into dialysis. This doesn’t have to be the case though, which is why it’s super important to know your numbers and encourage family and friends to know their numbers and if they have any risk factors for kidney disease. During kidney disease progression, one of the many things that is monitored is your hemoglobin - Dr. Scantlebury explains what hemoglobin is and how it’s monitored and maintained throughout kidney disease, dialysis, and transplant stages. Once you’ve been transplanted, one of the big changes is that you have to begin taking antirejection medications. Dr. Scantlebury discusses what these medication actually do in their body, and why it is so important to stay on top of your labs after transplant.

Give us a listen to hear all this and more important information for living well with kidney disease. If you have your own questions you’d like to have the doctor answer, tune in for our Live events on both Instagram and Facebook:

- IG Live @patientcitizens the first Wednesday of each month, 12:30pm EST
- Facebook Live www.facebook.com/patientcitizens the third Wednesday of each month, 12:30pm EST

IG Live – April 3rd: The DPC Education Center’s Health Care Consultant, Dr. Scantlebury, is back to answer your most pressing questions about all things kidneys. This month, you wanted to know about why it's important to keep your phosphorous levels down as a dialysis patient, how to feel more comfortable about the transplant process, and the parathyroid gland.

One of the many things dialysis patients have to watch is their phosphorus levels. Patients are prescribed and told to take binder and which foods and drinks they should avoid, but it’s not always explained why it’s important to keep phosphorus levels down. Dr. Scantlebury provides an in-depth explanation about how phosphorus creates plaque in patients’ blood vessels, which makes it much more difficult to be abel to transplant. Dr. Scantlebury also provides some insight as to ways patients can feel more comfortable about the transplant process, as well as discussing the parathyroid gland. She highlights what this gland is responsible for, how it might misfunction when a patient goes on dialysis, and potential treatments should your parathyroid gland begin to function incorrectly.

Give us a listen to hear all this and more important information for living well with kidney disease. If you have your own questions you’d like to have the doctor answer, tune in for our Live events on both Instagram and Facebook:

• IG Live @patientcitizens the first Wednesday of each month, 12:30pm EST
• Facebook Live www.facebook.com/patientcitizens the third Wednesday of each month, 12:30pm EST