Stephen "Cojo" Cojocaru was on the Rachael Ray television show today speaking of his new book, Glamour Interrupted. Cojo was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease in which he received 2 kidney transplants, one from a friend that failed and one from his mother. Polycystic kidney disease is an inherited disease that causes cysts to form in the kidney.
End stage renal disease is a complete or near failure of the kidneys to excrete wastes, concentrate urine and regulate electrolytes. There are 400,000 people living in the Unites States with end stage renal disease. Diabetes is the number one cause of kidney failure. Diabetes is a lifelong disease marked by high levels of sugar in the blood. This can lead to diabetic nephropathy.
As a dialysis nurse for 5 years I feel that dialysis is receiving a bad rap. Dialysis gives life. There are four treatments for kidney failure- hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, transplant and no treatment. Notice I said treatments, not cure. A kidney transplant is not a cure. The clips shown on the show were misleading.
I am certainly not downplaying dialysis. Hemodialysis involves going to a center for 3 times a week, cannulation with a needle and being "hooked" to a machine for 3-5 hours. There are home hemodialysis programs over the country where this procedure is done at home.
Peritoneal dialysis is where a tube is placed in the abdomen and "exchanges" are made using the peritoneal lining as a filter. This can either be done several times a day or throughout the night.
Transplant is the another treatment for kidney failure. A live donor, such as the guests featured on the show donate their kidney to a compatible donor or a cadaver donor has deceased and donated the organs. The story of the ladies with the transplant was fabulous. It is so true many people have to wait years before getting a transplant. I hope the Johns Hopkins way is the way of the future.
I realize that the story on the show today was done to sell the book. The story has also aired on Dr Phil's show, if I'm not mistaken.
My wish is that a person that is in one of the earlier stages of kidney failure is not swayed to believe they have a death wish. A great number of the patients I have encountered in my years as a dialysis nurse live full and vital lives. They work as teachers, preachers, in hospitals as nurses. They have children and grandchildren in which they enjoy spending time with. Their life is a little altered due to the dialysis but that is not a reason to stop living.
If this show or book does anything I hope it raises awareness of kidney disease and the great need to donate organs. Of course, alot of kidney disease could be prevented, at least temporarily, if people would take care of themselves. They would exercise and take thier diabetic medication as prescribed. They would take their blood pressure medication as prescribed and have their blood pressure checked on a regular basis.
Believe me, I would like nothing else than to have kidney disease aniliated.
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