I walked out of the doctor’s office, in a trance, almost forgetting that my fifteen year old, beside me, had walked through the very same door with me. The doctor had said, “Your son’s kidneys are failing!” During the fifteen-to-twenty minutes of intense conversation, the doctor had talked extensively about chronic kidney disease. Slowly he [...]
The sudden news of kidney disease can come as a shock for some, making it difficult to process the information. There may be instances when you want to know more but seem lost in the whole web of advice and multiple clinicians who are now involved. We wanted to provide you a checklist of questions [...]
Diagnosis of any chronic illness like kidney disease can be a very turbulent time for any patient. The information and diagnosis may feel overwhelming and the patient might feel at a loss in connecting with his family, friends and even healthcare team. What is it like to live with a chronic kidney disease, how does [...]
Janet Wright with Dr. Gavril Hercz As a nephrologist and psychotherapist, I believe it is important to shed more light on the emotional impact of chronic illness, like polycystic kidney disease (PKD), on patients and families. Last year, during the “In Conversation Series”, we shared the 2018 Toronto PKD scientific conference video, in which Ms. [...]
As we approach the year-end, Team Psychonephrology would like to thank you all for your continuous support and encouragement throughout our journey together. We would like to recap some of the topics that received the widest viewership. At the beginning of this year, we started a new blog series, “in conversation series”, where the patients [...]
Taking your cue from non-verbal communication Last week, during my visit to the dialysis unit, I came across a nurse who was displeased with a patient. On further conversation, she explained that she was disturbed by the manner expressed his dislike of her. This patient always wears T-shirts with strange quotes indirectly aimed at her. [...]
At age 63 I am still not on dialysis and am privileged with a good quality of life – I work part-time, take 2 personal interest courses, enjoy hobbies, eat most food, and do a mild activity. So, what’s my problem? I think, “Well, I don’t have a problem”, especially considering how young others in [...]
Below, Drs Gavril Hercz & Andreas Pierratos, nephrologists at Humber River Hospital, explain more about innovative models of care: “Needing to be on dialysis is about more than kidneys not working; it’s about a human being, with a worried family, trying to cope with a devastating loss. […]
Social media is increasingly disparaged, not least for its time-wasting capacities. In addition, it has fuelled a dramatic decrease in face-to-face communication, with more people forgetting the difference between the real and virtual world. However one cannot deny the vast positive change social media has bestowed, the ability to connect and communicate with people from [...]
I still vividly remember her last night here. She wasn’t fully conscious. Just enough to keep pulling down the face mask providing her with oxygen and opening her eyes to stare at me, before she resumed dozing off. I have no idea if she knew I was there. Yet, I still sat at her side, [...]
We are happy to announce that Dr. Gavril Hercz’s article is published, in the Perspective section of JASN October 2017 28: 2835-2837. The link for the article can be found here. http://jasn.asnjournals.org/content/28/10/2835 "The trauma of dialysis initiation" discusses at length the psychosocial impact of serious medical illness, such as kidney disease, which affects not only [...]
mHealth will rescue you About 1 in 10 people develop some degree of chronic kidney disease (CKD). It can occur at any age and various conditions can lead to CKD. Over 2 million people worldwide currently receive treatment with dialysis or a kidney transplant to stay alive, yet this number may only represent 10% of [...]
Is your decision well informed? Living kidney donations save many lives every year. It can be best described as the donation of a kidney from a healthy person, made of his or her own free will. Donating an organ gives you a sense of accomplishment, as you were able to save another person’s life. You [...]
We all have, probably more than once, visited hospitals and diagnostic centers, and I am sure, most of us experienced some level of anxiety. The most anxious moments can be while waiting for test results. This anxiety of the dreaded unknown is often significantly modified by how these results were communicated to us, better or [...]
Sympathy Vs. Empathy As a nephrologist, I have witnessed numerous patient-clinician encounters and heard even more from kidney patients during their clinic or dialysis visits. A recent conversation with one of my patients, who has a kidney disease, brought to light how she felt by the reactions and comments of her friends and relatives. [...]
