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 [...]
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. [...]
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. [...]
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 [...]
Society’s rules and expectations of behavior by family caregivers can seem quite onerous. A caregiver is anticipated to be a selfless individual who keeps the needs of the patient above everyone else’s, including his or her own needs. He/she looks after physical, medical, emotional, psychological, financial and legal needs. He is thought to be an [...]
Inspirational and humorous There are many books and articles that deal with people living with kidney disease. Our current review is a different genre of book, a memoir of a lady who had three kidney transplants. Angela Balcita, the recipient and the author of this book, shares her inspiring story. Angela calls herself and her [...]
We, at psychonephrology.com, greatly appreciate the support that this blog has received from everyone since its inception. We are happy to announce that we are accepting guest posts. You can reach us at admin@psychonephrology.com with your post ideas. Our Audience Nephrology clinicians Mental health clinicians Patients Families Caregivers Good Topics for psychonephrology readers Psychological impacts [...]
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. [...]
The Importance of Resilience and Social Support Dialysis initiation is often associated with emotional distress, involving both patients and their families. Many aspects of these dynamic changes can be appreciated by evaluating different quality of life (QOL) parameters. […]
Physician-Assisted Death in the Renal Unit? A special four-part series on the various struggles physicians face with the legalization of Physician-Assisted Death. PART FOUR In Conversation with Drs Rauf Sirman, Sonu Gaind and James Downar The series ends with a discussion between presenters Drs Rauf Sirman, Sonu Gaind, and James Downar and the audience comprised of community/academic [...]
