It’s National Kidney Month, a time to raise awareness of kidney disease and how to prevent it. The kidneys are such important organs, filtering your blood, removing waste and helping your body maintain a balanced state. They help you balance electrolytes, maintain a normal pH level, control blood pressure, produce red blood cells, and maintain healthy bones.

High blood pressure and diabetes are the leading causes of kidney failure. If your kidneys fail, you need regular dialysis treatments or a kidney transplant to survive.

The good news is, simple lifestyle changes can help prevent kidney disease or slow it down. Here are our top five ways to keep your kidneys healthy:

1. Get tested. Ask your doctor for simple urine and blood tests to check your kidney function. Blood tests will give you your GFR, a number that shows how well your kidneys are working. Work with your doctor to get your kidney function checked on a regular basis.

2. Control your blood pressure. High blood pressure causes damage to your kidneys. Get your blood pressure checked regularly and work with your doctor on ways to control it. This is vital to keeping your kidneys healthy.

3. Manage your blood sugars. Diabetes is a leading cause of kidney failure. If you have diabetes, control your blood sugars to help prevent your kidney function from declining. Managing blood sugars also helps prevent heart disease and other health problems.

4. Follow a low-sodium diet. Eating a healthy diet can help keep your kidneys healthy. Too much salt in particular can cause damage. Aim for less than 2,000 milligrams of sodium each day. Avoid fast food and restaurant meals, as many are loaded with salt. Try instead to cook at home from scratch using herbs and spices for flavor instead of salt.

5. Exercise regularly. Time to get moving! Exercise can help you control your blood pressure, feel more energetic, and improve your mental health. Work with your doctor to create an exercise plan that works for you. At least 30 minutes of exercise each day is recommended, but keep in mind this can be spread out across the entire day.

Keeping your kidneys healthy, or slowing kidney disease down, can help you avoid or delay the need for dialysis. Work with your doctor on the five tips above to create a health plan that works for you. And make sure to follow us on on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for more tips on how to keep your kidneys healthy!

Born with spina bifida and unable to walk, Meg has always faced challenges. When she started school, she was bussed to a special campus miles from her home and it wasn’t until the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 that she attended the neighborhood school. But even at her local school she was essentially warehoused in special ed programs that didn’t challenge her intellect, as they assumed her cognitive abilities were below average. But when she moved, age 10, to Australia—where children with disabilities were taught alongside “healthy children”— she was finally treated like everyone else.

She eventually moved back to the US, ending up in the Seattle area. After she graduated, finding a job was difficult, as climbing stairs to interview for jobs was not possible. But did this stop her? Absolutely not! Today Meg works for Able Environments, an organization dedicated to linking real estate buyers with mobility, sight, cognitive, or hearing impairments to accessible homes and amenities. Additionally, Meg has been a strong advocate for her community, serving as Miss Wheelchair Washington State in 2008, and has been actively involved with Paralympics and adaptive sports. She’s also served as executive director of the Spina Bifida Association, which prepares families who are new to spina bifida for the challenges that lay ahead by offering support and outreach.

Five years ago, Meg started dialysis and was challenged to balance her diet and fluids while also trying to feel good at the end of the day. She initially struggled with extra fluid weight but now realizes changes in her diet are what keep her feeling good. Meg says the most important way to keep fluid off is carefully planning what you eat and balancing salt intake as much as possible. She has been able to keep her dry weight consistent over the past five years, and attributes this success to keeping her water intake to a minimum. She loves to eat, but good food choices can make the difference, so she strongly advocates reading labels and encourages patients to work closely with available resources, including their dietitian, to devise a plan that works best for them.

When out advocating in the community, Meg says she usually receives three different responses: she’s either ignored, patronized, or accepted. She says people are still learning how to respond or react to people with disabilities, and that’s why educating and being an advocate is important and are major goals in her life.

Thank you, Meg, for all you do to build greater understanding and stronger communities!

Within the first few moments of meeting Max Harned, you recognize an incredible energy and passion for life and community. Born and raised in Tacoma, Max credits his family upbringing with his passion for community. His late father, John Harned, and his Uncle Joe Harned, served in the military and settled in the Tacoma area. They each built successful businesses in Pierce County, and with that success they began a family tradition of helping the community through philanthropy.

We share the family traits of a remarkable work ethic and a commitment to education and giving back to the communities we live in.” –Max Harned

Max and Margi Harned at the Lakewood ribbon cutting ceremony Oct. 3, 2019.

Their philanthropy has benefited many organizations, and the Harned family name graces prominent education buildings, programs and scholarships that benefit student education at the University of Puget Sound, St. Martin’s University, and Tacoma Community College. In addition to these educational projects, Max has recently extended his benevolence to include the Puget Sound Kidney Centers.

Max first learned about Puget Sound Kidney Centers when he was approached about selling his land for a new nonprofit dialysis center to be built in Lakewood. Recognizing the need and impressed with the mission of PSKC, he not only sold his property to PSKC, but he also decided to serve as volunteer, joining both the PSKC Foundation Board and the PSKC board.

Retired after a successful career in marketing, Max devotes time to being with his wife and family and to serving the community. In addition to his volunteer work with PSKC, he serves on the board of Tacoma Community College Foundation and the Board of Trustees for the King County Library system. When he presents to student groups, Max emphasizes the importance of philanthropy with a favorite quote by Sir Winston Churchhill, “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.”

Today, he and his wife Margi, a former educator, jointly support the needs of the local community, recently funding a food pantry program at Tacoma Community College.

“Max and I are so very blessed. The best gift we can give is to share our blessings.” –Margi Harned

Max, Joe and Margi Harned testing out one of the Lakewood heated dialysis chairs that they helped raise money to purchase.

In this spirit of generosity, Max and Margi recently donated and raised funds for new heated dialysis chairs for patients at our new Lakewood dialysis center.

Thank you, Max and Margi, for all you do for the community!

You too can help make a difference in the lives of people with kidney disease. More than half of our patients are in need of financial aid. Financial gifts allow us to provide our patients with the additional support they need. Donations help support our charity care program and help us educate those at risk for kidney disease in our community. They also help ensure our clinics have state-of-the-art equipment, like heated dialysis chairs that bring added comfort to patients during dialysis.

Help support our mission to enhance the quality of life of those with kidney disease through outstanding dialysis care, education and community support.

Donate to Puget Sound Kidney Centers today.